Our Team

We are thrilled to announce that Michelin TV Chef, Jean-Christophe Novelli, is a new ambassador for Dogs for Autism.

Jean-Christophe’s youngest son Valentino was diagnosed with Autism when he was 3 years old, following treatment for cancer.

Jean-Christophe met Dogs for Autism earlier this year when he filmed a special segment for the BBC Children In Need Celebrity Bargain Hunt episode. Jean-Christophe met Jan Kiley, COO of Dogs for Autism and Luna, a trained autism assistance dog who has been life-changing for her partner, Zana and her family.

We are delighted that following the filming for the BBC and short tour of our new training centre, Jean-Christophe agreed to become an ambassador for Dogs for Autism to promote our work further.

Dr Scott Miller is best known for fronting the reality television show “Vet on the Hill” and he is currently the resident on-screen vet on ITV’s flagship show ‘This Morning’.

Having recently received his own autism diagnosis and as a parent of two autistic children, we are thrilled that he will now be an advocate for DfA whilst his own personal awareness of autism grows.

As a big believer in the strength and support that animals can provide, we are delighted that Dr Scott is now one of our charity ambassadors.

Dr Khan, who many of you will remember from TV’s GPs Behind Closed Doors, is a practising GP in Bradford and regularly seen as the resident doctor on ITV’s Lorraine daily morning show and Good Morning Britain. In 2020 Dr Khan published ‘The Doctor will see you now’, which explores the highs and lows of life as a GP in the UK.

As an avid supporter of the nation’s health and wellbeing, Dr Khan is well-known for his informative short videos outlining the signs and symptoms of health conditions and is a great believer in patient self-awareness.

We are thrilled that he has joined our charity to help champion our work and raise awareness of the life changing role of our assistance dogs.

Carly has been working as an autism advocate since 2008 and was made an MBE in the 2017 New Year’s Honours list for services to the autistic population.

With a fantastic reputation for her pioneering work with and for autistic people, we are delighted that she has chosen to support our charity as our first ambassador.

Stephen Brooker is Executive Musical Supervisor for Cameron Mackintosh worldwide. He was musical director and conductor for Universal Pictures’ film of Les Misérables.

Stephen is a long standing supporter of the charity and has provided foster care for some of our trainee assistance dogs, including Labradors, Arthur and Jerry G.

Stephen has an extensive and impressive musical portfolio; for more information please visit his website.

Ella has been creating content and working as an autism advocate since 2016 when they received a late diagnosis of autism. As Purple Ella they create content on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, where they aim to create a safe space for autistic people and their loved ones to feel comforted, valued and seen.

Ella is proud to be an ambassador for Dogs for Autism, knowing first hand how valuable a partnership with a dog can be because they have been working with an assistance dog since 2020.

Max has spent the last 18 years in various roles at Plan International, the global development and humanitarian INGO that advances children’s rights and equality for girls, with an annual budget in excess of $1Bn. For the last 5 years he has been a senior level technology manager, responsible for the IT application service delivery.

Max is strategically focused, self-motivated and professional, with the ability to work to strict delivery deadlines while maintaining quality and high standards.

Zoe has had a career in education, most recently as Principal at High Close School in Wokingham. High Close, owned and managed by Barnardos, is a non-maintained special school offering day and residential provision for young people with complex social, emotional and mental health needs.

Zoe believes passionately in a holistic approach to education, with a conviction that life and academic skills can be taught side-by-side with support.

Antonia (Toni) has a wealth of experience in the assistance dog world; she herself is an assistance dog user and worked for many years in various roles for the charity, Support Dogs. Toni also has two daughters on the autistic spectrum

Kellie–Jayne is Mum to two children. Her son, Henry, is 9 and was diagnosed as autistic aged 3. Henry attends a local special needs school and during autism awareness week he did lots of jumping and walking to raise awareness for DfA. Kellie–Jayne is also a Governor at Henry’s school and a committee member for the local Alton/Bordon National Autistic Society Group.

Kellie–Jayne has worked as a solicitor for nearly 20 years and is keen to bring both her professional and personal experience to the DfA team. She understands first-hand the challenges that autism can bring to children and their families and is passionate about raising awareness and supporting others wherever she can.

Sue has over 25 years of business administration experience, ranging from finance and accounting to project and team management.

In her free time, she enjoys designing, riding her motorcycle, and walking and relaxing with her Great Dane cross, Freya.

Having joined from another assistance dog charity, where I worked as the Community Engagement Officer, I am delighted to be able to bring my skills and previous experience to Dogs for Autism and to work with the team to help the lives of autistic individuals and families.

In my free time I enjoy cycling, hill walking and spending time with family and dogs.

Lola is the Autism Liaison Coordinator at Dogs for Autism. As an autistic individual with ADHD, she brings valuable, first-hand insight into navigating life as a neurodiverse person.

With two years of puppy socialization experience at organizations like Hearing Dogs for Deaf People and the support of her own Dogs for Autism assistance dog, Polly, Lola understands the unique challenges of training and placing assistance dogs and the journey that continues after placement.

Nikki has been a graphic design for 30+ years and is known in the industry as a quality designer with a keen eye for detail. She has always enjoyed working with animals so is thrilled to be able to join the team.

She holds a NCFE Cache Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Autism.

Chloe is passionate about using her skills to help people thrive and is now using her 25 years of experience in marketing and communications with large corporate organisations to help Dogs for Autism grow.

BA (Hons) FPFS Is founder and director of Craven – Slater Financial Planners. A chartered Financial Planner, David is also a Fellow of the Personal Finance Society.

He is a key member of the strategic business team assisting in mapping a coherent overall strategy for future growth and leads on business liaison and partnership development.

Ella has over 20 years design experience; working as a senior designer on a large range of brands from large finance companies to small charities and schools.

Ella is responsible for the Dogs for Autism re-brand and truly understands our requirements, producing engaging and stand out designs that deliver our message clearly.