About Us
Our mission
Paperplane was created to help young adults and their parents on the Isle of Wight build the essential life skills needed to grow into confident, independent adults.
Our values
We are dedicated to supporting teens and young adults with learning needs, by providing accessible resources, information and community connections. Fostering independance and confidence in nagivating everyday challenges. Join us in creating an inclusive space where everyone can fly and achieve their personal goals.
Working with the community
Working in the heart of the community, providing resources that work locally, creating networking and community links.
Making everyday life accessible
Life becomes so much easier when it is accessable to everyone. We support the areas that matter, relationships, travel and developing plans for the future.
Helping young adults be independent
Becoming independent in as many areas of life as possible is our goal, and the goal for many parents who worry about support when they can no longer be there for their children.
Our Growth Plan
Getting established on the Isle of Wight
Build our website into a helpful and responsive hub, sharing information, practical resources, updates, and real success stories, in areas you need.
Obtain funding through grants and funding streams so we can run regular workshops and talks for young people and their families, focused on everyday lifeskills. Offer 1:1 support for young people who need more personalised help.
Start growing a trusted network with families, schools, professionals, and local organisations.
Listen carefully to feedback so we can shape our support around what young people and families really need and share the impact made.
“Helping young people build skills for life.”
We want to answer your questions big or small, we are a new service and want to understand your needs.
2 years
Establishment and delivery
Through sucessful funding bids, we will deliver structured workshops, talks, and 1:1 support for teenagers and young adults with learning needs and their families on the Isle of Wight. During this phase, we will develop a comprehensive website providing accessible resources, updates, and evidence of impact, while building strong local partnerships.
3 years
Growth and Consolidation
With evidence of impact we will obtain further funding to increase our capacity to support more young people, broaden our programme content, and strengthen evaluation through feedback and success stories. Our website will become a central resource hub for families and professionals, and we will begin exploring partnership opportunities outside the Isle of Wight.
5 years
Replication and Expansion
We will expand delivery beyond the Isle of Wight through partnerships and online provision. Proven successful programmes will be adapted for use in other areas, allowing the charity to support a wider community while maintaining the quality of a person-centred approach..
The Founders Journey
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My SEND teaching experience
I moved to the Isle of Wight nearly 30 years ago, fresh from completing my teacher training in Wiltshire, to begin my career at an Independant Send School, a specialist provision for learners with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD). What I expected to be a teaching role quickly became a lifelong commitment to understanding how young people learn, communicate, and find their place in the world when traditional systems don’t quite fit.
Three decades in SEND
Over three decades in education, I have worked as a specialist SEN teacher, supporting young people with additional needs to develop confidence, independence, and skills for life. I became deeply involved in Careers leadership, supported work experience, and transition planning, helping students move from school into further education, training, and employment with confidence and dignity.
Alongside this, I have led arts initiatives, photography projects, and Artsmark programmes, using creative and visual methods to engage learners, build skills, and open new pathways for expression and achievement.
Creating Paperplane to support young adults
In recent years, I became aware that many young people, particularly those with additional needs, struggle after leaving school, and families often feel isolated, unsure where to turn. At the same time, I saw that local businesses, community groups, and specialist professionals wanted to help — they just needed a clear pathway to connect with young people. This inspired me to take everything I have learned and create a community-based organisation on the Isle of Wight, designed to bridge that gap. Through workshops, 1:1 support, travel training, creative programmes, and a growing online resource hub, the charity helps young people develop life skills, health awareness, relationships, careers readiness, and independence in travel and daily living.
A brighter future for SEND children and young adults
After 30 years in teaching, Paperplane is not a step away from education — it is an extension of it and my legacy, taking everything I have learned and offering it to a wider cohort of young people who need it most, right here on the Isle of Wight. At its heart, this work is about belief: belief in young people’s potential, in the power of creativity, communication, and community, and in the difference that guidance, opportunity, and advocacy can make in shaping confident, meaningful futures, and helping young people soar.
Introducing Our team
Our team includes people that care passionately about supporting young people and have years of experience in this role.
Michelle is the founder of Paperplane - she started her journey as a special needs teacher, realising that the education system was not enough to fully equip young SEND people to navigate the world. She decided to do something about it! As they say, "If you want something done, do it yourself!".
Download our Business plan
Download our business plan – We want to share our vision with you,
view our ambitious and exciting plans here
Frequently Asked Questions
If your question is not answered here, please contact us, we would love to hear your story and help you on your journey!
Paperplanes Lifeguides are free for anyone to access on the website, if you would like more bespoke support contact us to find out if we have any funded offers, for 1:1 support information, 1:1 virtual appointment, 1:1 support in the community i.e travel training, upcoming workshops and talks nearby.
If you are between the ages of 13-25 and have an EHCP we are able to support you.
Young adults between 25-30 may also be able to access support through adult social care.
Please contact us though and we will see what we can do!
We are based on the Isle of Wight, and know the area well. We hope to expand Paperplane to support other areas in the future.
Still have questions?
We want to answer your questions big or small, we are a new service and want to understand your needs as a parent, carer or
young person, contact us here;