Find out more about the team at Go Beyond Holidays…
To read more just click on the link at the bottom of each person’s profile. You’ll be taken to another page where you will also be able to watch a video of that team member introducing themselves.
About us
Meet the team
Ian Callen – co-founder and director
Ian is the founder and one of the directors of Go Beyond. Ian has lived in France for 15 years. He has been a qualified teacher since 2007. Ian knows the region extremely well and spends his spare time climbing, walking and photographing the Gorges du Verdon. He also presents a fortnightly radio show for local to the area, Radio Verdon, a show that celebrates British music.
Ian worked in at The Olive Tree International School teaching photography, horticulture, conservation, biology and astronomy to children with challenging behaviour. In Bristol, England Ian worked for the Brandon Trust, teaching conservation and horticulture to people with learning disabilities. He lives with his wife, Anna, and three children, Joseph, Jasmine and Poppy, in the Provencal town of Riez.
Ian has a City & Guilds teaching qualification, RHS General and Advanced certificates in horticulture. Ian is trained in First Aid to British Red Cross Standard (January 2019). Ian also has training in Epilepsy and Midazolam, Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults and the Mental Capacity Act.
Neil Manser – co-founder and director
Neil is a co-founder and director of the project and has lived in France for twenty years. Neil worked for several years as a classroom assistant at a Dr. Barnardo Special Needs Primary School in Southborough, Kent. He also worked as an art classroom assistant in another special needs school. Neil was often involved with supported holidays to Wales. Neil was involved with a project in Malaysia supporting adults with learning and physical disabilities. Neil is also the chef and prepares all the meals for Go Provence. When he isn’t working for Go Provence he lives near St Tropez on the coast.
Neil has a Primary Certificate in Social Care from West Kent College. Neil is trained in First Aid to British Red Cross Standard (January 2019). Neil also has training in Epilepsy and Midazolam, Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults and the Mental Capacity Act.
John Ryde
John Ryde has been married for over 40 years and lives in rural Dorset. He has two grown up daughters and, in the last two years, 3 grandchildren. The grandchildren keep him fairly busy! For most of his life he was a secondary school science teacher and in recent years has really enjoyed working for Able2Achieve, a company that runs supported living placements and day provision for adults with learning disabilities and autism. John has organised and run numerous residential trips as a teacher and youth leader. John and his wife spent 6 years working with refugees and other disadvantaged people in northern Thailand, close to the Burma border. As part of their role in Thailand they helped to facilitate visiting teams. John has spent part of the last 4 summers with Go Provence in France and Italy.
John is also a Governor in a special school in Dorset. He is the link Governor for Safeguarding and the sixth form. He spends time in school as a volunteer in the sixth form most weeks. He has received recent training through Able2Achieve and Governor Services in safeguarding both for children and adults, medicines administration, first aid at work, the mental capacity act, epilepsy, autism and therapeutic behaviour management.
Anna Callen
Anna is one of the directors of Go Beyond and oversees the administrative side of the holidays. She has lived in France for over 15 years and has worked in a variety of roles including teaching and administration. She currently works as a translator as well as doing administrative work for Go Beyond. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, baking, sewing and listening to music.
Anna worked at The Olive Tree International School teaching French and Spanish to children with challenging behaviour. In Bristol, England, Anna spent half of her working week working as Personnel Administrator for The Priory Hospital and the other half as a Translations Coordinator for the charity Tearfund.
She lives with her husband, Ian, and three children, Joseph, Jasmine and Poppy, in the Provençal town of Riez.
Karen Galway
Hi, my name is Karen Galway and I was born in Leicester, before moving to beautiful Cornwall in 1982.
I have 3 gorgeous daughters, Kaye, Kerry and Katrina (we like the letter K), and I am blessed with 6 lively grandchildren; Kieran, Kaitlin, Jowan, Sam, Amelia and Leo.
Having active grandchildren keeps me on my toes and allows me to share my passion for the outdoors with them. We enjoy camping trips, kayaking, climbing, sailing, walking and horse riding together.
I first started work as a machinist, stitching and making clothes, textiles led me to art, another of my passions. I decided to take this further and I enrolled an access to art course. I wanted to share art with others and I began to support people on a youth and community scheme. I was lucky enough to support people on holidays within the scheme to Brittany, France and Italy.
I have gained other qualifications along my way including a BTEC in Social Care, RSA Counselling, Health and Social Care level 2 and 3, and I have also completed an outdoor education course.
All of this has been put in good use with what I currently do.
I am naturally a caring person, who enjoys helping others, enabling them to live their best lives. As well as working for Go Beyond Holidays, I work for the NHS in local hospitals and at the moment I am spending most of my time supporting people with learning disabilities in their own homes.
I have been working with Go Provence/Go Beyond since 2013, experiencing many different types of holidays.
Joseph Callen
Joseph has grown up with Go Beyond Holidays.
He was there from the beginning, being the eldest child of Director’s Ian and Anna’s, and fellow director Neil’s God son.
Go Beyond has always been a family affair and guest who have been coming since 2010 will have seen Joseph grow up.
Having joined the team as a 16 year old back in 2019, we are looking forward to him bringing his enthusiasm to this summer in Dartmoor. Joseph, will be studying Geography at Exeter University in September and hopes to work in Geopolitics.
Jasmine Callen
Jasmine has grown up with Go Beyond Holidays.
She was there at the beginning, being Director’s Ian and Anna’s daughter, and fellow director Neil’s God daughter as a cheerful 4 year old, with lots of smiles for our guests.
Now a mature 15 year old, she is studying at the International Lycee in Manosque, France and hopes to be a photo journalist.
Jasmine enjoys climbing, photography, music and is an avid reader.
She has been itching to work for Go Beyond’s summer program and finally she is old enough and will be joining the team for the Dartmoor program.
Richard Thompson
Richard’s vision, knowledge, passion and commitment for making travel accessible and inclusive, everywhere, to everyone, is world renowned. His unique capacity to educate and enlighten sought around the globe.
And his is an epic journey. A fusion of independent exploration across more than 70 countries, four decades of tourism industry experience and half a lifetime turning adversity to advantage following his own life-changing changing personal injury.
Over the past 22 years, Richard has defined the ‘accessible’ market and redefined what is possible, crafting journeys of discovery – close to home and on distant shores, that rekindle travel ambitions and realise ‘impossible’ dreams, however complex a persons additional requirements might be and wherever in the world they want to go. It is motivating and inspiring.
And we are all motivated and inspired.
