ASSIST FM Conference

At 15, Meningitis C and sepsis led to a two-week induced coma and the amputation of both of Aaron's legs below the knee and most fingers. Demonstrating incredible resilience, he recovered and became the first disabled person to climb Kilimanjaro without assistance. His athletic journey reached its peak with Paralympics GB's historic Wheelchair Rugby Gold at Tokyo 2020, after his debut in London 2012. His inspiring motto: "Life throws curveballs. It's about how we deal with them."

At 19, psychosis derailed Jack's university and TV/film dreams, leading to a dark period and being sectioned. Refusing to give up, he channeled his struggle into writing, landing a publishing deal through persistence. His gangster fiction debut, On The Job (2017), was followed by Dead Ends (2019) and Dead Ends: Rise Up (2023). Despite being sectioned again, Jack became a successful author and motivational speaker in his late 20s, inspiring companies like Barclays and HP with his resilient mindset, proving adversity can fuel greatness.

Chris stepped down from the National Chair position for ASSIST FM last year when he took up the role of Operations Director of Elior UK. He is A commercially minded senior manager with over 15 years of catering experience. Passionate about delivering the best possible service to clients and customers. A sound track record of delivering strong financial performance and complex contractual management. We welcome him back as MC to our Conference.

A Professor of Epidemiology and Development at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. He is Director of the Research Consortium for School Health and Nutrition and Advisor to the UN World Food Programme, leading a global research effort to provide evidence-based guidance to the 100+ member states of the School Meals Coalition on strengthening national school meals programmes. Previously, Professor Bundy served as Senior Advisor to the Global Health Team of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; Lead Education & Health Specialist to the World Bank’s Africa Region and Human Development policy unit; and Deputy Director of the Epidemiology Centre, University of Oxford.

I’m Beth Hillon. I have worked at East Renfrewshire Council for the past 8½ years. I started as a Catering Assistant in 2016 before making my way up through the grading and becoming one of the Senior Catering Managers. I have recently been seconded to support the project ‘Mini Master Chefs’ as well as other initiatives within the authority. Alongside this, I have successfully gained a Diploma in Advanced Food Hygiene.

Head Teacher Ana Castro has worked at Overlee since it opened in August 2021. She has a shared passion for meaningful mealtimes and helping to create positive associations around food choices from a young age. She was delighted to be invited to participate in the Mini Master Chefs Project and looks forward to sharing this alongside the Mini Master Chefs.