Trustees & Project Leader
Rev. John Hellewell
Chair of Trustees
Jenny Lynn
Trustee
Mark Pattison
Trustees
Mark supports the work of the Centre and makes sure it is doing what it should be doing. He is also a volunteer and teach English.
Simon Bottomley
Trustees have the ultimate responsibility for what happens at the Centre, ensuring it is solvent, well-run, and delivering the charitable outcomes. The Treasurer Trustee assists the Chair and Secretary in ensuring the smooth running of the centre along with the rest of the Board of Trustees.
Sara Robinson
Trustee
Sara Robinson oversees the fundraising for St Augustine's Centre, helping to source the income required to deliver our services and support to the people who need it most. She ensures we regularly apply to Trusts and Foundations, and encourage donations large or small.
Sara works in the cultural sector as a Producer, Consultant and Coach. Clients include Manchester International Festival, B&AEquals, Clore Leadership Programme, The Performance Ensemble, Leeds 2023, Streetwise Opera, Bronte Society.
Andrew Jones
Trustee
Operations Team
Denise Keenan
Centre Champion & Founder of St. Augustine's Centre
Denise is the Founder of St. Augustine’s Centre, and now volunteers with us on Reception. She can help with anything you need!
David Potter
Care Taker
David is the caretaker for St Augustine’s Centre. He joined the centre in November 2012 and is responsible for the maintenance and operation of the both buildings i.e. the centre is opened for business when required.
Laura Hinks
Communications and Engagement Coordinator
Laura joined the St Augustine’s team in October 2016 as Office Administrator supporting the team in the office with administration, finance and business needs. Laura has experience in delivering various projects and events, most recently as Office Manager and Project Coordinator for Marketing Halifax. Her studies and extensive employment background have allowed her to take on some really exciting opportunities within the arts, community and educational environments which in turn led to her travelling & teaching English abroad in Australia and South Korea. She loves being a part of the St. Augustine’s family and now looks after Communications and Engagement. Laura is currently on Maternity Leave.
Paula Mitchell
Paula began as cleaner at St Augustine’s in 2012. Paula is a very dedicated member of staff and ensures that the Community Building, Nursery and Support building are kept tidy, clean and safe for everyone to enjoy.
Kirstie Rowe
Finance Administrator
Nia Jackson-Owens
Office Administrator
Support Team
Becky Hellewell
Welcome Programme Coordinator
Becky coordinates the Welcome Programme, providing advice and ongoing practical and emotional support. As our Senior Caseworker she supports many of the people who come to the Centre seeking help, and also coordinates the volunteers during our Advice Drop-in's.
Sue Degnan
Employability Project Coordinator
Sue joined the team at St Augustine’s Centre in May 2015, after having had a very varied career. She oversees the Job Search Drop Ins, ESOL classes, and other more vocational training courses, and supports the volunteers who run these classes. Sue and her team of volunteers aim to encourage centre users to integrate fully into UK life through education, training, volunteering and employment. Sue is keen to see every person who comes to St Augustine’s not only survive in the UK, but thrive in the UK.
Nikki Clarke
Caseworker
Nursery Team
Karen Hammond
Nursery Manager
Karen is our Nursery Manager. She has a BA in Early Years with Early Years Professional Status and a Level 5 in Leadership and Management. She is also SENCO and Child Protection Officer for the Nursery. She has worked in the St Augustine's Nursery since 1991.
Her training in childcare started in 1989 with a City & Guilds course in Community Care and the Open University course ‘The Pre-school Child’. During her time at the Centre she continued with a Level 3 in Childcare and Education and in 1997 branched out into Adult Education, teaching Early Years and Childcare to others.
She is passionate about Early Years and feels her most important role is in helping children to enjoy learning and achieve as much as they possibly can.
Carmen Marson
Deputy Nursery Manager
Carmen Marson is a qualified Early Years Professional who joined the St. Augustine's Centre in 2014, working as our Deputy Nursery Manager leading the Nursery Staff Team in providing high quality care for the children and their families of the local area. She is committed to safeguarding and promoting the education and well-being of children at all times. She works closely alongside parents and other professionals, forming positive relationships with the intention of promoting and reinforcing children’s independence and self-esteem.
Erica Wilkinson
Early Years Practitioner
Erica is a qualified Early Years Practitioner who joined St Augustine’s Nursery in September 2005. She works with parents and other professionals, helping to provide the best care for the children who attend the nursery. She has two children of her own.
Our History
In 1968 St. Augustine’s Church began running a Pre school play group. They soon extended this to community lunches, ESOL classes and social activities in response to local need. The work grew over the years, and when Calderdale became a dispersal area for the asylum process in the early 2000s the outreach extended to people who needed help to settle into life in the UK.
St. Augustine’s Centre became an independent charity in 2009, and provision continues to expand. We are a community centre for anyone who needs help, advice or support, working along the values of community, sanctuary, nurture and respect. We welcome the vulnerable and care for all, regardless of faith, ethnicity, background or any other factors. People access support and advice in a warm and welcoming environment, and find community here.
Our Funders and Partners
We are immensely grateful to everyone who funds our work, in particular individual donors and grant-giving organisations.
We currently receive funds from the following places:
The Community Foundation For Calderdale is a philanthropic advisor to individual donors and businesses locally, a strategic grant making foundation and community leader.
Calderdale Council is the local area authority covering the district of Calderdale.
NACCOM is a national network of members preventing destitution amongst asylum seekers, refugees and other migrants.
Wilfred F Southall are a Quaker family trust set up in 1937, and our policies reflect the values of the Religious Society of Friends.
The Brelms Trust is a small Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), originally set up as a Charitable Trust in 2007, offering grants to a wide variety of charities and community projects.
Firstfruits are a grant making charity and is able to provide the funding for charities and organisations working with those families and individuals in desperate circumstances.
The Big Lottery Fund distribute millions of pounds of the National Lottery’s good cause money to community groups and charitable projects around the UK.
The SWC supports a wide range of charitable projects with an emphasis on social reform and tackling the root causes of social inequity.