Sana
My name is Sana, and I am a parent of three children. I have a strong interest in supporting children and families, and I am very interested in how everyday family life is shaped by digital devices.
I have experience supporting and communicating with people through work, volunteering, and family life, and I enjoy listening to others and helping them feel comfortable. I also volunteered on the Let’s Read project in Leeds, which strengthened my passion for supporting children’s learning and development.
I believe childhood should be a happy and enriching time, while also helping children build resilience and the skills they need for the future. It interests me because parenting and digital life are closely connected today, and I think this project could help children and parents build healthier routines and stronger connections. I also find it interesting because it explores both the challenges and the positive sides of digital devices in family life.
I believe good parenting can have a powerful impact on children’s lives, and through this project we may be able to develop effective strategies for managing digital devices while still being present for our children when they need us most.
Nazmina Begum
I am a British-born Bangladeshi. I studied Business, Law, Sociology and Level 3 Childcare. I have worked with children in schools. I have past experience in research, as I was part of a research study that involved carrying out interviews and gathering data.
I enjoy spending time with my family and friends and learning new skills and expanding my knowledge. My current passion is advocating for animal rights.
In today’s world, digital products have a great impact on family life and being a parent myself, this project interests me.
Lizzie Dunn
Hello, I am Lizzie and I am a mother to two children, one with special educational needs and disabilities. For around a year, I have volunteered as a SEND Parent Champion, I joined this role originally to connect with other families facing similar experiences, as parenting can feel quite isolating, especially when caring for a child with additional needs.
My background is in administrative work, and since September last year I have worked as a SEND Learning Support Assistant in schools. I have really enjoyed supporting children and helping them progress, even though I know there is always more to learn.
I was drawn to this Parenting in the Digital Age project because I understand first-hand how challenging parenting can be, and how much information and advice we seek online. I find it really valuable to explore how parents use social media and digital spaces, to understand what support is available and what more we need. I am also interested in contributing to research that helps shape better support for families, and I am pleased to be part of this work alongside Coram Family and Childcare.
Joulia Kompaneets
I am a parent of three, a Coram Family Lives volunteer, and a digital content professional passionate about empowering families.
Because technology is completely intertwined with modern daily routines, I am thrilled to step into my future role as a Peer Researcher.
Working alongside a supportive collective network, I look forward to designing real-world strategies that reduce digital interference and providing families with the practical, non-judgmental support they need to comfortably navigate the digital world together every day.
Mariana Lacerda
I am originally from Brazil and have a background in Media and Cultural Studies. I am passionate about community engagement, parenting, and social impact, and have extensive volunteering experience as a Parent Champion and Community Representative in Lambeth, as well as supporting Portuguese speaking communities in the UK.
As a mother of two young children, I am interested in how technology shapes family life, relationships, and our everyday choices.
I am keen to contribute to research that reflects the diverse circumstances, needs, and levels of access that influence how parents engage with technology, and to help develop practical, meaningful approaches that enable it to complement, rather than replace, genuine human connections.
Chantelle Malcolm
I’m a Parent Champion based in Camden, supporting families to understand what help is out there and how to actually access it. A lot of what I do comes from my own experience — I’ve got four children, all with additional needs, so I know first-hand how overwhelming systems can be and how easy it is for parents to feel lost in it all. That’s really what drives me.
I’m passionate about making sure other parents don’t feel like they have to figure everything out on their own, and helping them feel more confident when it comes to getting the right support for their children.
What’s important to me about this project is making sure real voices are being heard. From what I see, a lot of parents are dealing with multiple pressures at once, especially around mental health, and support doesn’t always feel clear or joined up. Being part of this work feels important because it’s a chance to bring those real experiences forward — but also to start connecting the dots and thinking about how support can actually work better for families long term.
Sunia Saeed
My name is Sunia, and I’m a former southerner who moved to Darwen two years ago. I have a wealth of experience working in various sectors. Nearly 15 years in banking, in different roles and banks, including the Bank of England.
I am also mum to a little boy and a girl. My son is 5 and has Autism. He is space and animals obsessed, a mini Attenborough! My daughter is 3 going on 13… Let’s just say she keeps me on my toes!
Last year I started volunteering as a SEND Parent Champion, and this is how I heard about Coram. I also am a Trustee/Treasurer for Home-Start Blackburn with Darwen. By working on this project, I’m hoping to broaden my knowledge and share some of my own lived experiences, as well as learn from others.
Leah Thomas
Hi, I’m Leah. I live in the Rhondda Valleys in South Wales with my three young children and husband. I work in the early intervention service in my local authority supporting families in my local area.
I am thrilled to have been offered the opportunity to be a peer researcher as this research brings together my personal and professional interests by supporting families locally and learning more about how we use technology while parenting in the digital age.
Natasha
My name is Natasha, I am 30 years old, I was born in New Zealand but live in Wales, I am a mother of two, ages 3 and 4, and they definitely keep me on my toes. I’ve played rugby since I was 15 and was in a documentary about women’s rugby that was filmed and produced by Sky TV.
I am studying a bachelor’s honours degree in health and social care in October which I am so excited about doing and can’t wait to get started and learn new information as well as skills. I love spending time with my babies and family, I am exceptionally close to my sisters and my mum even though we live miles away and I use my phone to stay in contact with them.
I am intrigued as well as invested in the results that will be found from this research. I think it will be very informative and we will have a better understanding of how devices can impact our relationships with our children and ways we can manage this, especially considering how prominent technology is becoming in our lives and will only increase as time gets on. Technology is already so much more advanced now compared to when I was a child, so hopefully this will open the door to further research on devices and families.
Rosanna
I’m a mum of two based in Pembrokeshire, Wales, living around the St David’s Peninsula . My background is in social arts practice, community organising and self-led projects. I have interest in community mapping and participatory creative research. I’ve always used second hand and found materials, predominantly textiles, to make spaces, garments or maps. I grew up in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire so am now navigating motherhood alongside getting to know a new place, environment and people.
My interest in this peer research role comes from very current conversations with parents about screen time. Although conversations have been predominantly about children’s screen time, I find this study fascinating to be exploring parents experiences with devices and how we use them around children and my own realisations as a mother. I have an interest in understanding participatory research practice having not studied it myself, I’m keen to explore what this looks like in practice and develop my own skills and knowledge in the process and to think about how I might use these processes in my practice going forward.