Building a Future Where Everyone Belongs

Joanne Lord has spent over 35 years working in education — with children, adults, and families. She's opened inclusion units, written courses, and taken people from school to university who started with no qualifications at all. But about 20 years ago, she walked up to one of the country's first academies during the holidays, stood at the door, and couldn't go in.

"It was overwhelming," she says. "Three smaller schools had been flattened and all the children put into one big building. I walked out and went back to my husband and said, 'I'm not working there. It's too much, too big.'"

That moment stayed with her. Not as a failure, but as a turning point.

"I thought, this is the end of the education system for people like me."

Joanne is autistic. She has ADHD. And she's spent a lifetime navigating a world that wasn't built with people like her in mind — or the young people she works with every day.

A Different Way of Doing Things

For years, Joanne kept coming across people who wanted to work with young people but were either under-equipped, rushed into roles before they were ready, or became so frustrated they left altogether. She also saw children and young people who couldn't cope in mainstream education or employment — not because they weren't capable, but because the systems weren't set up to support them.

So in her 59th year, she told her husband: "When I'm 60, I'm going it alone."

She left a secure job, spent a year learning how community interest companies work, and founded Target NEL — a project born from lived experience, designed to do things differently.

"Most of the people that come through me have had a journey similar to mine," Joanne explains. "I'm able to nurture and support them through training because I understand how it feels."

Target NEL works with neurodivergent young people and families — offering project-based learning, mentoring, and practical support that meets people where they are. But it's also training the next generation of youth workers, mentors, and support staff through a programme called Train to Employ.

And it's working. Just recently, three of Joanne's trainees moved into paid employment.

Train to Employ: Building Understanding from the Ground Up

Train to Employ is a 12-week programme for over-18s who want to work with young people — or who just want to explore what's possible for them.

Participants complete safeguarding, DBS checks, and a range of courses covering trauma, vulnerability, mental health, young carers, and criminal exploitation. They also volunteer with Target NEL's young people, gaining hands-on experience while being mentored by Joanne and her team.

"These people come with special skills," Joanne says. "Whether it's Lego, sewing, cooking, bricklaying — the work we do with children is project-based. So if a child loves mechanics, we've got Zoe, who's a mechanic. If they're interested in building, we use miniature bricks. We've had vets, accountants, chefs — all becoming mentors."

Zoe is one of Joanne's recent success stories. She originally wanted to work in the motor industry, but joined Train to Employ while she was job-hunting.

"I can't get rid of her now," Joanne laughs. "She said this is the job she didn't know she wanted. She's amazing with our young people — and she's built mini bikes with them. When people are given the opportunity to explore, they might discover something completely different."

Not everyone who completes the programme goes on to work with children — but they all leave with something invaluable: understanding.

"Even if they end up in a totally different job, they've still got that knowledge. They'll pass it down. They'll know how to treat people who are a bit different — and that those people are still probably very lovely."

A New Chapter: The Careers Café

This year, Target NEL is expanding. Joanne has partnered with Wendy at The Careers Café in Freshney Place shopping centre — a new community hub offering wraparound support for families.

The café isn't a job centre. It's something more human.

"When you can give someone advice about a career, but they're a single parent, or living with an addict, or caring for someone who's ill — going to work isn't that easy," Joanne explains. "We're here to give people the support they need to build themselves up. That might be understanding childcare, or connecting them with parent carers if they've got a child with SEND. It's about helping them build a resilient package around themselves."

On Saturdays, Joanne will be running activities for children while parents sit in the garden room for a coffee and a chat — or connect with support services. The space will also host the Train to Employ programme, bringing adult learning right into the heart of the town centre.

"We wanted to make sure we've got as many ways as possible to support people," she says. "Sometimes getting involved in something very small can be the start of building that confidence to get back to work. And that gives people a sense of worth. It makes them feel better about themselves."

Why This Matters Now

Joanne is passionate about Grimsby. She champions the town centre's transformation and believes that after 50 years since the decline of the fishing industry, it's time for something different.

But she's equally aware of how many people are being left behind.

"We've forgotten about COVID," she says. "We still have children who are two years behind. They might be 18, but they've only had 16 years of experience. They missed out on all that social development — and it's been forgotten."

She's also concerned about how quickly society judges people who don't fit the mould.

"When I was a child, if somebody was upset, everybody looked out for them. We didn't need labels. We just looked after each other. Now we're supposed to be in this world of inclusion — but I don't see it."

That's why she's committed to "infiltrating Grimsby" with as many people as possible who understand young people, families, and neurodivergence.

"Things need to change. I've got diagnosed grandchildren now. Their future needs to be different."

Get Involved

Target NEL is always looking for people who want to train, volunteer, or simply learn more about supporting neurodivergent young people and families.

The next Train to Employ cohort starts soon at The Careers Café in Freshney Place, with six spaces available.

If you're interested in joining the programme, volunteering, or finding out how Target NEL can support your family, you can get in touch via their website: targetnel.co.uk

"Before I leave this planet," Joanne says, "I need to do this — for me, and for others."

She's doing it. And she's not stopping.