British Taekwondo is proud to confirm the appointment of the inaugural members of its new Education Advisory Group (EAG), a team of passionate and experienced individuals dedicated to strengthening the quality, accessibility, and relevance of our coach education programmes across the UK.

This newly formed group will play an important role in ensuring that British Taekwondo’s learning and development pathways are guided by the insight and expertise of those actively delivering Taekwondo and working within education.

Each member brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in areas such as coaching, teaching, curriculum design, and learning development, representing a broad cross-section of the Taekwondo community and the wider education sector.

The EAG will provide advice and guidance across key areas including content development, instructional design, and quality assurance, and supporting British Taekwondo to deliver a more inclusive, engaging, and effective learning experience for our coaches.

We’d like to congratulate and thank all appointed members for their commitment to helping shape the future of coach education in British Taekwondo. Their insight, experience, and passion for learning will play a vital role in ensuring our educational pathways continue to grow and evolve.

Meet the Education Advisory Group

Richard Stephens - Ignite Taekwondo

As well as being an Assistant Instructor for Rebels Taekwondo and Ignite Taekwondo, Rich is also a qualified Electrical Engineer who taught Engineering as a College Lecturer for many years. Rich’s wide range of educational skills, as well as over 20 years of Taekwondo experience, will help with curriculum design and raising quality in training and assessment of Taekwondo.

Nicola Barber - Kang Han

Nicola has over 25 years of Taekwondo experience and is also a current GB Poomsae National squad athlete due to take her 7th Dan this year. After helping to teach sessions as a teenager, Nicola established the WT taekwondo club at Nottingham Trent University and coached there for six years.

After qualifying as a teach in 2011, Nicola has been teaching in a variety of Nottingham primary schools, and is passionate about giving children the best opportunities possible and allowing them to be the best they can be.

Callum Holness - Quest Taekwondo, Hull

Callum is the co-founder and Senior Instructor at Quest Taekwondo, Hull, and has been an active member of British Taekwondo since 1999. The 5th Dan black belt is also Director of Science at a large secondary school, where he oversees the design, implementation, and evaluation of the science curriculum for over 2000 students.

Additionally, he also provides continuous professional development (CPD) to colleagues, with a focus on evidence-informed and best practice, keeping up to date with the latest advancements in education.

Chris Lawton - Hwan Yeong Taekwondo

Chris’ Taekwondo journey began in 1990 as a child, but after some time away from the sport, it wasn’t until his own son wanted to join a club 25 years later that he rediscovered his love for the sport. Since then, he has achieved his 3rd Dan, competed in both Kyorugi and Poomsae, and as well as officiating. Chris has also been coaching at Hwan Yeong Taekwondo in Ormskirk for the past five years under the guidance of Russell Watkinson.

Outside of Taekwondo, he has over 20 years’ experience in higher education, specialising in quality assurance, curriculum design, and regulations. His numerous qualifications include PhD in moral philosophy, a PGCert Teaching in Higher Education (Distinction), and Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy as well a Collaborate Award for Teaching Excellence from AdvanceHE.

Laura Holness - Quest Taekwondo, Hull

Laura has been an active member of British Taekwondo for over 25 years. She is currently a 5th Dan black belt and has competed nationally and internationally during that time. In 2013 she co-founded Quest Taekwondo Hull, where she is a senior instructor.

Laura has worked within education for over 15 years in a variety of roles and schools. and is currently an Assistant Headteacher at a secondary school, with responsibility for the school timetable and the whole school curriculum offer. She is an advocate for evidence informed best practice and continues to explore new methods of teaching to support her students.

John Harrison - Wessex Elite Taekwondo

John Started his Taekwondo journey in 1990 and passed his 1^st Dan in October 1993. He has been teaching Taekwondo since January 1994 and is the Chief Instructor of Wessex Taekwondo Association. He is now a 7^th Dan Kukkiwon and runs a full-time centre in Poole, Dorset.

He has worked with the Military since 1999 and has delivered both the Assistant Coaches Award and the Level 2 Coaches Course. Outside of Taekwondo he runs multiple businesses and has designed and delivered training courses for staff in those businesses. John brings a wealth of Taekwondo experience to the table along with delivering real world training both in and out of Taekwondo.

Miriam Lowe-Ullah - Loughton Taekwondo

Miriam brings valuable expertise in education, mentoring, and inclusive practice to British Taekwondo’s Education Advisory Group through her job as a Learning Support Assistant. As well as that, she has also competed numerous times for the GB Para Poomsae Team, with a silver medal at the 2025 European Poomsae Championships testament to her abilities on the mat.

Miriam combines her professional experience in education with her long-standing involvement in Taekwondo to support the growth of knowledge, confidence, and quality across all levels of the sport.

Our Vision for the Future

Together, the Education Advisory Group will work to:

Enhance the quality and consistency of British Taekwondo’s coach education programmes.
Improve accessibility to learning and development opportunities for coaches, instructors, and volunteers at every level.
Promote lifelong learning by supporting clear, progressive education pathways from grassroots to high performance.
Champion innovation in teaching and learning, ensuring our courses reflect modern coaching methods and educational best practice.
Celebrate and share expertise from across the Taekwondo community, recognising the incredible work being done by educators and coaches throughout the UK.

Education is the foundation of growth in our sport. The EAG will help ensure that every coach, instructor, and official has access to the tools and knowledge they need to thrive, building confidence, competence, and community across British Taekwondo.

We encourage all members to engage with the work of the EAG, share their ideas, and help shape the future of coach education in the UK.

For more information or to learn about upcoming education initiatives, please contact Technicalproducts@Britishtaekwondo.org.

Together, let’s build a stronger, smarter, and more connected future for Taekwondo education.