Meet the Team
Specialist career support for veterans
Our dedicated Lifeworks team has vast experience in helping veterans and families of serving military personnel achieve their career goals. The team has skills from various backgrounds, including experienced psychologists, careers consultants and ex-military welfare officers. Whatever support you require, we are well placed to ensure you have our full, professional support.
Steve Parrott
Assistant Director Veteran and Employment services
Steve leads the team with developing the Lifeworks programme to support the Armed Forces community to gain meaningful employment opportunities and provide career support for veterans.
Steve has a service background having completed a career in the Parachute Regiment. Steve’s last serving role was the Unit Welfare Officer where he was responsible for looking after the wounded, injured and sick personnel, helping in their path to full recovery and assisting in their transition to civilian life.
Jonathan Gillespie-Payne
Lifeworks Operation Manager
Jonathan was commissioned into The Royal Scots and subsequently transferred to the Intelligence Corps. Following medical discharge, he worked in the expedition industry, utilising skills developed in the Army. Jonathan then retrained as a teacher, finishing as a Headmaster of an international school in Morocco. He has also presented on the History Channel and is a published historian. Opting to work in the Third Sector, Jonathan was Operations Manager of the Speyside Trust in Glenmore, Highlands, where he organised and managed several fundraising challenge events.
Lee Funnell
Tutor and Employment Advisor
Following a career in the Royal Marines as a communications specialist the entered the world of telecommunications as a technical and training manager supporting global client projects and technical training departments. He was an active member of the British Standards Institute, a Director the Fibreoptics Industry Association and a member of the European Intelligent Buildings Council.
Lee is an experienced trainer will qualifications in training and development from the Institute of Leadership and Management, the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development and holds a PETALS qualification in teaching and education.
Always curious about people and their untold story, Lee is dedicated in offering support and encouragement to help veterans achieve their goals.
Terry Wakefield
Tutor and Employment Advisor
Terry Wakefield is a training, mentoring and operational professional whose career began in The Queen’s Regiment. Over 30 years, he has worked across security, close protection, event security and operational leadership.
As a Mentor and IT Trainer with Heath Farm Fostering, Terry created programmes for young people in care, helping them build confidence, develop digital skills and progress into education and employment. Seeing their progress inspired him to join RBVE and continue helping people overcome barriers.
Terry has trained and developed teams and managed building projects, security improvements, business continuity initiatives, operational change and technology projects through roles with Canterbury Christ Church University, 4Merit Group, Sepio Security Consultants and Delta Security. He has also held management roles with Louis Vuitton and Prada.
Terry holds qualifications in security management, leadership and management, first aid, CCTV operations and advanced close protection. His interests include fitness, kayaking, technology, artificial intelligence and virtual reality.
Gary Woodford
Referral and Onboarding Coordinator
Gary is a Royal Navy Veteran, he served on Warships HMS Intrepid, HMS Plymouth, HMS Nottingham and HMS Gloucester during his Naval Career.
Gary was an Engineer by trade and in his branch was known as “Stokers” as they used to shovel coal into the Boilers.
As well as warships Gary served in various shore side establishments, and as part of this he was an Instructor at the Navy’s lead fire school where he trained personnel of all ranks in firefighting techniques. As part of his Naval career, he has been so fortunate to have travelled to both Arctic & Antarctic circles, through the Suez canal and also the Panama canal as well as many other locations around the world.
Tim Brown
Lifeworks/MODVA Team Coordinator
Tim served a full career as a Royal Engineer and AGC Senior Non-Commissioned Officer; his last serving role being the Chief Clerk at Headquarters Household Division in Horse Guards. Tim then trained and worked as a Commercial Diver in Scotland, as a Sales Advisor for a building supplies company, as a Prison Officer and then as a Class 1 Lorry Driver. Tim was diagnosed with PTSD and consequently took a part time role as a Supervisor in RBVE’s social enterprise, Britain’s Bravest Manufacturing Company (BBMC). After 5 years spent stabilising his mental health, Tim then became a Job Coach and NVQ Assessor in BBMC, responsible for the welfare and development of our Supported Employees, before becoming a Tutor and Employment Advisor for our Lifeworks Programme.
Nicola Dawes
Referral and Onboarding Coordinator
Nicola has joined the Lifeworks team, having served 2 years in various welfare positions in the RBVE village, leading a team of up to 20 care staff to provide first class support for Tri Service veterans in one of RBVE’s assisted living centres.
Nicola’s role now within the Lifeworks team is to engage with and build rapport with veterans and families, to offer well informed employment support options through our Lifeworks Programme.
