About Us
Hi, we are Bree and Lou, long-term friends and founders of Libra VA Services.
We first met in 2006, while studying French at Edinburgh University. Since then, we have both worked in senior administrative positions in the higher education and not-for-profit sectors, which gave us the skills that we now bring to our business.
So what’s Libra VA Services all about? Well, our careers have shown us how often organisations of all kinds get bogged down in routine work. Essential goals are delayed or neglected because day-to-day tasks get in the way.
Even if things aren’t that bad, it’s fair to say that we’re all leading increasingly busy lives, with less and less time for the most important things: family, friends and fun.
That’s where Libra VA Services comes in.
Hire us to assist you with the time-consuming tasks and we will give you back your most valuable asset - your time.
By providing you with remote support, we can save you time, money and stress. You delegate the administrative tasks on your to-do list to us, freeing up your time to focus on the things you really enjoy.
And the best part? You can hire us for as little or as much time as you need, as a one-off or on a retainer (if you have certain tasks that need doing every month).
So get in touch and find out how we can help you!
More about Bree
My Master’s degree in International Development led me to discover my interest in forced migration. Over the last decade, I've explored this, volunteering with a range of refugee charities, including the Refugee Support Network and CARAS (Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers), meeting with young asylum seekers on a weekly basis with the aim of offering support and helping to build confidence in English.
My voluntary work has some parallels with my professional career in the sense that at the very core it is about building trust and connections with people from different cultural backgrounds. Something which has been vital in the sectors I've worked in over the last ten years.
I've worked at LSE, Birkbeck College and the University of Greenwich as Senior Administrator. Several of my roles have been student-facing where I have overseen the annual cycle of tasks and processes which underpin programmes, including managing course choice processes, the annual timetabling review, consolidation of assessment marks and feedback for students and managing exam boards. I have experience organising a range of events including high-level conferences and leading on the organisation of Welcome Week activities for students. I have also managed a portfolio of grants for a Research Centre, amounting to over £10 million in funding, with funding bodies including the Wellcome Trust and the European Commission (Horizon 2020). At UNHCR, The UN Refugee Agency, I was Team Support Associate for the Global Goodwill Ambassador Team, working with Goodwill Ambassadors and High Profile Supporters on a range of events and campaigns to help amplify and raise awareness of refugees and the harrowing issues they face around the world. One of my highlights was working on Khaled Hosseini's book launch for Sea Prayer, an illustrated novel inspired by the Syrian refugee crisis and the death of Alan Kurdi.
Outside of work, I enjoy yoga and meditation, spending time with my children and partner and going for long country walks with our very lively dog Toby!
More about Lou
My key passion in life can be summed up in one word: mentoring. While studying languages at Edinburgh University, I spent my summer holidays in camps across Europe, the US and Central Asia, teaching young students English and French. Tutoring has always been a big part of my life - I love communicating with people and immersing myself in other cultures, and I currently volunteer once a week with Action Tutoring, helping GCSE pupils improve their confidence and ability in English. I’m also the founder of Learning Languages with Lou.
Since graduating, I spent five years at Durham University working across multiple departments and faculties, ranging from admissions, exams, assessments and logistics for large cohorts of undergraduates. After relocating to London in 2015, I held senior administrative positions at UCL Institute of Education—looking after a department of 160 staff, liaising with key support teams and running day-to-day operations, including HR administration, finance and budget planning. As a property owner of five years, I also have a wealth of experience in property administration, including remotely managing payments, tenants, insurance and maintenance, and I’m able to provide cost- and time-efficient solutions in all these areas.
In my spare time, I enjoy relaxing with my partner and friends, devouring books and exploring London by foot or bicycle. I’m also a fully qualified stage and screen actor, so keep an eye out for me when watching your favourite TV programme!
