ILOVEUKE has been spreading the joy of ukulele playing across Norfolk since 2010 - from early years children to older participants, SEN groups, school clubs, festivals and community events. Over the years, we’ve seen how powerful music can be in bringing people together, building confidence, improving wellbeing and reducing isolation.

In 2025 we became a Community Interest Company, formalising our commitment to using music for social good. As a CIC, all profit goes back into creating inclusive music opportunities. We are supported through school partnerships, participant fees, community events and grants.

Gemma Cullingford - Director & tutor

Gemma founded ILOVEUKE in 2009 to share her love of the ukulele and make music accessible to everyone. She has taught thousands of children and adults across Norfolk, from primary school groups and nursery classes to SEN students and one-to-one lessons tailored to individual needs.

Alongside her teaching, Gemma is an accomplished musician, playing bass, guitar and ukulele in various bands. She has toured the UK, USA and Europe, released six albums, and was one half of the critically acclaimed duo Sink Ya Teeth as well as being a successful solo electronic artist.

She has also written children’s ukulele audio/visual books featuring original songs, combining learning with fun and creativity. Beyond performing and teaching, Gemma has mentored a young band and runs a record label, supporting emerging artists and fostering new talent.

Gemma believes deeply in the therapeutic and transformative powers of music, and her passion lies in using it as a tool for creativity, wellbeing and community connection - values at the heart of ILOVEUKE.

Clara Wiseman - Director & tutor

Clara is known for her lively, inclusive ukulele sessions for both children and adults, which she has delivered in schools, community groups, and festivals since 2013. She co-founded ILOVEUKE CIC with Gemma to expand opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to experience the joy of music-making.

With a background in organising community music and arts projects, Clara began her musical journey as part of the all-female punk band PMT. She later founded the 20-strong punk ukulele collective The Pukes, performing at gigs and festivals across the UK and Europe and releasing two albums.

Clara also plays bass and guitar, and enjoys sewing, crochet and fermenting things. She is passionate about using music to empower, connect and inspire.

Sophie Shaw - director

Sophie’s two great passions in life are music and wellbeing. She is a certified hypnotherapist, Reiki teacher and wellbeing coach, and has worked for over 16 years in private healthcare, hospice and university settings, as well as running her own thriving private practice. Her book for anxious children, The Hare and the Moon, has been widely praised by SENDCOs, teachers, parents and Senior Lecturers in Special Education.

Alongside this, she is the lead singer of Blue Harlem, the renowned London-based swing/jump blues band. With the band, she is a regular at Ronnie Scott’s and Pizza Express Live, has toured extensively and has recorded two albums. She also sings with other Norfolk-based jazz, folk and Americana bands.
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Sophie discovered her love of ukulele in 2023, when she attended one of Clara’s beginner classes – and she’s never looked back! She lives in the Norfolk countryside with her gorgeous son, anxious dog and seriously over-confident cat.

Emily Eagle - freelance tutor

Emily discovered her passion for the ukulele when she joined punk band The Pukes, where she sang backing vocals, recorded an album, created videos, and helped deliver workshops at gigs and festivals across the UK.

She now brings that same energy and enthusiasm to her teaching, with a particular focus on younger children. Emily believes the ukulele’s approachable and playful nature makes it the perfect introduction to learning an instrument. Her goal is to make music education enjoyable, inclusive and inspiring - sparking a lifelong love of music in her students.

Outside of teaching, Emily loves punk, rockabilly and all things vintage. She also runs a small business making handmade hair flowers.

Lisa Rose - volunteer

Lisa loves playing the ukulele, singing and working with others to share the joy of making music.
Many moons ago, she was a chorister, and her love of singing has continued ever since. Over the years she has sung and danced with a variety of groups.

Lisa began learning ukulele in 2022 while living in Sussex, just before moving to Norwich. She quickly fell in love with this little instrument and now has a collection which includes ukuleles, a banjolele and a resonator. She's also learning mandolin, guitar and fiddle.
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She believes it is always good to keep learning and enjoys sharing that journey with the ILOVEUKE community.

Jackie Hughes - volunteer

Jackie had never played a stringed instrument before taking up the ukulele and is very happy to have learnt in Clara's enjoyable classes! At ILOVEUKE she helps out in beginner groups and at social events, and incorporates uke into her voluntary work at baby groups for HomeStart Norfolk.

Together with two others from Clara's Wymondham group she formed The Ukuladies, who perform in local care homes and charities. Jackie especially loves indie, punk and alternative music. Teenage Kicks is her favourite to play on uke!

Jackie's favourite things about playing uke are the community and social side, learning and improving, singing and performing, and helping others to get their kicks from playing.

Mark Buckton - Volunteer

A lifelong listener to music, Mark connected with his inner musician after retiring in 2023. Having just moved to Norwich he cast around for meaningful ways to spend his suddenly abundant spare time and found ILOVEUKE's Tuesday Strummers group. The rest, they say, is history. 

The opportunity to meet like-minded people, develop new skills, sing for the first time and perform in front of an audience opened the floodgates to a previously untapped reservoir of musical ambition he never knew he had! 

Mark is now part of ukulele band The Strumsures, plays with a local folk orchestra and writes the occasional song, as well as helping out at ILOVEUKE. He now wonders how he ever had time to work!