Jo Cooke is a Director of Hoarding Disorders UK CIC and also runs her own business Tapioca Tidy.
She is also the author of the book Understanding Hoarding which is fast becoming the “go to manual” for people with hoarding tendencies, their families and agencies that work with people exhibiting hoarding behaviours. Jo is also author of the publication Overcoming Chronic Disorganization.
Jo has appeared in the Guardian newspaper, Cosmopolitan and other publications. She has also appeared a number of times on BBC Radio, including a feature on Jeremy Vine's show in 2024, and featured on BBC Sounds, BBC Breakfast and ‘Inside Out’. Jo was selected as a finalist for the Thames Valley Venus Awards’ Lifetime Achievement Award.
Jo is a professional declutterer and organiser who has a very professional, calm, non-judgemental and “makes sense” approach to helping you reclaim your space. Jo previously had a varied career in charitable organisations, human resources, project management, bookkeeping and the civil service, but realised she had a flair for decluttering and organising when she had to sell the family home that her father had lived in for more than 30 years. She has a wealth of experience and skills required when working in cluttered environments and takes a responsible and empathetic approach to the needs of people she works with.
Jo co-facilitates three hoarding support groups in Bracknell, on the telephone and on-line.
Paul Cooper has been working with Hoarding Disorders UK CIC since 2016 and is based in Gloucestershire.
He helps to deliver hoarding awareness training with Jo Cooke around the UK.
Previously he worked in sales and recruitment as well as 5 years in the Inclusion center of a secondary school. Paul featured in the BBC1 documentary with Jo and has written two books and featured in several others. Paul is also known for his character Martin Mucklowe in the BBC award winning comedy This Country. In his spare time, he is director of a children's charity, the National Children's Football Alliance.
Paul brings an abundance of patience, calm, and reassurance to his role within Hoarding Disorders UK CIC and also brings humour and empathy which are much needed in the world of clutter, chronic disorganisation and hoarding.
Carole Reed runs her own decluttering business, HappySort which is based close to Bristol and Bath. Carole first came across people with hoarding behaviours when she worked as a social worker in London.
Carole is unflappable and calm. Her work as a social worker (including two years in the palliative care team) and as a carer in a nursing home has meant that she has a wealth of experience around how individuals can be impacted by poor mental and physical health. Her more recent work with Age UK (still ongoing) means that she is familiar with the challenges that older people live with day to day and how hoarding adds an extra layer of complexity to this. The time spent working in both health and social care teams means that she has a good understanding of how to liaise with the different professionals and assist clients to navigate the services available.
Carole has a can do attitude and will work tirelessly to seek solutions to issues to ensure that the people that she works with have the best possible experience of working with her. She has stayed true to her social work training and the client is always at the centre of any decision making and planning.
Carole is a member of APDO, has three young (and very messy) children. In her spare time Carole tries to keep reasonably fit (but hates every minute).
Sarah is a director of Hoarding Disorders South CIC, together with Amber. They deliver support to those with chronic disorganisation and hoarding behaviours in Reading, Wokingham, West Berkshire and surrounding areas.
Sarah has a background in social work and has worked in various related professions, since qualifying in 1994. In these roles she has come across individuals with hoarding behaviour and appreciates the very many reasons that lead people to this position.
Until recently Sarah worked in a social prescribing team, where she stayed for 7 years. In this role she was able to focus on giving individuals time to consider what was important to them and signpost them to support and services to help. She is committed to giving individuals the space they need to consider and meet their goals whilst helping to motivate them; recognising that change isn’t easy. Having worked in different settings, she recognises the complexity of navigating the right care and support and so is able to assist with this.
Alongside her work in social prescribing, during the past 18 months, Sarah has also been working with a local authority to put together a protocol and pathway for working with individuals with hoarding behaviour. This work has highlighted that there is a real gap in provision for those who need individually planned, hands-on help and support. She has also realised that working with those who need this support is something she is really committed to; be it helping individuals with one off circumstances, putting together systems to create more order with day to day tasks, or working in more complex situations, over a longer term.
Sarah works in a way that is person centred, sensitive and good humoured and is always mindful of treating people as she would like to be treated herself.
Amber is a director of Hoarding Disorders South CIC and alongside Sarah, delivers support to those with chronic disorganisation and hoarding behaviours in Reading, Wokingham, West Berkshire and surrounding areas.
Following a degree in Psychology and several years spent working in residential health and social care, Amber trained as a Social Worker in London. Working in a children and families service, she supported families in challenging situations to access support and make positive changes.
Amber has spent the last seven years working in Social Prescribing, alongside Sarah, supporting individuals with their wellbeing, accessing support in the community and building social networks to overcome social isolation. With a particular interest in person centred approaches, Amber has undertaken qualifications in counselling.
Across these various roles Amber has visited many individuals and families in their homes and gained a deeper understanding of what can lead to challenging home environments, as well as an understanding of the way professionals and systems can work together to support people.
The need to work in an individually tailored, sensitive, person centred way is at the heart of the approach Amber and Sarah take, whilst retaining a sense of humour along the way!
Based in Stamford, Lincolnshire, Kat Band is an Associate Trainer for Hoarding Disorders UK CIC but also runs her own social purpose business, The Hummingbird Effect (professional decluttering and organisation with a focus on chronic disorganisation and hoarding behaviours). Kat supports Jo in delivering Chronic Disorganisation training around the UK, and as a late diagnosed Autistic Female, with ADHD (AuDHD), brings authentic lived experience perspective to this module.
Kat’s background is in the charity sector, with nearly 20 years’ experience in working with children, families and communities. Kat has a particular passion for and focus on trauma informed methods of work, coproduction and health inequalities. She has spent the past 9 years in post as an Assistant Director for Barnardo’s, leading a broad portfolio of work including Child and Family Centres / Family Hubs, Early Years Settings, Domestic Abuse provision and Neuro-Development Pathways and was the Regional Safeguarding Lead for high-risk service provision.
Kat co-facilitates the very first peer support group for people with hoarding behaviours in Stamford and supports with providing online listening spaces for loved ones of those with hoarding tendencies, for Hoarding Disorders UK. She is well known for her sensitive and compassionate approach, being calm, collected and clear thinking in a crisis and as an empath, leaves people feeling “seen, heard and held”. Kat would admit that she is not naturally organised and has had to develop various strategies over the years to help manage her home, work and life in general. But this is exactly why she is a good match for those who also struggle with executive function or just “doing the thing”.
Sasha is the Executive Assistant for Hoarding Disorders UK CIC and provides administrative, technical and marketing support.
When not working with the HDUK team, Sasha Clarke is an actress. Sasha has appeared in Holby City, Eastenders, Jack Ryan and has various other credits TV, theatre and short film credits. Furthermore, Sasha works for NHS Blood and Transplant.
We are very grateful for the range of skills and expertise Sasha brings to the team.