grounded. Team
Please find below all members of the Living Well grounded. Team.
Alex Jordan
Area Manager
Alex graduated from the University of Chester in 2013 with a BA hons in Events Management. Alex went on to work in operational events for 2 years, including weddings, charity and corporate events. They then took a career detour into the NHS and studied to become a Healthcare Assistant in general practice which sparked their love for helping people and their aptitude to empathise with people of all different ages and backgrounds after having dealt with their own long term chronic illness since a young age.
Alex joined Living Well Consortium in 2020 working in the Administration team to process client referrals in high volumes. Alex then moved to the role Project Assistant, assisting with the implementation of grounded., a wellbeing café and hub in Selly Oak of which Alex is now Area Manager. As Area Manager of grounded., Alex is responsible for the smooth running of all operations.
In 2015 Alex had major life saving bowel surgery to remove all of their large bowel. They now have a stoma named Flow and their partner can no longer blame them as the excuse for any funny noises or smells!
Gemma Cassidy
Venue Assistant
Gemma graduated from the University of Bath with a BA (Hons) in Fine Art and has since followed a varied career path, working across the arts, fundraising, mental health, housing and community development. From working at the Ikon Gallery to fundraising for Shelter, her career has always been driven by a strong belief in the power of people, creativity and community.
With a particular interest in art therapy, mental health and social connection, Gemma went on to pursue a career in mental health, working with people from a wide range of backgrounds before managing a mental health service. Her passion for working directly with communities then led her into housing, where she gained a broader understanding of the relationship between housing, health and wellbeing.
All of these experiences have come together in her work with the Living Well Consortium and grounded. Gemma joined grounded. in 2025 as a Venue Assistant and has since become involved in developing what grounded. can be - more than just a café. Her favourite part of the role includes creating and delivering wellbeing workshops, developing new events and activities, building community connections, and helping to drive the St Paul’s venue forward.
Outside of work, Gemma loves to create, whether that's writing, doodling or taking on the occasional one-off commission to keep her hand in the art world. She loves travelling to Bristol (her favourite place, aside from the Jewellery Quarter, of course!), going to raves and, more recently, getting out into the wilderness, finding new forests to explore and getting pleasantly lost have become a favourite pastime.
Stathis Papadopoulos
Venue Assistant - grounded. Selly Oak
Stathis moved from Greece to the UK in 2012 to open his own business, his background in hospitality gave him much knowledge in business management. Stathis got qualifications from ESP+ school that specialized in photography and graphic design. Stathis went on to work in the mental health charity field in 2017 helping young people facing barriers to the employment with training and job opportunities.
He joined LWC in August 2024 in the role of venue assistant overseeing the running of grounded. Selly Oak to ensure day to day smooth operation of the venue. Stathis loves working at grounded. because the role companies both business management and mental health support.
Outside work Stathis loves going to the gym and swimming daily. He loves cooking for family and friends and also he likes relax playing video games or going to the cinema after a long day.
