Staff and Trustees
Friends of the Family is a small, friendly organisation. It is managed by a group of dedicated non-executive trustees and run by a team of professional staff and volunteers.
Our staff
Colette Dunford
Mums and young children Manager
Colette leads our work with Mums and young children and is a fully trained psychotherapist. For 14 years, Colette worked as a general nurse. Following a career change in 1992, she became a residential social worker and then Deputy Manager of a therapeutic unit for adolescent girls. During this period she undertook five years of psychotherapy training. Colette has been in private practice as a psychotherapist and supervisor since 2001, working with families, individuals and children.
Sam Hunt
5s to 13s Befriending Manager
Sam heads up our 5s to 13s befriending service. In her role, Sam oversees the recruitment, training, placement and supervision of all 5s to 13s volunteers. She manages referrals to the service: assessing the needs of children and families who require support, and matching trained volunteers to them. Sam also works closely with other statutory and voluntary agencies to ensure that the needs of the children and families are being met. She originally trained and worked as a primary school teacher.
Charlie Wright
Support for Dads Manager
Charlie is a fully qualified counsellor and runs our Support for Dads service. He supervises referrals, delivers the one-to-one counselling for dads and oversees a father’s group called, Dad’s Aloud. Charlie also works closely with Spurgeons charity at Winchester Prison, mentoring dads who are due for release.
Joanna Smith
Operations Manager
Jo oversees the day to day running of the charity and is responsible for strategic development and fundraising activity. Jo’s experience spans the public, private and third sector and she has a passion for raising funds and making a difference in the local community.
Ali Green
Development & Communications Coordinator
Ali first joined the team as a volunteer with the MYC group and now supports project coordination and communications across the charity. With a background in digital design and business management, Ali brings a passion for digital transformation and development to her role.
Vacant
Volunteer and Operations Coordinator
Our Trustees
Karen Hazlitt
Chair of Trustees
Karen trained and practiced as a Construction Litigation Solicitor in London and Hampshire. She has lived in Winchester with her family since 1996. She is a qualified endurance running coach. As Chair of Trustees Karen governs trustee meetings, supports staff with their professional development, supervises grant applications and fundraising activities, and speaks on behalf of Friends of the Family at local events.
Chris Bale
Trustee
Chris has worked in the non-profit sector for 35 years, nationally and internationally, and was awarded the MBE for services to charity. As the founding Director of Partnership for Children, he has a particular interest in promoting the emotional wellbeing of young children. Chris brings valuable skills and experience in the areas of governance and funding to the Board of Trustees.
Nicky Bryant
Trustee
Nicky originally joined the charity as a volunteer befriender and spent 18 months providing support and friendship to a local family. Now a trustee, Nicky brings her wealth of voluntary and fundraising experience to the table to support the ongoing work of Friends of the Family.
Jane Bennet
Trustee
Jane studied Computer Science and French at college, and went on to work at IBM for over 30 years. She has been a member of Hampshire and Islands Area Quaker Meeting since 2009, and has been a treasurer for the Area Meeting and Winchester Local Meeting during that time. She serves as liaison between Winchester Quakers and Friends of the Family.
Locket Ward
Trustee
Locket has two children and lives on the outskirts of Winchester. With a background in publishing, she brings a range of professional and personal skills to the charity. Locket also volunteers with our Mums and Young Children group.
Cathryn Perrin
Trustee
Cat has worked in the charity sector for over 25 years and set up her own fundraising consultancy, Breathe Fundraising, in 2018. Cat loves to study and has a Masters in Voluntary Sector Management specialising in Fundraising and Marketing. She is also passionate about mental wellbeing and talking therapies and has completed her Level 2&3 Counselling qualifications.
Claudia Dickens
Trustee
Claudia grew up in Winchester and first joined Friends of the Family as a volunteer for the Mums and Young Children’s project in 2008. Her volunteering hugely informed her career path over the last decade and she brings a wealth of experience in working with vulnerable children and families. Currently working as a Gender Equality Advisor for Save the Children UK, Claudia specialises in child protection, girls’ empowerment and gender-based violence.
Rebecca Lockwood
Trustee
Rebecca Lockwood’s background in public relations and broadcast journalism dates back 25 years. From live news reporting to producing the BBC’s Countryfile programme, not to mention helping to manage the press department for a wildlife charity, her wide-ranging experience has taken her all over the UK and beyond. In her role as a Trustee, Rebecca is focussing our many communication needs.
Graham Jacobs
Trustee
Graham worked in the corporate insurance sector for 35 years holding positions in the city of London prior to building his own successful business. His experience encompasses managing all facets of running an organisation and the challenges that this brings.
He lives in Winchester and is married with three children and is a keen golfer and Liverpool fan!
If you are interested in joining the Board of Trustees, please call us on 01962 864466 or contactus@fotfwinchester.org
