About Home-Start
Home-
Who we are
Home-Start Bradford District supports families across Bradford District. We were formed in 1999 as Home-Start Bradford North with a single worker to address a local need for peer support around the Bradford Moor area and beyond. Since then we have grown to include 7 staff and over 50 volunteers, merging along the way with Home-Start Shipley to become Home-Start Bradford District.
Whilst being an independent charity, Home-Start Bradford District is part of the Home-Start UK network, who provide training, information, guidance and Quality Assurance to local Home-Starts across the country, ensuring consistent, good quality support for parents and children.
Helping families in Bradford since 1999
Families helped
Children supported
Volunteers
What we do
We train volunteers to provide support to families who need a little extra help with parenting skills, with their or their children’s wellbeing, or with practical household skills. Our volunteers visit families at home each week, run connecting families groups, and support via phone, working with each family to bring about the changes they want to see in their lives.
Our support is free, confidential, and non-judgmental. You choose whether to accept Home-Start support and can change your mind at any time. A volunteer will only visit at your invitation. We work with other agencies where necessary to provide comprehensive and connected care, but we will never share your information without permission.
Our volunteers are people from different backgrounds and vary in age. They are carefully selected for their friendliness, practical approach and understanding and will have all attended a rigorous course of preparation and background checks before starting support.
Our support is available across the Bradford District to families with children under the age of five.
“Home-Start raises self-confidence, improves social networks, reduces difficult behaviour on the part of the child and improves mental and physical health” – Every Child Matters Government Green Paper.
Case studies
A helping hand when it mattered most
At 35, Maxine found herself facing a chapter of life she hadn’t expected. With a lively four-year-old daughter and a ten-month-old baby boy to care...
Sabrina’s time volunteering with Home‑Start Bradford District
Today we want to take a moment to celebrate Sabrina’s time volunteering with Home‑Start Bradford District. Her dedication, kindness, and...
Celebrating our Home-Start Volunteer Farah – A Shining Light of Support and Empowerment
Farah has been a truly outstanding volunteer, bringing warmth, compassion, and practical support to a family who needed it most. When Mum first...
How Home-Start Bradford helped Nikki’s confidence grow
Life for mum of one, Nikki, 39 is a daily struggle as she lives with cerebral palsy and epilepsy. Because of her disability, Nikki lacked confidence...
Dad Matters made a big difference to me
Dad of one, Raza, 44, felt out of place as he was the only dad sat among all the expectant and new mums at the Maternity Circle that he attended...
I’m so glad Dad Matters helped me!
Dad of two, Alex, aged 41, was struggling to cope with his two young sons and felt like he was on the ‘outside of his life looking in’. He hasn’t...
Volunteer Preparation Course Monday 19 January 2026
Do you want to do something amazing? We are looking for new volunteers. If you would like to become a home-visiting volunteer supporting families...
Dad Matters Bradford were there for me when I needed help
First time Dad, Andy, 42 had hit ‘burnout’ stage when Dad Matters Bradford came into his life. Thanks to their support, Andy is gaining confidence...
Home-Start Bradford saved my mental health
While mum of two, Rachel, 23 was on maternity leave, she felt very isolated and was referred to Home-Start Bradford District through Family Action’s...
Our Team
Our staff team have a wealth of experience supporting families and volunteers, and in the wider charitable sector.
Our Family & Volunteer Coordinators are backed up by an Operations Manager, Systems Manager, Admin & Data Officer and Comms Officer.
Our Operations and Systems Managers, along with two Trustees, form our Senior Management Team who manage the charity on a week-to-week basis.
Christine Gaffey, Operations Manager
Christine has been with Home-Start Bradford District since 2003. Christine volunteered for four years with Victim Support & STAR Project (Surviving Trauma after Rape).
She worked with all age groups and supported them if they had been victim of a crime. She finds her Operations Manager role very enjoyable, rewarding and loves the challenges it brings.
Christine says, “We are a unique service that offers support to families within their own homes, our volunteers are fully training and have parental experience to support with practical & emotional issues on a weekly basis.”
Trudi Pattison, Family & Volunteer Coordinator
Trudi is one of our amazing Family & Volunteer Coordinators, having joined the team in May 2021 as Direct Support Worker for the Stronger Families project.
With a background in childcare, Trudi’s time as a Direct Support Worker was spent supporting families around routines and behaviour, managing transitions and any other aspect of child development. Now she’s supporting our wonderful volunteers to do the same.
Lisa Scott, Family & Volunteer Coordinator
Lisa joined the team as a Family & Volunteer Coordinator in March 2023.
Lisa says, “When I read the description for the role, I just instantly thought what a great rewarding role this would be! Supporting families and helping young children to get the best possible start in life, also bringing such positive change within the family. I wanted to be part of a team that would be making that difference and seeing great outcomes for the families.
Bringing up children and supporting them brings with it great achievement and challenges, so I would like to think all this experience as a parent will be something that I bring into this role and will be used in supporting families.”
Louise Gill, Dad Matters Coordinator
Louise joined the team as a Dad Matters Coordinator in November 2024.
Louise and Mohammed head up our Dad Matters work, supporting male and secondary carers across Bradford.
Mohammed Khan, Dad Matters Coordinator
Mohammed joined the team as a Dad Matters Coordinator in August 2024.
Mohammed and Louise head up our Dad Matters work, supporting male and secondary carers across Bradford.
Mohammed says, “I fully believe in this role, and that the attachment between a Dad and child is essential as this influences the child throughout life and adulthood. A Dad providing reassurance, connection and spending quality time with their child has a positive effect on confidence and other social connections. I am simply looking forward to supporting Dads in the best way according to their individual needs.”
Salema Khatoon, Office Manager
Salema joined the team in September 2018 and manages our office, administration and volunteer processes.
She says, “The Home-Start team of staff and volunteers are friendly, caring and non-judgemental. We are there if you need us – we want to help and support you in the way that is best for you and your needs. We are approachable and will always try our best.”
Ben Clymo, Systems Manager
Ben joined Home-Start Bradford District in August 2018 as Finance Officer, before taking on the role of Systems Manager in May 2019.
Ben also works and volunteers with a number of other charities in Bradford and Leeds, and has nearly 20 years’ experience of working in the charity sector. He is a Trustee of of a local foodbank, and has previously been a trustee for a youth work charity – as well as being a volunteer youth worker for 11 years. He volunteers as an operations team leader with a national faith, arts and justice festival.
Ben says, “Home-Start is a great service, which gets alongside families in their own homes to offer advice, support and a listening ear – it changes people’s lives.”
Ally Crawley, Comms and Media
Ally has been supporting the team with Comms and Media since 2018.
Ally runs her own communication and marketing business, as well as working with Better Start Bradford, who we partner with to deliver our Home Start Better Start project.
Our trustees
Our Trustees oversee the work of the charity and provide wise and supportive strategic leadership and accountability.
Susan Milner, Trustee, Chair / Safeguarding Lead
Susan has been a Trustee since 2016. Susan brings a wealth of skills thanks to her broad human resources and organisational change experience in financial services.
Susan says, “Joining Home-Start Bradford District has given me an opportunity to use my skills and experience in a different environment and to give something back.”
Susan became Acting Chair of Trustees in June 2022.
Chris Comey, Trustee
Chris joined as a Trustee in 2020, and jumped straight in at the deep end of virtual meetings and continual change. Chris manages Café West in Allerton and brings a wealth of logistical and planning experience to the board.
Karen Bodger, Trustee
Karen joined the Board of Trustees in May 2022 and brings a wealth of experience to Home-Start Bradford District from her previous role as a Quality Assurance Specialist for Home-Start UK.
Karen has worked for the voluntary sector for over 15 years in quality assurance, so understands what it takes to deliver an effective and successful charity. Her skills and experience help to ensure that our systems and processes continue to be of the highest standard.
Karen says,
I look forward to bring the learning from my roles within quality assurance, outcomes measurement, and governance, and I hope that my knowledge and skills in these areas will be useful to Home-Start Bradford. At the same time, as a mum to a young child, I would also like to bring my very current experience of parenting to the board. When we talk about ‘the juggle’ of parenting and the issues parents are facing now in the current climate – that’s very real to me and I can bring a family perspective to the board as well as my professional skills.
Louise Keith, Trustee, Data Protection Lead
Louise joined as a Trustee in January 2025. With a background in Data Protection law, Louise is our Data Protection Lead and is passionate about using her skills to benefit our work supporting families in Bradford.
David Fairclough, Trustee
David joined as a Trustee in May 2025. He has a history of working with vulnerable groups and statutory services in Bradford district, with focuses on immigration, education, safeguarding and children’s social care, and he’s excited to bring that experience to bear as a Trustee of Home-Start Bradford District.
Philip Fisher, Trustee
Philip joined as a Trustee in September 2025. With a background in fundraising roles in higher education across West Yorkshire, Philip believes in the power of family support to improve families’ lives, as well as being a driver to reducing social inequality. As a new parent, Philip is very aware of the challenges parenthood can bring and the vital role Home-Start Bradford District can play in reducing or facing those challenges.
Cassy Harrison, Safeguarding Adviser
Cassy joined the Board of Trustees in July 2022 and took on the role of Safeguarding Trustee. She stepped down as a Trustee in January 2025 but remains as our external Safeguarding Adviser.
Cassy has a background in social work, having been Consultant Safeguarding Lead on the UK COVID-19 enquiry, and Deputy and Safeguarding Lead on the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, as well as consulting for national charities and organisations.
Become a Home-Start Volunteer Today
Home-Start’s team of trained volunteers make sure a child’s early years count. By volunteering just a few hours each week you can transform the lives of young children and their parents in your community.
