We are delighted to welcome Lin Hinnigan as our new Chair of Trustees.

Lin Hinnigan was previously Chief Executive of the Youth Justice Board and has had a successful track record of strategic leadership as a director and Chief Executive of a number of public bodies and within the Civil Service. She has led organisations responsible for the regulation of social work, the development of the school curriculum, assessment and qualifications, and the oversight of teacher training and development.

Having initially trained and worked as an educational psychologist, Hinnigan has a proven passion and track record for supporting children and young people to improve their life chances. Hinnigan takes up the role at Home-Start UK alongside her existing Chairing roles at Make A Wish - a charity supporting critically-ill children and Working Chance - which supports women involved in the criminal justice system back into employment. 

The appointment followed a competitive recruitment process led by trustees that included meeting with a "Home-Start panel" of volunteers and coordinators from local Home-Starts, and those who have directly experienced Home-Start’s work.  

Hinnigan will take up the role of Chair of Home-Start UK in September 2021 and will succeed the outgoing Chair, Felicity Clarkson CBE, who has served the Board in this role for 6 years.

Welcoming Hinnigan to Home-Start UK, Vice-Chair, Philip Sugarman, said:

“We are extremely pleased to have appointed Lin to lead the Board and steward the next phase of our federation’s development. As Home-Start approaches its 50th anniversary, Lin will bring invaluable experience and insight for the Board, Chief Executive and senior leadership team, and to our wider Home-Start network, to ensure we continue to bring real, lasting change for children and families across the UK.

“Lin shares our passion for community-based family support during children’s crucial early years and showed a deep understanding of the power of volunteerism that underpins Home-Start. Her expertise to build our local offer alongside influencing wider systemic change will help ensure we grow our impact for all families.

“I want to express from the Board, our sincerest thanks to Felicity Clarkson CBE, whose wisdom and dedication as Chair over the last 6 years has been instrumental in enabling our UK-wide network of support for families.”

In acknowledgment of the announcement, Hinnigan said:

 “I am thrilled to be joining Home-Start UK at such a significant time. The pandemic has hit families hard and we have seen an additional 200,000 children slip below the poverty line, and we know that 57% of parents are struggling with their mental health. Home-Start’s community-based, compassionate support is needed more than ever and I’m excited to help grow the availability of services for families to turn to when they need it most.

“During the interview process, I loved meeting volunteers and staff from local Home-Starts and hearing their commitment and enthusiasm for making a difference for so many families. I look forward to working with local Home-Starts and the team at Home-Start UK to do all we can to champion community-based, peer support for parents and children.”

A member of the Home-Start panel said:

“Lin showed a clear vision for increasing Home-Start’s reach and impact for families. She was inspiring, naturally inclusive and left us all feeling positive and energised. We felt that she really heard and understood the experience of volunteers and those working with families”.