Elly Barnes

Elly Barnes
Born	1971 (age 46–47) Leicestershire
Occupation	CEO
Organization	Educate & Celebrate

Dr Elly Barnes MBE (born 1971 in Leicestershire) is the Founder and Chief Executive of the charity Educate & Celebrate, the organisation that transforms schools into LGBT+ friendly places. She was voted Number 1 in the Independent on Sunday's Pink List in 2011. (now the Rainbow List), was a judge in 2012 and number twenty-one in 2013 and 2014. Barnes has been shortlisted for the National Diversity Awards 2015 as a 'Positive Role Model for Age.'

Elly Barnes was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2016 for her contribution to education, equality and diversity. She also received iher honorary doctorate from the University of Aberdeen in November 2016.

Barnes attended Market Bosworth High School and The Bosworth College. She then studied for a degree in music, specialising in voice, at the Birmingham Conservatoire and then completed her Post Graduate Certificate of Education(PGCE) at the faculty of Education at the University of Central England, now known as Birmingham City University. She had her Newly qualified teacher(NQT) year at The Barclay School in Stevenage whilst studying for a Diploma in Music Technology at Hertfordshire University. Barnes is currently completing an MA in school based explorations at Goldsmiths University.

Barnes first job was as a peripatetic singing teacher in Hertfordshire and London. She then obtained a permanent teaching role at Stoke Newington School in North London becoming Head of Year in 2005. That year, she began working with Schools Out to initiate LGBT History Month at Stoke Newington School with the aim of eradicating homophobic, biphobic, and transphobic language and bullying by challenging young people's (and teachers, parents and governors) perceptions of LGBT people.

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