Katie Marlow
- Mental Health First Aid England National Trainer, Associate, & Instructor; MHFA England Membership Number: MHFA 161700986
- ASIST 11 & safeTALK Instructor
- LivingWorks Education ID Number: 38823
- Suicide First Aid Tutor
Our Team & Associates
C.A.S.T. is built on over 30 years experience supporting people of all ages with their mental health.
We believe passionately in education & building understanding as key drivers for culture change & development of the well being of individuals as well as organisations.
Licensing & Qualifications
A Little About Me
I’ve been a social worker since I was 25 years old. I started out as a ceramicist, teaching adults with learning disabilities pottery in a day centre, & it was through this work I discovered my passion for working directly with people in need of encouragement, help, support & advocacy.
The day I found out I had been accepted onto my Diploma in Social Work was the same day I found out I was pregnant with my second child!
Alongside my 2 children – who are now adults – I’ve always loved having dogs in my life. They make me laugh every day & I’ve yet to find a better way to relieve stress. My husband & I love being in the middle of nowhere; we like nothing better than to put the dogs in our campervan & disappear into the wilds of the UK for a few days. Even better if we can find a body of water we can get our paddle-boards on to – a close second to the dogs in reducing stress & increasing our sense of wellbeing.
As Kate King I worked within the media as a freelance writer with a weekly advice column in a local newspaper (The Telegraph and Argus – Bradford), & I continue to feed my love of writing with 2 books currently on the go – my dream is to be published one day!
My long career in mental health services led me set up C.A.S.T in 2015. This in turn led me to become a National Trainer for MHFA England, an ASIST & safeTALK Instructor, & a freelance training associate with several well-known charities.
I work nationally across a wide range of topics including Mental Health First Aid, Safeguarding Children, Child Sexual Exploitation, Human Trafficking, Safeguarding Adults & Suicide Prevention/ Intervention.
I thoroughly enjoy the work that I do & endeavour to communicate that passion & enthusiasm into every single training solution I have the pleasure to deliver.
My life rule….? “Work hard, play harder!”
Sajda Butt
- MHFA England National Trainer Membership Number: MHFA161701564
A Little About Me
Sajda Butt is an Associate of CAST: Learning Solutions Ltd. She is a Mental Health First Aid National Trainer/ Associate/ Instructor delivering all Adult & Youth products: she also holds a license to deliver Emotional First Aid.
As the Director of SB Training & Consultancy she leads on consultancy for organisations looking at service design & delivery, setting up & facilitating focus groups, interviewing individuals & presenting back findings to stakeholders. She is currently working on the implementation of a new service following a successful submission to the National Lottery Community Fund for a project built on recommendations from extensive research on a South Asian Mental Health research Project funded by a Clinical Commissioning Group. A proven expert communicator, Sajda is able to tailor delivery to the audience-response in order to feedback & maintain her focus on the purpose of the communication.
With over two decades of experience in the mental health sector, her skills range from advocacy, delivering well-being training, to more recently business development through coaching & mentoring, setting up SB Training & Consultancy in 2012. She also develops & delivers bespoke training packages for voluntary & statutory organisations, & has experience working with schools, community & local government agencies.
One of Sajda’s many professional achievements is her work with the United Nations Office on Drugs & Crime (UNODC) in Pakistan.
When she gets a moment to herself, Sajda enjoys reading & quality time outdoors.
Feedback from the courses I have delivered...
“Excellent course content and delivery and it was pitched perfectly for the Audience.”
“I thought the course was excellent. It has given me just enough knowledge and confidence to feel that I could be an effective Mental Health Champion and to signpost and open doors for people and colleagues who may need my support.No doubt it was a tough day with a lot of reflection but I liked the way Sajda was always mindful of our own personal wellbeing and warned us about times when this may be an issue and took time to remind us of it constantly. A good mix of classroom time and group exercises meant the day flowed very well.”
“Sadja’s delivery was exceptional and she had a positive effect on everyone in the room. Her approach and handling of some very tough subject matter was excellent and i left the room not only energised but also wanting to learn so much more. The best trainer and best course I have attended in a long time (and i have been on plenty of them).”
“Sajda was brilliant. The depth of knowledge was clear. I did think the powerpoint was a bit too much. We really didn’t need that much info on the screen when Sajda went through all the points in great detail, in my opinion. Other than that, a fantastic day which will undoubtedly change the way I work on a daily basis (for the better).”
“Sajda was the perfect trainer in every way – thank you.”
“The course leader was excellent in their delivery, facilitation and subject matter knowledge. A true professional trainer that I would highly recommend. Sajda kept everyone’s interest and dealt with some difficult subject matter with compassion and empathy. A great course.”
Rachel Hunter
Mental Health First Aid England National Trainer since 2014
Mental Health First Aid Instructor since 2011
MHFA Associate since 2013
MHFA Membership Number: MHFA101101468
SafeTALK Instructor since 2012
ASIST Trainer since 2013
Living Works ID Number: N200017
A Little About Me
Rachel has worked in education for over 20 years, which she always says is ironic because she struggled at school herself due to undiagnosed neurodiverse needs. Rachel believes it is an honour & a privilege to be entrusted with a person’s time, whilst guiding them on their learning journey. Ensuring people have a positive learning experience under her care & allowing them to take away knowledge &enhanced confidence in their own skills set is at the forefront of everything she does.
Twice winner of ‘Tutor of the Year’ awarded by the Humber Learning Consortium for exceptional delivery of training, she received this deserved recognition whilst working at a local Mental Health Charity. This nomination arose from client feedback & Rachel still cites this as one of her proudest moments. She has also been nominated as an exemplar MHFA Instructor & Mental Health Champion by MHFA England CIC, of which she is equally proud.
Rachel’s self-care incudes immersing herself in the slower paced world as a reminder of what really matters, & its something she strives to do regularly. Getting up before dawn to watch the sun rise at the beach, wild swimming, bobbing about on the sea on a paddle board or jumping on board anything with sails is where stillness is help her to do this. “The sea can calm itself & as we are made of salt water mixed with air it seems to be the place I always gravitate to when I need to find my peace.”
Julie Castleman
British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy Accredited Counsellor
MHFA National Trainer
MHFA Associate
Suicide First Aid National Tutor
- Suicide First Aid Instructor
A Little About Me
Julie has over 18 years’ experience of working in the Counselling and Mental Health sector. As a qualified integrative (psychodynamic & person centred) counsellor with BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) Accreditation, Julie has worked in Private Practice, Educational and Workplace settings in a management role and providing individual, group and online counselling covering a diverse range of issues.
Julie has experience of developing and delivering bespoke Mental Health Awareness training. She is an MHFA Associate and National Trainer, delivering many of the MHFA courses. Julie is also a Suicide First Aid Instructor and National Tutor, delivering the UK’s National City and Guilds qualification in Suicide Prevention.
Julie is passionate about raising awareness of mental health and providing training in the wider community, workplace and educational settings. Her desire is to build individuals’ confidence in recognising the signs of poor mental health, reducing stigma and enabling the support of others whilst enhancing people’s own self-care and resilience.