News Release
HOME-START APPOINTS ACTING CHIEF EXECUTIVE FOR MEDIUM TERM ROLE
17 October 2005
Kay Bews has been appointed acting chief executive for Home-Start, the UK's leading family support charity.
Home-Start recruits and trains volunteers to support parents with children under five years old. The charity was set up in 1973 and last year supported 31,000 families and 68,000 children across the UK. More than 11,000 Home-Start volunteers visit families in their own homes.
Kay has been with Home-Start for 18 years, and worked as director, Home-Start England, for the last eight. Before that she spent five years supporting the work of a number of Home-Start schemes as a regional consultant supporting Home-Start schemes and developing new ones in the West Country and the Midlands. She started her career with Home-Start as a senior organiser at the charity's Reading Scheme.
Her work has brought her into contact with many other voluntary agencies, research groups, local authorities and health agencies. She has contributed to a number of policy forums and advisory groups including all party parliamentary groups and regional strategic planning groups. For four years Kay also held responsibility for the work of Home-Start in Wales, working closely with colleagues in the voluntary and statutory sectors.
Her appointment takes place with immediate effect and she will continue to work partly from her office in Reading, with two days a week at Home-Start UK headquarters in Leicester.
James Sainsbury, chair of trustees for Home-Start UK said: "I am delighted about the appointment of Kay Bews as acting chief executive and am looking forward to a very positive period for Home-Start over the next twelve months and beyond."
Speaking soon after her appointment, Kay said she would be concentrating on consolidating Home-Start's work and laying the foundations for sustainable growth in the future - particularly in view the charity's ongoing expansion across the UK. The organisation is in the middle of a drive to expand into every town and borough in England, to try to double its capacity in Scotland, and to continue to support more families in Northern Ireland and Wales. It also works in British Forces in Cyprus and Germany.
"What still gives me the buzz is knowing that what we are all doing really does make a difference to Home-Start families, volunteers and staff across the country," she said.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS:
Contact details:
Annie O'Brian, Press and PR Manager, Home-Start.
t: 0870 220 6712; e: aobrian@home-start.org.uk; m: 07917 392130
http://www.home-start.org.uk
Notes to editors
Kay Bews replaces Dylan Harrison, who left the role of Chief Executive at the end of June. His move followed a reassessment of his priorities after a long illness in his immediate family.
Kay Bews has been appointed acting chief executive for Home-Start, the UK's leading family support charity.
Home-Start recruits and trains volunteers to support parents with children under five years old. The charity was set up in 1973 and last year supported 31,000 families and 68,000 children across the UK. More than 11,000 Home-Start volunteers visit families in their own homes.
Kay has been with Home-Start for 18 years, and worked as director, Home-Start England, for the last eight. Before that she spent five years supporting the work of a number of Home-Start schemes as a regional consultant supporting Home-Start schemes and developing new ones in the West Country and the Midlands. She started her career with Home-Start as a senior organiser at the charity's Reading Scheme.
Her work has brought her into contact with many other voluntary agencies, research groups, local authorities and health agencies. She has contributed to a number of policy forums and advisory groups including all party parliamentary groups and regional strategic planning groups. For four years Kay also held responsibility for the work of Home-Start in Wales, working closely with colleagues in the voluntary and statutory sectors.
Her appointment takes place with immediate effect and she will continue to work partly from her office in Reading, with two days a week at Home-Start UK headquarters in Leicester.
James Sainsbury, chair of trustees for Home-Start UK said: "I am delighted about the appointment of Kay Bews as acting chief executive and am looking forward to a very positive period for Home-Start over the next twelve months and beyond."
Speaking soon after her appointment, Kay said she would be concentrating on consolidating Home-Start's work and laying the foundations for sustainable growth in the future - particularly in view the charity's ongoing expansion across the UK. The organisation is in the middle of a drive to expand into every town and borough in England, to try to double its capacity in Scotland, and to continue to support more families in Northern Ireland and Wales. It also works in British Forces in Cyprus and Germany.
"What still gives me the buzz is knowing that what we are all doing really does make a difference to Home-Start families, volunteers and staff across the country," she said.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS:
Contact details:
Annie O'Brian, Press and PR Manager, Home-Start.
t: 0870 220 6712; e: aobrian@home-start.org.uk; m: 07917 392130
http://www.home-start.org.uk
Notes to editors
Kay Bews replaces Dylan Harrison, who left the role of Chief Executive at the end of June. His move followed a reassessment of his priorities after a long illness in his immediate family.
