Our Trustees

Vanessa Stirum joined Home-Start as a trustee in 2016. She worked in the Probation Service for 25 years and has been working as a Family Mediator across West and South Yorkshire for the past 10 years.

This has been combined with non-executive roles in the NHS stretching back to 1992, her most recent being a lay member of greater Huddersfield GP Commissioning Group. This gives her a good understanding of the current funding landscape.

On a personal level Vanessa is married and lives in Almondbury with her husband. All her children are grown up and she now has three grandchildren who she is lucky enough to see on a regular basis which is keeping her very fit!

Vanessa believes Home Start Kirklees has a bright and exciting future thanks to the fantastic contribution made by staff, trustees, volunteers and families.

Julie has recently moved to Yorkshire with her husband Tony to be closer to her 2 grown up children after living in Lincolnshire for 20 years. Julie has lived abroad during her childhood and married life with the RAF and has lived in various communities in the UK. Julie continues to work for Lincolnshire County Council on a part-time basis as part of her retirement plan at management level. Julie has run her own business and has also worked in the private and voluntary sector.

Her career within Children’s Services spans over 20 years where she has worked with schools, the childcare sector and partners to develop high quality sustainable provision. Julie was part of the management team responsible for the development of Lincolnshire’s Sure Start Children’s Centres, building sufficient childcare infrastructure and implementing the Extended Schools Programme. Julie has experience of funding, premises, marketing, data systems and is passionate about partnerships and collaboration.

Having previously worked with Home Start in another area, Julie saw first-hand the amazing work and the impact it had on families and young children.  She wanted to put her time and skills to a trustee role and is delighted and proud to be a part of the Home-Start Kirklees team.

Julie enjoys travelling, the sun, swimming, rugby, pubs and quizzing. She also loves a project.

Kieran is the Group Sales and Marketing Director for Redcentric, a Yorkshire based IT Services company supporting 2,000+ Public Sector and Commercial clients across the UK. With over 40 years’ experience in the telecoms and IT services industry Kieran brings with him a knowledge and experience of how to transform business performance through the use of IT. Starting his career in Leeds as a BT apprentice he is passionate about creating opportunities in the IT industry for young people who have chosen not to attend university. He is especially keen to provide opportunities for those who have chosen a career in sport and who eventually retire and seek opportunities in the world of business. Working with Leeds City College and Leeds Rhinos, he has established an apprenticeship scheme that provides apprenticeships within Redcentric for athletes across multiple teams including netball, wheelchair rugby, mens and womens rugby. Growing up in Harehills, Leeds he is a keen sports fan supporting both Leeds United and especially Leeds Rhinos who he follows both home and away. Kieran is also a trustee of a Leeds based charity that supports children and their families impacted by congenital heart disease.

Pegah brings a wealth of experience to our charity as a Business Director with over 20 years of international expertise. Her diverse background spans public, private, charitable, and startup sectors, giving her a unique perspective on organisational challenges and opportunities. With a proven track record of leading transformational change across complex organisations and multiple regions, Pegah's strategic insights are invaluable in helping our charity adapt and grow to better serve our families.  

Pegah enjoys travelling, painting, and playing tennis. 

Having spent over 25 years as a family law solicitor specialising in helping victims of domestic abuse and those with issues involving their children Helen is delighted to now join the board of trustees at Home-Start Kirklees.

As a mother of two children Helen knows the challenges that parenthood can bring to many families and she is looking forward to now using her skills to help those who require the assistance of Home-Start.

Helen also has a keen interest in fundraising having being part of committees arranging events to raise funds for many local charities. The work that the volunteers and staff of Home-Start do on a daily basis is wonderful and she cannot wait to get actively involved with the board. 

David has lived in the Holme Valley for over 50 years.  He is married with two grown sons.  He has been a director of several companies with over 30 years’ experience at board level in both the public and private sectors.  His career took him all over the world working for a large international consultancy and other international organizations such as the UN, USAID and the European Commission.  He has significant experience both in the UK and abroad of improving business systems' economy, efficiency and effectiveness and can demonstrate making savings in excess of £30 million per annum.  He joined Home-Start in 2016 as our Treasurer but has transitioned into the role of Deputy Chair.

Karl is married to Ally, with three daughters, three step-sons and two grand-children. 

He has worked in a variety of industries. After training as a craftsman way back in the late 1970s, Karl became a supervisor and then qualified as an engineer, before moving into a number of senior management positions. Diverse roles have enabled Karl to gain skills in lean manufacturing; continuous improvement; risk and safety management in high hazard environments; construction contract management - all the while developing people skills through supervising, managing, leading, coaching and mentoring. 

Alongside core responsibilities Karl has enjoyed sponsoring LGBT forums, Women in the Organisation, and piloting the introduction of a reverse mentoring scheme for executives and senior managers, promoting awareness of creating an inclusive work environment.

Outside of work, Karl is a big rugby fan, ex-player and now ex-coach. He particularly enjoys DIY and the outdoors, is a frustrated golfer and is keen to spend more time traveling and sea-fishing.

Andrew is a Yorkshireman at heart.  Born and raised in Ilkley, he moved to Huddersfield in 2008.  After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant, he has worked for various SMEs throughout Yorkshire, progressing to board level in 2015.  He has significant experience within the private sector roles working in a wide range of industries from residential, commercial and industrial property to wholesale.  Andrew is currently employed as the Financial Director for a Huddersfield based company and joined Home-Start in 2023.