Meet the team
Gilly Samuddin – CEO
Gilly has been the CEO of Ablaze since September 2025. She joined Ablaze as a Project Manager in 2022, having previously worked as a primary school teacher for 10 years and then in the voluntary sector as the children & young people’s network coordinator in Bath & North East Somerset, working with local charities supporting children & young people.
She has a passion for helping children find a love for learning through fun and innovative ways and enjoys seeing kids faces light up when they feel a sense of achievement.
Gilly lives with her husband and two children in Bath and enjoys baking, holidays and relaxing with a book in the sun!
Sara Liebow
Sara is the School Partnership Manager at Ablaze. A qualified teacher, she has had an extensive 20-year career in the primary and secondary sectors, including management in an alternative provision. She also has experience working in the voluntary sector as the manager for a children’s charity, supporting disabled young people across the South West. Sara has a genuine passion for improving life chances for the young people in the region and to further the positive impact made at Ablaze.
Sara lives with her husband and two young children in Bristol. She enjoys visits to a coffee shop, holidays with family & friends, and working out at Bootcamp.
Lucy Meadows
Lucy is the Project Manager for our Employability and Skills Programme. She started with Ablaze as a Project Assistant in September 2023 after graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in social policy and criminology. Having grown up in Bristol, Lucy is eager to support local schools and further the positive impact we have on young people in the region.
Lucy lives in Bristol and enjoys travelling with friends, cooking, and crochet.
Emma Escott
Emma joined Ablaze as a Project Assistant in February 2026, supporting a range of programmes across the charity, with a particular focus on Books for All and Employability & Skills. With a background in project support, administration, as well as experience as a qualified Careers Adviser, Emma is passionate about helping young people access opportunities and reach their potential.
Outside of work, Emma enjoys live music, exploring the outdoors, and spending time with her beloved dog, Pedro.
Rebecca Pearl
Rebecca is the Employability Workshop Manager at Ablaze. She is a multidisciplinary facilitator, who has worked across the creative arts and charity sectors. She specializes in working with young people and enjoys creating spaces where individuals can build the confidence to flourish in whatever may be next for them.
Outside of her work she is currently studying to become a children and young people’s counsellor and in her spare time likes to get out in nature and enjoy baked goods!
Vicki Gibbs
Vicki is Ablaze’s Finance Manager, having joined Ablaze in January 2017 to help with Administration and Finance.
Vicki has worked for a number of large companies, including KPMG in Leeds, Aviva in York and GE Commercial Finance in Sydney Australia. Vicki also spent a year teaching English in Prague and has lived in Bristol since 2008. Vicki came to Ablaze with experience working with charities having been a volunteer treasurer for a local branch of a charity, as well as helping to establish a local charity in 2013.
Vicki lives with her husband and two sons and enjoys knitting, nice walks that end in a café or pub, and getting up ridiculously early to go to the gym!
