Meet the Team
Kirsty Finnegan
CEO/Director
Specialist Settings Lead
I’m Kirsty Finnegan, the founder of Wordful© and a Specialist Speech and Language Therapist with 16 years of experience. Words mean so much to me. As a little girl I loved books and words, writing down words I didn’t know so I could check what they meant in a dictionary later. I have always wanted to work with children, particularly those with neurodevelopmental differences and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. My career with children started before I was a SLT, working with children in care and play schemes in Malvern.
I qualified as a SLT from Newcastle University in 2008; initially I worked within the NHS in London and then moved back to Worcestershire in 2010, where my family live. When not a SLT you can find me walking my dogs on the Malvern Hills and exploring Wales; I love hiking, the outdoors and exploring the natural world. I am a trauma-informed practitioner and mental health advocate and champion the blend of nervous system literature with speech and language clinical skills.
Nicole Gilbert
Senior Speech & Language therapist, Family Service Lead
Hello! My name’s Nicky – I joined Summer Hill (*Wordful!) in 2022 after working in paediatrics in the NHS for 4 and a half years. I’m the Family Service lead at Summer Hill and love my role delivering holistic, play-based therapy sessions. It’s a pleasure to build relationships with children and their families; following their journey and being a part of their progress is so rewarding.
The world of SLT is constantly evolving; there’s always something new to learn or try and our varied roles keep us on our toes! Those ‘you did it!’ moments when working with children, now matter how small, are why I love my job.
When I’m not in work, you can find me chasing a warmer climate, fitting in as many concerts/festivals with my friends as I can, or cuddling my one-eyed ginger cat called Whisky!
Stephanie Holmes
Senior Speech & Language therapist, Mainstream Schools Lead
Hi, I’m Steph and I qualified from the University of Sheffield in 2011. I started my career in Derby, working within the NHS in a wide range of provisions. From there I moved to Thailand where I worked as a Speech and Language Therapist in a Special Educational Needs school and a mainstream international school. I loved working with children from a range of cultural and language backgrounds!
My favourite thing about being a Speech and Language Therapist is working with children and having fun in therapy! I love seeing the progress the children make with their communication skills and being part of their journey. Communication influences every aspect of life and it’s a privilege to support children with such an important skill.
I am the Mainstream Schools Lead for Wordful and my passion is creating systems and interventions that support staff and pupils to access the curriculum. I develop training packages for Mainstream Schools and deliver these virtually and in person.
Anneline Rouhana
Junior Speech & Language Therapist, Digital Resources Lead
Hello! I’m Anneline. I qualified as a speech and language therapist in South Africa in 2006 and lived in Ireland for six years before moving to the UK, where I am proud to be part of the Summer Hill team.
I enjoy lots of different interests which boost my engagement with the many different children and students I work with (anything goes – from fossils to football). I love creating appealing visuals for therapy and using beautiful picture-books and stories to bring language to life. Most especially, I enjoy getting to know each child and student, highlighting their strengths, appreciating their individuality, and tuning in to their special interests as I support their speech, language, and communication.
Isabella Lynas
Speech and Language Therapist
Hi, I’m Isabella. I qualified as a Speech and Language Therapist from the University of Sheffield in 2025. During this time, I gained experience supporting children and young people across a variety of settings, including nurseries, mainstream primary and secondary schools as well as specialist and alternative provisions. I believe in using a neurodiversity-affirming approach throughout my work to support children and young people with their communication. Building trusting relationships and getting to know each child as an individual is super important to me, as it allows me to tailor interventions to their unique communication style, strengths and needs. I also enjoy incorporating children’s interests into sessions to make therapy engaging and fun!
I am very interested in AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication); from paper-based to power-based, I love it all! I am also really passionate about supporting individuals with neurodevelopmental differences to help develop their speech, language and communication skills, using a range of tools and approaches. One of the most rewarding parts of my role is empowering children and young people to communicate in ways that are authentic and meaningful to them.
When I’m not at work, you can find me spending time with family and friends or unwinding at a yoga class!
Karen Bishop
Accounts & Finance Officer
Hi, I’m Karen and prior to working in finance I was a registered childminder where we obtained an outstanding Ofsted, so I understand the importance of supporting all children through the early years foundation, and that every child is unique.
In 2014 I qualified as an AAT bookkeeper, but prior to this I had experience in finance, credit control, management, implementing and reviewing client systems. I have worked with Wordful for several years now and enjoy working alongside and supporting the team.
I look forward to hearing from you and answering any queries you might have!
Holly Peters
Senior Speech and language therapist
Hi, I’m Holly! I started my career in Speech and Language Therapy at Birmingham City University back in 2019. Since then, I have been lucky enough to work as both a Support Practitioner and a qualified Speech and Language Therapist in the NHS. This has given me the opportunity to work with a diverse range of children across different settings including special schools, nurseries and both primary and secondary schools.
I love getting to know each child individually and delivering sessions that are fun, creative and engaging. It’s rewarding to be a part of a child’s communication journey and to see their progress. Experiencing a child smile and ‘light up’ during sessions is one of my favourite parts of the job.
Outside of work, you will likely find me socialising with my family and friends. I will always be doing something – whether that’s watching a musical in the Theatre or going on camping trips around the UK.
Alice Fraser-Clark
Speech & Language Therapist
Hello! I’m Alice and I qualified as a Speech and Language Therapist from Newcastle University in 2025. Since qualifying, I have worked with children across both mainstream and specialist settings, supporting a range of communication styles and needs. I have a particular interest in neurodevelopmental differences, including ASD, and am passionate about approaches that recognise the importance of regulation and access to Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC).
I love getting to know each child as an individual and building therapy around what motivates and engages them. Supporting children to communicate in ways that feel authentic and meaningful to them, and working alongside families and school staff, is one of the most rewarding parts of my role.
When I’m not at work, you’ll usually find me having coffee with friends, leading my Brownie unit, or spending time with my dog niece, Murphy!
“Nicky has made communicating less stressful, taken away the guilt we felt and helped our confidence by giving us the tools and advice on how best to communicate with him”
Parent, Family Service, 2023
Trustees
Our trustees oversee Wordful© with great care. Between them they have huge amounts of professional and personal experience that aid the service to be efficient, transparent, safe and ensure children are put at centre. We meet 3 times a year to reflect and plan as a governing body of Wordful©.
Meet Nicola Turrell
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Merie Eglesfield
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