Meet the Team

Jayne Drummond Chief Executive Officer

Jayne was appointed our Chief Executive Officer in April 2023.

Most recently, Jayne held the role of Head of Finance for Home- Start Cymru where she was responsible for the Finance, HR and IT functions of the charity.

In May 2022, Jayne was the Head of Finance for Ategi, a charity that provides care and support to enable people to live as independently as possible.

Jayne spent 20 years working in finance and strategic positions in various commercial organisations in South Wales, it was during this time that Jayne completed an MBA with distinction and her ACCA qualification.

Jayne is passionate about providing support to individuals to create positive change in their lives.

Outside of work, Jayne is a school governor, enjoys swimming, cycling, walking and being outdoors with her family.

Iestyn Evans Head of Development and Communications

Iestyn leads all of Home Start Cymru’s income generating activities, including managing grants and donations from Local Authorities, Charitable Trusts, Companies and individuals. Iestyn is passionate about the third sector’s role in supporting and shaping our communities and brings over fifteen years’ marketing and fundraising experience from the private, health and arts sectors.

You can find Iestyn on LinkedIn.

Leon Shearer National Volunteer Lead

With more than 20 years’ experience working with children, families and vulnerable adults, Leon has built his career around helping people develop the confidence, knowledge and support they need to make a positive difference. His background spans community services, criminal justice, safeguarding, project management and national programme development, giving him a broad understanding of the challenges families and communities can face.

At Home-Start Cymru, Leon is responsible for developing and supporting the volunteer journey, strengthening training and safeguarding practice, and creating new opportunities for people to become involved in supporting families. He is passionate about making volunteering rewarding, accessible and meaningful, ensuring volunteers feel confident, valued and equipped to have a lasting impact.

Leon is a Fellow of the Institute of Training and Occupational Learning (ITOL) and enjoys designing engaging training that combines evidence-based practice with practical, interactive learning. He believes that when volunteers and staff are supported to grow, families receive the very best support.

Away from work, Leon enjoys spending time outdoors with his family, exploring Wales’ historic places and countryside, and playing traditional British folk music on the guitar.

Terri Jones Regional Operations Manager

Terri has been dedicated to Home Start Cymru for the past 11 years, including active involvement through the merger process. During this time, she has worked in Gwent, South East Wales, and most recently developed new connections across West Wales to deliver the central Rainbow volunteers project.

Through her experience, she has been able to demonstrate and show dedication to delivering high-quality support to the families we reach and work closely alongside volunteers and staff to achieve positive outcomes and make a difference in the communities together.

Izzabella James Policy and Public Affairs Manager

Izzie joined the organisation in 2021 as Home-Start Cymru’s Policy and Public Affairs Officer. Izzie leads on policy and influencing work for the organisation, finding key spaces for the voices of families to be highlighted and developing methods for positive change in the sector. Izzie has experience in a number of sectors, including education and the service industry. She is also passionate about equality, diversity and inclusion and has led several projects in her free time to challenge systematic inequality.

Daniel Broderick PR & Communications Manager

Dan is PR and Communications Manager at Home-Start Cymru, leading the charity’s national communications, media relations, campaigns and digital strategy across Wales. He works to strengthen the charity’s profile and reputation, grow volunteer recruitment and amplify the voices and experiences of families through impactful storytelling and strategic communications.

Before joining Home-Start Cymru, Dan held communications roles across the third sector, including at Learning Disability Wales and the MS Society Cymru, developing extensive experience in strategic communications, media relations, public affairs and stakeholder engagement.

Dan is an Accredited Member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) and holds a Postgraduate Diploma with Distinction in International Public Relations and Communications Management from Cardiff University.

Sian Dorward Development Manager

Sian began her career in 2002 as an administrator with the British Red Cross during a summer break from university, an experience that sparked a lifelong commitment to the charity sector. Since then, she has worked across a wide range of organisations, including Marie Curie Cancer Care, the British Heart Foundation, the MS Society, and numerous small and medium-sized charities, primarily in fundraising roles. Sian also spent three years working in Australia on a sponsored work visa, supporting health organisations.

Her fundraising experience is broad, spanning community and events fundraising, corporate partnerships, major donors, legacy and memorial giving, and the support of volunteer fundraising groups. Sian’s particular specialism and passion lie in Trusts and Foundations fundraising, where she enjoys building strong relationships with funders and working collaboratively to achieve meaningful, shared impact.

Bethan Williams Locality Manager – North and Powys Region

Bethan started her Home-Start journey with the Denbighshire scheme back in 2013, before becoming an employee of Home-Start Cymru six years later.

She joined Denbighshire Home-Start as a Family Organiser, and is now the Locality Manager for the North and Powys, covering the counties of Anglesey, Denbighshire and the aforementioned Powys. She leads a team of coordinators as well as managing a caseload of families. She enjoys building relationships with our volunteers, our referrers, and the different networking groups she attends. Bethan also takes advantage of all opportunities for volunteer recruitment.

Prior to joining Home-Start Cymru, Bethan worked as a teacher both home and abroad for a few years, before becoming an Educationalist for the Fire Service. Working with children in an educational setting, Bethan saw the effect a child’s home life had on their participation in class. When the opportunity came for her to be able to join Home-Start she jumped at the chance, and feels very privileged to have been allowed into so many families’ lives to support them during their difficult times.

As a person who likes to keep busy when not at work, she volunteers for a few organisations, enjoys new challenges, and delights in being in the company of family and friends

Joanne Ford Locality Manager - RCT and Merthyr

Jo has been dedicated to Home-Start for the past 19 years, including active involvement through the merger process. Premerger, Jo worked across Gwent region supporting families in their homes or at groups and was also responsible for recruiting and training volunteers.

Jo now manages staff and a team of volunteers who provide emotional and practical support to families across Rhondda Cynon Taff and Merthyr.

Aaron Harvey-Knowles Project Manager for the Supporting People Team in Caerphilly

Aaron Harvey-Knowles is the Project Manager for the Supporting People Team in Caerphilly. With a strong commitment to helping families thrive, he has also been a foster carer for more than a decade. Aaron is married and enjoys photography and gardening in his spare time, combining his passion for people with a love of the outdoors and creativity.

Rebecca Webber Project Manager for Gwent

Hi I'm Becky and I am project manager for Gwent region. I have been working for Home start Cymru for 5 years, before this I was a volunteer through the pandemic.

I have supported many families and children across Gwent and am very privileged to work with each and everyone of them. I've met so many wonderful people throughout my journey and feel very passionate about spreading the great work we do across Wales. Helping parents see the light at the end of the tunnel and supporting them to get there is so important to me - being a mum myself has brought me so much experience and the confidence to share the difficulties and joys parenting brings!

Rachel Pilling Project Manager for Pembrokeshire

I'm Rach Pilling, Project Manager for Pembrokeshire at Home-Start Cymru. As someone whose family is from Pembrokeshire, I feel incredibly proud to work in a place that means so much to me. Before joining the team, I volunteered with Home-Start Cymru for two and a half years over 12 years ago, so returning to the organisation feels like coming full circle. I love working for an organisation whose values align with my own and being part of a team that supports families and strengthens local communities.

Outside of work, I'm a proud mum to three daughters and love spending time with my family and friends. Home is never quiet either – our family menagerie includes everything from dogs to leopard geckos and frogs, so there's rarely a dull moment!

Kathryn Thomas Family Support Coordinator Swansea

With 15 years' experience in primary education, I'm passionate about supporting children and families to thrive. I have two teenage children of my own and understand the joys and challenges of family life. Outside of work, I love spending time at my caravan, and I'm committed to delivering high-quality support to families across Swansea.

Alfio Bonanno HR/Payroll Manager

Alfio leads on all of Home-Start Cymru's HR and people functions, and provides operational support on compliance, recruitment, volunteer management, and organisational development. With around seven years' experience across all HR functions in the third sector, Alfio is passionate about the sector's role in supporting and shaping our communities, and holds a Master's degree in Human Resource Management alongside CIPD membership at Level 7. Originally from Sicily and now based in Cardiff, Alfio speaks Italian, English, Portuguese and Sicilian, with a working knowledge of French and Spanish. Outside of work, he's an enthusiastic programmer and data scientist with a keen interest in agentic AI.

Our trustees

Home-Start Cymru has a varied Board of Trustees who oversee the management and strategic development of the scheme.

Jonathan Richards

Jonathan came to Wales in 1973 to train as a doctor and worked as a general practitioner in Merthyr Tydfil from 1981 to 2015. He was Clinical Director for the Cynon Valley at Cwm Taf University Health Board from 2010 to 2016, where he supported the Third Sector, integrated health and social care, and focused on quality and safeguarding. In the late 1990s, he served as Vice-Chair of the Diabetes UK Cymru Advisory Group. Since 1997, he has been an External Professor of Primary Care at the University of South Wales (Glyntaff).

Jonathan has long held a special interest in the links between health and poverty, an area that began receiving wider research attention in the mid-1990s. Hearing Professor Sir Michael Marmot speak in 2012 reinforced his belief that behaviours increasing health risks should not be seen as stigmatising, but as understandable responses to circumstances. His years in general practice deepened his understanding of the complex relationships between health determinants, behaviour, culture, resilience, and the importance of meeting people where they are—supporting them in ways that enable meaningful choices and positive change.

He is proud of the progress made at Home-Start Cymru, thanks to the dedication of its volunteers, the expertise of its staff, and the leadership of its Senior Team. The Board of Trustees provides valuable experience that guides the organisation’s vision and strategy. Home-Start Cymru focuses on addressing the root causes of the challenges faced by families and young children in Wales today. Jonathan sees it as a privilege to draw on his background in the NHS, health and social care, and the research and innovation sector to work alongside others in building a healthier, more resilient Wales.

Carol Ravenscroft

Carol Ravenscroft was appointed Treasurer of Home-Start Cymru in January 2020.

She is a retired Charity Finance Director, having worked for Drive, a charity supporting people with learning disabilities, for 18 years. Carol brings over 30 years of experience in financial management and strategy across both the public and third sectors.

She is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA) and continues to contribute her expertise to Home-Start Cymru’s governance and financial stewardship.

Sian Taylor Trustee

After a 40+ year career working for the NHS, I am now retired. I moved to Swansea in 2022, and shortly after began volunteer training. I joined the board of trustees a couple of years later.

In addition to being a Homestart volunteer and Trustee I enjoy spending time running (I have completed two half marathons), travelling and hillwalking. I have two adult children, and a small grandchild who reminds me of the realities of life with small people.

Much of my working life was spent supporting families, and it was through this that I became aware of the role that Homestart could play in this critical time. I have now been supporting families as a volunteer family supporter for three years. I became aware of the need for additional trustees at a volunteer event, and I think that the experience of volunteering has complimented my role as a trustee, giving me a perspective on some of the challenges faced by both the families we support and our volunteers.

Its difficult to define my most successful achievement - I hope to look back on a life that was well spent, and that I made a difference where I could.

Helen Howson

Helen is the Director of the Bevan Commission and the Bevan Commission Academy. She has played a lead role in the establishment of the Commission and in its challenging work programme, particularly Prudent Healthcare.

Helen was instrumental in establishing the Bevan Academy, Bevan Innovators and transformation programmes, helping to drive its thinking into practice.

She was previously a Public Health Consultant with Public Health Wales and has led a major Ministerial review of health improvement interventions across Wales.

Prior to this Helen held a number of senior positions within Welsh Government Health Policy and Strategy, latterly heading up the Primary and Community Health Strategy Unit.

Helen has worked as an advisor with the World Health Organisation and also advised Russian, Spanish, New Zealand and other Governments on health policy.

Helen taught for a number of years on the WHO masters at Karolinska University in Sweden and at Bristol University as Director of a post-graduate Leadership programme for clinicians.

Ruth Sinfield

Ruth Sinfield has spent her career in social care, mainly in the statutory sector while maintaining strong links with the voluntary sector.

She qualified as a social worker in the 1970s and progressed through management to senior level. Later in her career, she returned to practice, focusing predominantly on children’s services. Alongside her statutory roles, she worked in partnership with Home-Start for many years, commissioning services and championing early prevention.

Upon retirement, Ruth was invited to join the local Home-Start management board in Monmouthshire. She became Chair shortly before the merger that created Home-Start Cymru, playing a key role in leading Monmouthshire through this transition and shaping the new organisation.

Over the course of her career, Ruth has taken the lead in developing a range of care models, from domiciliary services to residential and day care. She is particularly proud of leading the team that won a national award for services to disabled children. Now semi-retired, she continues to take an active interest in supporting vulnerable children and families, bringing her wealth of experience to Home-Start Cymru’s vision and work.

Ann Williams

Ann qualified as a social worker and spent nearly forty years working in Local Authorities in Wales – firstly in a Children’s Department and then in Social Services Departments working with the elderly, people with disabilities and across mental health services as well as with children and their families.

She then moved on into managerial positions in children’s services where prior to retirement she spent ten years as Head of Children’s Services in a Local Authority.

Following retirement, she became an independent member of a Police Authority leading on Public Protection, worked part time in the voluntary sector for Children in Wales and chaired two Local Authority Adoption Panels, one of which she still chairs.

She has been a trustee with Home-Start since she retired – chairing Home-Start Carmarthen–Llanelli for thirteen years and then continuing as chair of the merged Home-Start Carmarthenshire prior to becoming a board member of Home-Start Cymru. She is also a trustee of a local domestic abuse services charity.