I joined the Home-Start staff team in 2021 having trained as a volunteer in 2020. While I am moving on to study to be a nutritionist, my passion for the support that volunteers offer to families remains and I am delighted to have become a part of the management board. Previously, I led a marketing team and I will be using this and my volunteering experience to support the staff in their work to ensure volunteers receive the best training and support but also to promote the benefits to the volunteer and the personal growth these roles can offer.

Having served as a Detective Constable working on complex safeguarding investigations for 17 years, and then moving to become a Safeguarding Lead in a reputable local charity (Albion in the Community), I have gained a range of specialist skills and experiencing within Safeguarding.   I have a strong passion for helping people and share Home-Start’s ethics and values.   I have a wealth of experience in managing child protection investigations, working with statutory agencies, whilst also managing low-level concerns working with and supporting families. As a Trustee I promote the highest standards of governance in compliance and ensure Home-Start have robust safeguarding policies and procedures in place.   I believe that early help and intervention can have a significant impact on a family that it is struggling, and at this current time since the pandemic and now the cost-of-living crisis, families will require more support than ever, so to join the organisation at such a pertinent time is a privilege.

I love having adventures outdoors with my family, including camping, going on long walks in the country and along the beach. I also like socialising with friends and hosting dinners at home.

Sonali has extensive experience of working at a senior level in the charitable and higher education sectors and is also a peripatetic music teacher. She believes passionately in the power of social prescribing to change lives and improve wellbeing, currently working as General Manager for national charity Music for All.  Sonali is thrilled to be trustee at Home Start Arun, Worthing and Adur, bringing previous trustee experience at a refugee charity and arts dementia charity as well as a sound knowledge and understanding of working in a busy small charity which supports disadvantaged and underserved communities. 

She spends her non-working time volunteering at her local community food hub, making and enjoying music, fitness, and loves living by the coast as well as being a child and cat mum! 

Carl joined the board of Home-Start AWA as a Trustee in 2024, shortly after returning to the UK following 20 years living and working overseas. He has held senior leadership roles across a range of global organisations, including Amazon, Goldman Sachs and Barclays. He currently serves as Deputy Director at the Crown Prosecution Service, where he focuses on building the organisation’s capacity to meet the demands of the criminal justice system.

Carl is a father of three daughters and brings a strong personal commitment to supporting families with young children. He understands first-hand both the joys and the pressures of family life, and is passionate about the difference early support can make. He believes Home-Start’s work is one of the most impactful ways to support families, helping parents feel more confident and ensuring children get the best possible start in life.

Ed is an experienced finance director, chief finance officer and investor relations practitioner. He leads the cost, FP&A, investor relations, and external communications teams at The Very Group, which operates online retailers Very.co.uk and Littlewoods.com. He also sits on the ESG board. Prior to joining Very, he was Group CFO and a board member at privately owned European clothing business Best Dressed Group and iSmash, the UK consumer technology repair specialist. Ed qualified as a chartered accountant with KPMG.  

Ed has a young family, with two daughters under three years old, so he has a great understanding of the pressures that exist on parents and families. When he is not at work or with his family Ed is usually found on the South Downs with his dog Ziggy.

My career to date has been based around HR working in the UK and covering Europe in many roles. This has mainly been in the IT sector but have also worked in Oil and Gas (travelling by helicopter to the gas rigs!) and with Marks and Spencer and Matell (the toy company). I have significant HR knowledge and having worked in Europe have been exposed to Unions and Worker Councils. Strong leadership skills but do really enjoy working collaboratively and within a team. I recently moved to West Sussex (during lockdown) and gained a springer spaniel puppy who has kept me sane during the difficult times.I have previously worked as a Samaritan and the opportunity to join Home-Start as a trustee cements my desire to help those who need support in their early years and to be able to use my HR background. I am excited about this challenge and to work with like-minded others.
On a personal level I have adult twins, enjoy food and wine. My degree is in food science so it helps!

Passionate charity sector CEO with over 30 years of experience working within a grant making Foundation. Funding organisations working for positive social and environmental change, specifically issues around human rights, animal and environmental protection. Love being part of a team that makes a difference and consider myself lucky that my passion has also been my job. Love a challenge and have trekked the Sahara for WaterAid, trekked the Sumatran jungle for the Orangutan Foundation and run a marathon for The Body Shop Foundation. I’m delighted to be involved with Home-Start AWA, the charity has a remarkable impact in the local community supporting families at a time of great need.

I joined the Home-Start Worthing Board of Trustees in 2024. Having worked in various corporate roles for over 15 years for large international FTSE 100 companies such as Rolls-Royce, Thales, GSK and currently Roche – it was during my year-long maternity leave with my first child that I had my eyes opened when I witnessed in my community first-hand the challenges that parents of young children face. On my return back to the corporate world, I felt compelled not to forget about this awakening and to “do more”. Joining Home-Start as a trustee is a privilege enabling me to combine professional skills & expertise with helping families who so crucially need a non-judgmental safe-haven to help navigate the challenges that sometimes can overwhelm us all. I have a law degree, I’m a qualified Company Secretary and procurement professional, and perhaps most importantly an auntie to 5 children under 6, mother to an energetic and happy little toddler, and not forgetting our bouncy 4 year old Labrador, Luna.

I’ve worked in early years and family support for most of my adult life, in nurseries, in therapeutic services, and most recently in the charity sector at a national level. I started as an Early Years Teacher running a pack-away pre-school, before moving into management of a large local authority nursery. Most recently I led the creation of LGBTQ+ family content for the award-winning parenting app Baby Buddy, first as Project Manager then as Head of Impact at the charity Best Beginnings. I’m also proud to have contributed to the Hearts and Minds Partnership as a Root Maker, delivering equality, diversity and inclusion consultancy across a network of perinatal mental health charities. Alongside that, I hold a Postgraduate Diploma in Infant Mental Health from the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust, and have held Designated Safeguarding Lead responsibility across a range of settings for over a decade.

Trusteeship isn’t new to me, I’ve previously sat on the boards of a number of organisations and have been involved in community representation and advisory roles across the region for many years. I’m genuinely glad to be contributing to Home-Start Arun, Worthing and Adur. The model of volunteer-led, non-judgmental support for families is one I’ve believed in throughout my career, and I think it’s charities like these that form the backbone of local communities.

An award-winning journalist by trade who now works within marketing and communications, I am passionate about using my personal and professional experience to ensure Home-Start Arun, Worthing and Adur continue to provide valuable support to hundreds of people in the local area.  As a parent to a toddler, I know equally how rewarding and how hard it can be to nurture a child through their first few years of life. The personable, non-judgemental and expert support that Home-Start provides is a lifeline to so many people.  I joined the board in spring 2021 and first role was to work with the CEO to create and implement a new three-year strategy.  I’m looking forward to continuing to use my knowledge, contacts and energy towards supporting the staff team and volunteers so that they can continue to make a difference in the community where I live.

I joined Home-Start in 2019 to volunteer my skills as a chartered accountant and to help me expand my experience in the Charity sector. I currently work for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity as Financial Controller of a large grant making organisation and looking to progress in my career to a more senior level. I oversee a fund value of over £90m and a charitable group with multiple entities and trading subsidiaries that require specific accounting processes. I spend most of my time at Fratton Park watching Portsmouth play, cycling and a keen eye on Politics in the UK and US.