Head Coach & Programme Director

Ellen Burns

Head Coach Ellen Burns has a background in dance & professional performance. She has performed at many exciting venues including, Reading Festival, Twickenham & Wembley Stadium to name a few!

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Ellen started competitive cheerleading at Kingston University where she graduated with a degree in dance. She began coaching in 2010, going on to set up ROAR! in 2012 & hasn't looked back since!

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ROAR! has gone from strength to strength & can boast many regional & national titles but most importantly to Ellen, promotes confidence & provides opportunities for young people.

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BA Hons 2:1 in Dance & English Literature

BGU levels 1-6

ETM & Cheerobics Instructor

First aid trained
Mental Wellbeing in Sport & Physical Activity

Child Protection in Sport 

DBS checked

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Safeguarding & Fundraising Lead

Claudia Lindstrom

Our safeguarding lead became part of the ROAR! family in 2018.  Claudia has been a school teacher since 2000, over the years she has worked with children both in the primary and secondary phase.   As a teacher, she is experienced in keeping children safe in education and sport, in addition, is passionate about ensuring all children are given the opportunity to thrive in their chosen path.  

Claudia is also leading on our fundraising efforts and helping to raise the profile of the club in the local community.  If you would like to help or sponsor, please email roarfundraising@gmail.com


BSc Hons - Sport and Exercise Science
Post Graduate Certificate in Education  (PGCE)
PGDIP Management in Education
Advanced Certificate in the Role of Mental Health Lead
Senior Mental Health Lead trained
Mental Health Awareness trained
Designated Safeguard Lead trained
Basic First Aid
DBS checked

Lead Coach 

Harriet Stark

Hattie has a variety of roles in General Practice and University Education but has a passion for cheer on the side. She has a variety of experience in teaching dance, gymnastics and cheer over the years.

Ellen and Hattie have worked together before and realised they had similar goals and work ethics, so Hattie was invited to join the coaching team. She is keen to support Ellen's goals of creating an encouraging & healthy environment for athletes to train in at ROAR!

She has a personal interest in powerlifting and was the English Champion in 2021. She has focused more of her energy into cheer in the last 2 years and has competed herself up to level 5, including winning a silver medal at ICU cheerleading Championships with Team England's Adaptive Abilities Median!

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BGU Levels 1-4

Fitness Instructor & Personal Trainer (including pre & post natal)

Safeguarding adults & children level 3

BLS Adults & Children

DBS Checked

Lead/Assistant Coach 

Ella-may Reesby

Ella-May has been part of ROAR! for over 10 years. She started in our recreational class before making her way into our competitive teams, joining the junior coaching programme & now lead coaching many of our classes!

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She recently completed her apprenticeship at the club & is an integral member of our coaching team, leading many classes as well hosting school clubs, workshops & parties!

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Ella-May is passionate about athlete development & is kind & caring in her class delivery. She will be leading 3 competitive teams this season, recreational cheer, SEN cheer, stunt & tumble classes as well as competing on three teams herself, including our International team competing in America!

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Ella-May is excited about her future at ROAR!, particularly continuing to develop her skills as a lead coach. 

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Community Activator in Sport Apprentice

BGU Levels 1 & 2

First aid trained

DBS Checked

Lead/Assistant Coach 

Chloe Smith

Chloe has been an athlete at ROAR! for over 10 years, starting in the recreational class & moving through the competitive levels.. She began her coaching journey qualifying initially as junior coach working within our recreational classes before advancing to first become an assistant coach and now within the past year working as a lead coach within our competitive teams. 

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Chloe is passionate about assisting our programme in creating a warm, friendly and positive environment for all athletes where they can grow not only within their own abilities but within their self confidence too. 

This season she will be coaching on 3 of our competition teams alongside a recreational class. She is particularly looking forward to our trip to America where she will not only be present as a coach but also as an athlete within our international team. 

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BGU Level 1 & 2

First aid trained 

DBS checked 

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Lead/Assistant Coach 

Dani Grant

Dani has been competing for 8 years & has been taught by Ellen for most of those years! She began coaching at Roar last season and has enjoyed every minute of coaching!

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Dani will be lead coaching our Tiny Tigers team & Tiny tumble this season for beginner athletes aged 3-6. With Dani's experience in early years childcare we couldn't think of a better coach for children to start their cheer journey! Dani will also be assisting our new U12 level 2 team & coaching tumble & our SEN class this season.

Alongside coaching Dani will be competing with two teams this season. She is looking forward to lead coaching for the first time with our tinies & competing with Claw & Pride.

BGU Level 1 & 2 

First aid trained

DBS checked

Childcare and education level 3 

Special educational needs and inclusion BA honours 

Mental heath awareness level 2

Lead/Assistant Coach

Ella Tanfield

Ella joined ROAR! in 2014 & was part of our very first competitive team! She took a break from competing in 2022 to focus on coaching & her career as a nursery practitioner but is back competing this season with two teams! This will be her 4th year coaching our competitive teams. She will be working with Ellen on our International U19 1 team competing in America this season & our new U16 level 3 team!

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She is excited to be back competing & learning new skills as an athletes as well as building her skills as a coach.

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Childcare & early year education level 3

BGU Level 1-3

Special educational needs and disabilites level 3

Advanced safeguarding level 3

Paediatric first aid trained

DBS checked

Lead/Assistant Coach + Administrator

Sara Sarkozi

Sara is new to the coaching team this season & she will also be working as an administrator behind the scenes at ROAR!

Sport was always a part of Sara's life growing up and this is something very close to her heart. She has qualifications in teaching and coaching swimming as well as in fitness and wellness . She has worked several years coaching and teaching children age between 3-8 years old.

Sara found cheerleading in 2021 when her daughter started at ROAR! and she knew it was something she would like to learn more about. She is always keen to seek new challenges and to learn and deepen her knowledge. She will be lead coaching one of our recreational classes as well as assisting on tumbling & our SEN class.

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BGU Level 1

DBS checked 

Assistant Coach

Katy Thurkettle

Katy is a 17 year old student & started her cheerleading journey with ROAR! 10 years ago. She started in recreational classes & then joined our competitive teams which is when she truly found a love for the sport.

She began coaching as a junior coach in 2018 & has since gone on to become an assistant coach & expand her knowledge of the sport.  This will be her first season assisting on a competitive cheer team & Katy will be continuing to coach in tumble classes this season.

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Katy is most excited about our upcoming USA trip! She was co-captain of our international team last season & is so proud of their amazing progress & achievements. She is also looking forward to completing her level 3 BGU course & guiding athletes on their cheer journey.

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BGU Levels 1 & 2

DBS checked

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Assistant Coach

Milena Osowska

Milena is a 15 year old student. She joined ROAR! in 2018 at the age of 9 in the recreational class. She then moved into competitive cheer & has progressed massively thanks to the amazing coaches who supported her  and everyone around her on their journey.

She started her coaching journey as a junior coach in 2020 & has progressed quickly as a coach, starting in the recreational classes & now helping coach a competitive team for the first time.

She is most excited to be competing in the USA this season with our international team & also competing in a new level with our new U16 level 3 team.

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BGU Junior Coach

Assistant Coach

Belle Ashburner

Belle has been cheering and competing up to level 3 for the past 8 years with multiple National and Grand Championship titles under her belt. She has coached closely alongside Ellen and Hattie before and is really excited to join the coaching team at Roar! As well as competing as an athlete with Claw. 

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Belle will be putting her experience to use assisting our level 3 stunt development class!

BGU Levels 1 & 2

First aid trained

DBS checked

Assistant Coach

Courteney Ferris

Courteney is a full time social worker, with a huge passion for the sport of cheerleading

She has been cheerleading since the age of 5 and fell in love with the sport. She's competed at various levels including internationally. Courteney has been coaching for a few years and is looking forward to carrying on that journey at ROAR! She will be assisting on our tumble classes, as will as offering 1 to 1 sessions for tumbling.

BGU Levels 1 & 2

Social work degree
Safeguarding
DBS Checked

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