Our Board
The FordHaven Board of Directors is a group of committed leaders who provide guidance, oversight, and strategic direction to the organisation. With a wealth of experience across various sectors, they bring a mix of knowledge, skills, and perspectives that help ensure our services remain effective, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of children, young people, and families.
The profiles below showcase each director, their background, and the unique expertise they contribute to steering FordHaven’s mission forward..
Roxie Ford
Director & DSL
Roxie is the heart behind FordHaven’s nurturing and inclusive approach. A mother herself and with over a decade of fostering experience, she has developed a deep understanding of the diverse needs of children and young people. Roxie’s compassion, creativity, and insight have been key in shaping FordHaven into a safe and supportive space where children can thrive.
Roxie is a dedicated and resilient professional whose career spans finance and customer service, having worked in these sectors since her mid-teens. Overcoming a challenging school experience, she pursued her education as an adult learner, gaining the knowledge and qualifications that underpin her expertise today. Her combination of real-world experience and self-driven learning has equipped her with strong problem-solving, communication, and organisational skills, making her adaptable and effective in a range of professional settings.
Her own upbringing and life experiences have given her a strong sense of empathy and resilience, inspiring her commitment to ensuring every child feels seen, heard, and valued. Roxie is passionate about creating opportunities for children to build confidence, experience joy, and realise their full potential through positive, meaningful connections.
Paul Ford
Director
Paul brings warmth, stability, and a wealth of experience to FordHaven. With more than ten years of fostering experience alongside Roxie, he has developed a deep understanding of the challenges and triumphs that children and families face. His practical mindset and calm, caring nature help create an environment where young people feel safe, supported, and empowered.
In addition to fostering, Paul has extensive experience working in children’s residential settings, supporting young people with significant needs and complex challenges. Through this work, he has gained a vast depth of knowledge and has become a well-respected professional in the field, recognised for his patient, consistent approach and ability to connect with even the most vulnerable children.
Paul’s background and upbringing have shaped his down-to-earth and compassionate approach to supporting others. Combined with Roxie’s vision, his insight and dedication strengthen FordHaven’s mission to provide a much-needed community resource in Somerset, one that champions the wellbeing and potential of every child and young person.
Donna Paul
Director
Donna is a warm, community-minded individual who brings a friendly and approachable energy to everything she does. A mother of two, she has years of experience working with children, including in playgroups, where she discovered a passion for helping little ones learn, play, and grow.
Actively involved in community and charity events over the years, Donna thrives on face-to-face communication and believes genuine connection is at the heart of strong communities.
At FordHaven, she hopes to bring her enthusiasm and people skills to create a welcoming, inclusive environment for families, while also supporting the board to ensure the team feels encouraged and valued as they continue their vital work.
Hazel Degregorio
Director
Hazel is a vibrant and community-minded individual from Glastonbury with a rich background spanning retail, engineering, marketing, and accounting. After becoming an advocate for her child with ASD, she developed a deep passion for supporting individuals with special educational needs. Alongside her professional work as a bookkeeper for Children’s World Charity, Hazel plays key roles in several community organisations, including Festive Lizards Ltd, Glastonbury Chilkwell Guy Fawkes Carnival Committee, and FordHaven CIC.
At FordHaven, Hazel hopes to use her experience in community coordination, charity governance, and inclusive practice to help strengthen the organisation’s structure and sustainability. She is particularly passionate about ensuring FordHaven continues to grow as a supportive, creative, and welcoming space for children, young people, and families.
Patricia Roche
Associate Director
Having spent her working life managing voluntary organisations and leading community development projects, Patricia had been looking forward to a quiet retirement. However, just three weeks after sending her final work email, she attended FordHaven’s very first open day and was so inspired by the team’s warmth, vision, and commitment to families that she couldn’t resist getting involved.
Since then, she has played a key role in supporting FordHaven through developing policies, shaping plans, and seeking grant funding to help the organisation grow and thrive. She finds it incredibly rewarding to see the care, creativity, and compassion that go into every session and to know that her experience contributes to the team’s important work.
As a member of the Steering Group, Patricia aims to continue using her background and knowledge to strengthen FordHaven’s foundations and open up even more opportunities for children and young people. She believes the work FordHaven does is truly life-enhancing—helping children make memories that enrich their lives, build confidence, and support them in finding their place in the world. Being part of that journey feels both meaningful and deeply worthwhile to her.
Lydia Woodward
Associate Director
Lydia is a mother and grandmother of people with SEND and very aware of the longstanding struggles of parents and their children and young people to have their needs met appropriately to enable them to achieve happiness and their best life outcomes. She has been retired for 4 years but has 30 years of experience of leading service improvements in the NHS, both in GP practices and hospitals. The last 5 years of her working life was as Head of Women and Children's Commissioning in NHS Somerset, working with health providers; social services; education services and with other partners such as the government funded Somerset Parent Carer Forum. She has been a member of the Somerset SEND Board; CYP Safeguarding Board; the Youth Justice Board; and the Somerset Community Partnership. She is also familiar with coproduction and development of new or improved services and their specifications; applications for funding; and project delivery plans.
Lydia hopes to be useful in developing the structures and processes of FordHaven so it can achieve its ambition to improve the lives of children and young people, particularly those with SEND and fragile social, emotional and mental health. She is happy to be 'hands on' in FordHaven services when needed and to help in any way she can alongside her busy retirement!
Our Team
Our team at FordHaven is made up of dedicated volunteers and compassionate team members who share a deep commitment to supporting children, young people, and families. Each member brings valuable skills, experience, and a genuine passion for making a positive difference. Together, we create a warm, inclusive, and supportive environment where everyone feels valued, understood, and encouraged to thrive.
Below are the individual profiles, highlighting their roles, experience, and the unique contributions they bring to FordHaven.
Gemma Button
CYP Operations Co-Ordinator
Gemma brings over a decade of experience supporting children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities (PMLD). Her rich background spans education, performing arts, residential care, and community wellbeing, including management roles within residential, short break, and play settings. She also delivers therapeutic assessments and creative interventions, using movement, art, and play to promote emotional regulation, communication, and connection.
At FordHaven, Gemma hopes to bring a creative, inclusive, and trauma-informed approach that celebrates each child’s individuality and supports families to feel understood and empowered. She is passionate about integrating the arts within holistic practice to make emotional support accessible and meaningful for people of all abilities. Looking ahead, she aims to continue developing creative, inclusive, and therapeutically informed support that nurtures belonging, safety, and growth across the FordHaven community.
Jade Abbott
CYP Team Member
Jade has a background in counselling and supporting young people in both school and residential settings, as well as experience working with individuals with learning disabilities. She's passionate about helping young people feel understood, valued, and supported as they grow and overcome challenges.
At FordHaven, she's excited to be part of a caring community that encourages every individual to reach their potential and feel a true sense of belonging. As a care leaver, she's passionate about supporting young people to feel understood, valued, and confident as they take their next steps into independence.
Her own experience with the Care Leavers Service as a young person has inspired her to help others build self-belief and a sense of belonging. She's really looking forward to being part of FordHaven and bringing empathy, encouragement, and understanding to the young people she’ll be working with.
Amy D'Arcy
CYP Team Member
Amy has a strong background supporting children and young people with SEN and additional needs across a variety of settings, including respite homes, a local specialist school, contact centres, and roles assisting older young people with their transition into work. This experience has equipped her with a broad understanding of the different challenges young people can face and the skills to provide thoughtful, personalised support.
At FordHaven, Amy brings enthusiasm, a sense of fun and excitement, alongside sensitivity and the ability to build meaningful connections. She aims to be someone young people and their families feel they can turn to—someone they can talk to, rely on, and feel truly understood by whenever needed.
Amy is excited to grow and develop alongside FordHaven as the organisation continues to evolve. She looks forward to becoming a dependable and established member of the team, contributing to FordHaven’s important and ongoing journey, and helping to create an environment where every child and family feels supported, valued, and empowered to thrive.
Natalie Bullock
CYP Team Member
Natalie has worked within the volunteer sector for a number of years, gaining valuable experience supporting children and their families in a variety of settings. As a mother herself, she understands the importance of creating opportunities for families to spend meaningful time together—time that is free from expectations and focused purely on fun, connection, and shared experiences.
She takes great delight in seeing children feel free to be themselves and thrives on supporting them to explore, be creative, and embrace new challenges. Natalie is committed to providing a safe and nurturing space where every child can feel confident to express themselves, try new things, and grow at their own pace.
She hopes to support FordHaven and its aims by helping the organisation provide inclusive, empowering, and joyful experiences for all children and families. She believes that every child deserves to be noticed, praised, and championed, and she works with dedication to ensure that each young person she meets feels valued, understood, and celebrated for who they are.
Lisa Rigg
Volunteer
Lisa brings a wealth of knowledge and compassion to FordHaven through her background as an Educational Psychologist. With many years of experience supporting children, young people, and families across a range of educational and community settings, Lisa has developed a deep understanding of how different environments and relationships can shape a child’s learning, confidence, and emotional wellbeing.
Her professional work has focused on helping children thrive, whether through supporting schools to be more inclusive, empowering parents to understand their child’s needs, or creating strategies that build resilience and self-belief.
As a volunteer at FordHaven, Lisa hopes to share her experience in a more hands-on, community-based way. She’s passionate about creating spaces where every child feels safe, understood, and valued for who they are. By being part of the FordHaven team, Lisa looks forward to contributing to its mission of nurturing positive experiences, meaningful connections, and opportunities for children and young people to flourish.
Sarah Boghurst
Volunteer
Sarah brings warmth, empathy, and a wealth of lived experience to her role at FordHaven. As a devoted mother & grandmother and a previous long-term carer to an autistic young person for over 13 years, Sarah has developed deep insight into the challenges and joys that come with supporting children with additional needs. Her journey has taught her the value of patience, adaptability, and unconditional understanding, qualities that shine through in all she does.
Alongside her caring role, Sarah has previously volunteered in youth clubs, where she enjoyed creating safe, welcoming spaces for young people to socialise, express themselves, and build confidence.
Through her volunteering with FordHaven, Sarah hopes to bring her compassion and practical experience to support both children and their families. She believes in the power of community, connection, and kindness, and is passionate about helping every child who comes through FordHaven’s doors feel accepted, valued, and encouraged to be their authentic self.
Vonnie Chaffey
Volunteer
Vonnie has a wealth of experience supporting children with Special Educational Needs (SEN), gained through both her personal and professional life. She is passionate about creating inclusive, nurturing environments where every child can thrive.
Over the past ten years, Vonnie has been a dedicated parent and carer, an experience that has deepened her understanding of children’s individual needs and the importance of fostering curiosity and creativity.
Before that, she worked across nursery, infant, and junior schools, as well as at the Children’s Centre in Shepton Mallet, gaining valuable experience in early years education and child development.
At FordHaven, Vonnie hopes to bring fresh, creative ideas to the team — inspiring children to explore, play, and learn through hands-on experiences. She’s especially excited to share her love of the outdoors, encouraging confidence, teamwork, and a sense of adventure in every child.
Charlotte Heath
Volunteer
Charlotte is a dedicated and compassionate volunteer at FordHaven, known for her caring nature, problem-solving skills, and exceptional ability to listen. She has a natural gift for connecting with people from all walks of life and brings enthusiasm and creativity to everything she does. A trained actor and dancer, Charlotte draws on her theatre and performance experience to engage, inspire, and support the children at FordHaven.
Whether working behind the scenes or directly with young people, Charlotte hopes to contribute wherever she is needed, believing wholeheartedly in the importance and value of the work FordHaven does. She is also a keen fundraiser, always ready to help the organisation continue its mission of supporting the community.
Bea Goldsmith
Student Team Member
Bea helps at FordHaven, assisting with holiday clubs and our youth club programme. She is passionate about giving back to her community and developing her skills through hands-on experience with children and young people. Bea focuses on supporting activities that encourage creativity, confidence, and connection for all participants.
Amber Winterson
Student Team Member
Amber supports FordHaven across holiday clubs and Home-Ed sessions. She is enthusiastic about gaining valuable experience working with children and young people while contributing to her local community. Amber enjoys helping create a fun, safe, and inclusive environment where every child can feel supported and valued.