DANDELION TIME - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Director of Therapy & Training
A founding member of Dandelion Time, Carol has 40 years experience supporting families. She is an experienced counsellor with an extensive nursing and health visiting background. She has a passion for bringing families together within the setting of the natural world. Carol works to enable families to forge new and positive experiences and relationships. Carol also leads the Dandelion Time Training Courses
As a former local GP, Caroline has a strong commitment to improving the health and emotional wellbeing of children by supporting families & promoting healthy behaviour. She founded Dandelion Time in order to offer children something more engaging & holistic to address their problems. She is also chair of the Kent Nature Partnership and trustee for Kent Wildlife Trust and the Wealden Literary Festival.
Dr. Lesley Hanney is a Consultant Systemic Family Psychotherapist registered with United Kingdom Council Psychotherapist (UKCP) and the Association of Family Therapy (AFT) with over 25 years' experience in the area of Child and Adolescent Mental Health services, both in the private and public sector. She also trained in Art Psychotherapy and is an AFT Registered Systemic Family Psychotherapy supervisor.
Lesley has a specialist interest in the impact of adverse childhood experiences on children's neuro development, attachment and developmental trauma, having published several articles in this area and provides consultation to fostering agencies and Local Authorities in this area.
Job Titles:
- Chartered Accountant
- Trustee
Gilly is a chartered accountant with extensive auditing experience. She joined the NHS as a finance manager & then became finance director of a healthcare company, leading its growth from a small to major provider to the NHS.
She is committed to serving the local community and has served as a Trustee of Crossroads and Guideposts, both charities which help people with complex care needs.
Helen has previously attended Dandelion Time to support a family member. She is now very honoured to be a Trustee, & to be able to use her first-hand experiences to guide the development & expansion of the charity. Helen also runs a construction company & is a member of her Parish Council. In her spare time, she enjoys paddle boarding & walking her dog.
Job Titles:
- Patron / Author and Journalist, Isabel Hardman, Has Been a Patron of Dandelion Time since 2021.
She is assistant editor of the Spectator and presenter of Radio 4's Week in Westminster. Her book, The Natural Health Service, highlights the enormous benefits of spending time in the great outdoors and how fresh air and activity has helped transform her life.
"I am honoured & delighted to become patron of Dandelion Time. Since 2003, the charity has transformed the lives of hundreds of children and families, providing support and comfort during their bleakest moments. Dandelion Time's nurturing environment allows children to build self-belief, strengthen relationships and develop the skills and aspirations for a brighter future. Connection with the natural world is a key component with Dandelion Time's approach supporting families to heal and recover and something I feel so passionate about. I can't wait to work with Dandelion Time to help raise awareness of their remarkable work."
Job Titles:
- Company Secretary
- Director of Finance
- Founding Member
A founding member of Dandelion Time, Jane is responsible for finance, regulatory compliance and manages income generation from Statutory Commissioning and Trusts and Foundations. After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers she has worked for 25 years in the charity sector for both operating and grant making charities. Jane holds a Diploma in Charity Accounting.
Karthik is a technology entrepreneur. He founded Twenty19, an internet platform, which pioneered internships & online courses for indian college students in India.
He believes that every child deserves a real opportunity at life. That led to him co-founding the non-profit organisation Deepam in Chennai, India. He enjoys playing sports - running marathons or playing cricket for his club during the weekends.
Job Titles:
- Director of Fundraising and PR
Kate joined the Dandelion Time team in September 2022, just a couple of weeks ahead of the charity's beloved alpacas.
She is an experienced fundraising professional having led Fundraising Teams within local, regional, and national charities. Passionate about helping others from a young age, Kate is delighted to lead the "small but mighty" Fundraising and PR teams at Dandelion Time. When not dreaming up her next fundraising idea, Kate can be found baking up a storm in the kitchen or walking her wayward cockapoo in the beautiful Kent countryside.
Responsible for the day-to-day running of the organisation, Paul is a recent addition to Dandelion Time. Paul spent 22 years as a Navigator in the Royal Air Force before moving to Kent to become a primary school teacher. Never happier than when outdoors, he remains an enthusiastic Forest School leader, bushcraft instructor and sports coach.
Philippa worked as a software and management consultant at Deltek and Clarasys. She supported organisations to make better use of their data, improve efficiency and profitability. Currently she is an account manager at Amazon Web Services (AWS), supporting customers to grow and scale their business, leveraging the technology of AWS and partners.
She has been an ambassador for AWS GetIT. A programme designed to inspire and support 12-14 year olds to consider a future in STEM, which has led to look for further opportunities to support children and families.
Simon Norman worked as a technology product manager & management consultant at PA Consulting, Deloitte, QVC, and then architecture firm Spacelab before becoming a software engineer. He has carried out a number of roles in technology including programme planning, cost management, business and software architecture design. His interest in finding innovative solutions to the endemic deprivation in the UK led him to Dandelion Time.
Michael Morpurgo is one of Britain's best-loved story makers. We were honored to have Michael write the forward for our book ‘The Fields that Heal', written by John Hunter which tells the story of how Dandelion Time came to be.
"When, in 2013, I was invited by Dr Caroline to become a Patron of Dandelion Time I was immediately struck by her warmth and enthusiasm. I instinctively felt in tune with the aims of the charity and the hugely important work it was doing. Dandelion Time chimed so perfectly with the work Clare and I had been doing with groups of inner-city children since 1976. The wonderful team of staff and volunteers working with Dandelion Time shine a ray of hope that the world we will find when we come through will be a kinder, better and greener one."
Paul Carter was elected to Kent County Council in 1997 & was the Leader of the Council from October 2005 to October 2019. Paul has been the Chairman of the County Council's Network & sat on the LGA Leadership Board. Paul has been a successful entrepreneur, having established & run a number of businesses in Central London, primarily in construction, property and retail.