gamechanger.org.uk

ABOUT GAMECHANGER

Gamechanger uses immersive learning to create blended learning environments that are designed to be engaging, educational and facilitate behaviour change.

Developing the immersive platform

Game Changer is the unique collaboration of two specialist organisations; Peel X and Challenge Kit.

Peel X is an immersive content agency based in Yorkshire. Specialising in all forms of digital/XR and drama-based story-telling methods, their creative studio team have worked in education and training for more than 20 years. 

West Midlands based Challenge Kit (part of Challenge Academy) are an experienced team of leaders, teachers and facilitators who have developed ‘Learning Outside the Classroom’ programmes designed to achieve a range of outcomes. 

Challenge Kit courses are accredited and recognised with credible national training and awarding bodies. 

Both organisations bring a wealth of experience and a commitment to creating targeted, immersive, interactive blended learning that ensures the positive development of young people and professionals.

A paradigm shift in learning

Game Changer uses cutting edge technology, such as virtual reality and online interactive games, to create immersive learning platforms.

At the same time, Game Changer is also utilising traditional drama-based learning and using the best parts of more traditional ‘Outside of the Classroom’ principals. 

It is this carefully curated blended learning approach that is supporting young people to learn new skills and improve their mental toughness.  

Who we've worked with

The Gamechanger Team

Greg

Greg Brookes-Clayton

Greg is a qualified teacher and behavioural specialist…

Jessica

Jessica Wright

Jessica specialises in the use of innovative new technologies for educational and cultural enrichment…

Richard Dawson

Richard is experienced in business development and managing partnerships…

Laura

Laura Thompson

Laura specialises in communications and digital interpretation…

Mel Ellis

Mel is an accredited practitioner for the Institute of Outdoor Learning…

Susannah

Susannah Daley

Susannah is Chair of Peel X and an educational drama specialist…

Richard Adam

Richard is a qualified accountant providing strategic support for Gamechanger…

Beth Forbes-McDade

Beth is our Bookings Coordinator, with a background in recruitment for the education sector…

Chris

Dr Chris Ford

Dr Chris Ford’s experience embraces education, heritage and theatre…

James

James Stone

James is a writer and director with over two decades’ experience…

Martin

Martin Pearson

Martin has worked extensively in Theatre in Education as a performer and director…

Meet our Gamechanger lead educational specialist Greg Brookes Clayton.

Greg is a qualified teacher and behavioural specialist with over 30 years’ experience in leadership and management of schools. He mostly worked in schools supporting young people with SEMH (Social Emotional and Mental Health) challenges and completed his teaching career as Head of a large city Pupil Referral Unit. Greg is now Director of Learning at Challenge Academy CIC where he has developed an exceptional offer for the Education Sector.

He designed specific training, Facilitation Skills for Experiential Learning which is nationally approved and accredited and has been delivered to more than 1,000 professionals. Greg’s particular interest and focus is about facilitating an environment through experiential learning whereby people develop emotional resilience.

Having collaborated with Peel X, Greg is leading a team delivering Gamechanger, a range of solution-based educational services to address and support some of the challenges facing young people in the UK today and including Child Criminal Exploitation, Violence against Women and Girls and Social Anxiety. Greg is a qualified trainer for Mental Health First Aid.

Meet storytelling expert and Peel X managing director Jessica Wright.

Jessica has a First Class Honours degree from Durham University and more than ten years’ experience in immersive and interactive storytelling. Managing Director of XR studio Peel X, Jessica specialises in the use of innovative new technologies for educational and cultural enrichment and has worked across the museum, heritage and cultural visitor attractions sector for most of her career developing solutions for a wide range of clients that take advantage of Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Gesture-Based Interactive and Touchscreen Display technology.

Since 2020, Jessica and her creative studio team have worked increasingly in education, with a specific focus on collaboration with educational and social specialists to develop products for early intervention, raising awareness and behaviour change. Jessica’s wider team include software developers, animators, digital producers, script writers and researchers. Most recently, the team has been working on Virtual Reality intervention modules that cover topics on some of the most hard-hitting social challenges facing the UK and the launch of a Child Criminal Exploitation intervention programme in 2021. They also produce interactive and complementary online learning resources available via the Gamechanger platform.

Meet Gamechanger’s business development expert and partnerships manager Richard Dawson.

Richard joined Gamechanger in October 2023 and is heading up Business Development and Strategic Partnership activity. 

Richard joined the business relatively recently and is already developing new business opportunities and partnerships that help drive exposure to the important work we do at Gamechanger and deliver growth. Richard graduated in 2002 with a BSc in Management Science from Manchester Business School (formerly UMIST) and whilst in full-time employment completed an MSC in Human Resource Management (and CIPD) in 2010 at The University of Salford. Since graduating, Richard has worked in a variety of Business Development, Account Management, Relationship Management and Strategic Partnerships (Affinity) roles for the likes of Citation and Croner (Professional Services), KPMG (Accounting), Inenco (Energy) and Stephensons LLP (Legal) before most recently working in outsourcing for Bespoke International Group, a Durban (SA) based outsourcing consultancy.

In his spare time, Richard loves spending time with his daughter, Maya who is 2. He has a keen interest in current affairs and politics and also enjoys traveling, sports, walking and soap making. Richard is also an avid golfer, supporter of Hull City AFC and follower of Yorkshire County Cricket Club.

Meet Gamechanger’s communications and digital interpretation expert Laura Thompson.

Laura has a BA Hons. in Film Studies and Media from York St. John University and has been involved in the development and production of Peel X’s digital interpretation projects for several years. She is passionate about finding innovative ways of utilising immersive technology to present thought-provoking content to people in an engaging and accessible way.

Laura also has seven years’ experience supporting universities and medical schools with their communication skills teaching programmes and assessments. This includes sourcing and training highly skilled actors for simulated patient roles, many of which cover emotive topics such as mental health, domestic violence and elder abuse.

Meet head of Challenge Academy Mel Ellis.

Mel has extensive experience and knowledge of leadership and a sound understanding of sector and needs. Mel is a qualified PE teacher and retired RAF Squadron Leader (Physical Education Branch), who specialised as a Parachute Jump Instructor during his 16-Year Service career.

Key military roles have included: leading the RAF Falcons Parachute Display Team, Parachute specialist officer for UK Special Forces and 16 Air Assault Brigade, Officer Commanding

Physical Education RAF College Cranwell, managing the leadership and physical fitness programmes, and commanding the RAF Parachute Training School.

After leaving the RAF, Mel then spent ten years directing Closer to the Edge Ltd. Since 2016, Mel has led Challenge Academy, having a more ‘hands on’ involvement to develop the wide range of services and products. Mel is an Accredited Practitioner for the Institute of Outdoor Learning. He is an accomplished managing director, business consultant and leader with extensive knowledge and skills within the outdoor adventure sector.

A business owner with broad experience and expertise in operations, consultancy and project management, Mel takes pride in innovative product development and design. He is an enthusiastic team player dedicated to process improvements and staff development and brings his expertise in this area to the creation of the Gamechanger blended learning platforms – intended to deliver impact, intervention and behaviour change for young people and professionals alike.

Meet Susannah Daley, Chair of Peel X and educational drama specialist.

Susannah majored in Drama at the renowned Bretton Hall College (University of Leeds), where she specialised in the use of drama and theatre for educational and cultural enrichment. Having worked with both young people and the elderly in this capacity she has always championed the use of drama and creativity as a force for change. Susannah spent the first part of her career working with actors in national and regional museums, using interactive storytelling techniques for awareness raising.

More recently, Susannah has taken theatre productions and workshops on tour to reach those who perhaps haven’t had easy access to the theatre space, which has been a great way of sharing this passion with others. Having set up a successful creative and entertainment business working nationally and internationally has given Susannah, now the Chair of the Peel Entertainment Group and the Peel X Group, the platform to dedicate resources to achieving the aims of Gamechanger through the collaboration with educational experts.

Meet Gamechanger’s strategy and financial planning expert Richard Adam.

Richard’s role is to provide financial oversight and strategic support for Gamechanger. 

Richard is a qualified accountant and experienced Director with a background in manufacturing and digital businesses, including shared immersive spaces for education and simulated training environments. Richard is supporting the team with financial and strategic enterprise planning, providing a robust framework and development pathway underpinning the consistent and highest standards of service delivery and client satisfaction now and in the future. 

Meet Gamechanger’s Bookings Coordinator, Beth Forbes-McDade.

Beth graduated from Leeds Trinity University with a diploma of higher education in Philosophy & Ethics.

Beth’s experience ranges from hospitality, customer service, administration and most recently in recruitment; specifically in the education sector for an Academy Trust.

Chris Ford has worked extensively in Theatre and educational drama, used in schools, and is advisor to Gamechanger’s work on Child Criminal Exploitation.

Dr Chris Ford’s experience embraces education, heritage and theatre. A former primary Headteacher, Chris went on to lead school-improvement programmes for the DfE and was Course Director for Primary Teacher Training at Leeds Beckett University (UK) where he still supervises PhD projects.

His work in theatre and educational-drama, used extensively in schools, enables him to apply the drama medium as a safe space in which children and students can explore, in detail, deeply emotional and personal challenges including their vulnerability to abuse, coercion and the controlling behaviours of others.

He is education and educational-drama advisor to Gamechanger’s work on Child Criminal Exploitation (County Lines). Bachelor of Education (Chester-Liverpool University); MA in Educational Theatre (Bretton Hall – Leeds University); MSc in Psychology (Leeds Institute of Psychological Research); PhD in Educational Theatre (Leeds University).

Meet highly experienced writer and director James Stone.

James is a writer and director with more than two decades’ experience working in diverse creative sectors, including theatre, heritage sites, corporate events and Virtual Reality films. He is particularly skilled in taking complex concepts and creating engaging pieces, from conception to completion, whether for recorded or live performance.

He has enjoyed theatrical success as a director, notably for Tales Retold’s production of Uncle Vanya in 2019 and with his own play, Paradise Road, in 2018. He has adapted and rewritten classic works for the stage, including Anna Sewell’s Black Beauty, Oscar Wilde’s A Picture of Dorian Gray and JB Priestley’s An Inspector Calls.

For Peel X, and now Gamechanger, he has written and directed many elements of our digital products, including scripting for filmed installations and writing and directing for Augmented

Reality platforms. James led on the research, scripting and directing work required to deliver the Change Your Game Virtual Reality film and the Our Town live drama piece. He is currently working on the creative briefs for our next Gamechanger modules.

Martin Pearson has worked extensively in Theatre in Education as a performer and director.

Martin studied drama in Guildford then spent several years as an actor in touring theatre and television. He has worked extensively in live interpretation and Theatre in Education as a performer and director as well as behind the scenes as production manager on many of the company’s productions. Video directing credits include the augmented reality Churchill video for parliament Education centre, Chromakey videos for the companies XR and app-based products and Virtual Reality 360 educational experiences.

For Gamechanger, Martin has facilitated the South Yorkshire secondary schools tour of the CCE interactive drama programme ‘Platform 1 – Impact Programme’ where he worked with KS3 children to raise awareness, inform and build emotional resilience through experiential learning.