Julie took on the role as our CEO in June 2024 with the aim of boosting HOLG’s profile and enlisting even greater support for our work from corporate partners and individual fundraisers. Based in our Rochester office, Julie leads the team to help continue our mission to ensure that families who need bereavement support in Kent and SE London know who we are and come to us for help.

Previously the Deputy CEO of British Wireless for the Blind fund where she worked for 15 years, she brings a wealth of experience and expertise across project management and business development.

Debbie was a founder member of the charity and served as a volunteer and Operational Trustee for HOLG for 19 years. In 2018 she was appointed full-time Clinical Lead. Debbie will be responsible for running a responsive and efficient service for children and families to help them cope with their bereavements as well as the day-to-day running of the charity. She comes with a background in children’s and adult nursing both in the acute sector and palliative care sector she also has a speciality in counselling.

Caroline is based in our office in Rochester and helps provide smooth day to day running of the office. She works closely with our Clinical Lead to ensure the Charity runs effectively and that all families who contact us are dealt with sensitively and efficiently. Caroline has worked with the Charity since 2011.

Emily joined us in January 2018 as our Children & Families clinical specialist.
She is responsible for our telephone assessment calls with families once they have been invited to a support weekend. Emily carries out one-to-one pre and post-bereavement support in person and virtually as well as running activities at our bereavement support weekends too. She works closely with and supports our clinical lead in providing training to our volunteers and external agencies. Emily has a background working in schools and as a bereavement counsellor with two local charities.

Dawn joined us as Parent/Carer Facilitator in May 2021, but has been involved with HOLG since 2013, working alongside children on our Bereavement Support weekends or helping to facilitate the Parent/Carer group. Dawn’s background was originally in nursing and she has performed many roles including as a health visitor and palliative care specialist nurse. A trained counsellor, Dawn is the ideal person to develop the services we provide for the parents and carers whose children are referred to us, both as part of a group or for more tailored one-to-one support.

After volunteering at our bereavement support weekends for 10 years, Kim joined us in 2026 as a Fundraising Officer.

She has enjoyed a varied career in retail and corporate finance, policing, childcare and specialist trauma counselling, and continues to support young children affected by crime.

Having seen the positive impact HOLG has on families, Kim is passionate about raising the vital funds needed to continue this work. Her personal experience of bereavement and professional understanding of grief give her a deep commitment to helping children and families access support when they need it most.

Brian owns and runs Downton & Ali Associates based in Dartford and brings to HOLG, his financial experience and advice but also his amazing fundraising too.

He takes part in regular endurance challenges from running to cycling, organises a huge ball every spring and is a regular at our events too. Brian and his company have raised thousands for us over the years – when he’s not raising money for us, he’s championing us to let others know who we are and what we do.

As Business and Pathway Lead for Childrens’ Services for Medway Community Health, Sheena has been aware of HOLG for many years and is a great believer in the support we offer young people. She brings a huge amount of knowledge and skills to HOLG, having worked in social care with children, specifically around emotional wellbeing since 1991. Sheena has also been a trustee for Stoneham Housing, Homestart Medway and Homestart UK, as well as a governor at Tavistock & Portman NHS Trust. Since becoming a HOLG trustee in November 2021, she says she loves the commitment of the team and our mission.

Anita first became aware of HOLG from our beginnings back in 2009, when she was working at a children’s hospice. She joined our board in 2019 and brings a wealth of experience in palliative care, gained as Deputy Head of Care with the hospice, plus her work in bereavement support, and as a Lead Professional, Specialist Nurse Adviser within the NHS.

Now retired from the NHS, Anita works independently providing supervision for staff within a hospice environment. As a trustee, she supports the operational side of HOLG, as well as our work with families and on the bereavement weekends. Anita loves the difference we make to the emotional development of the children and young people we help, enabling them to move on to experience a happier world.

Margaret worked in Medway as an Educational Psychologist. In school meetings, she heard about children who failed to thrive following the bereavement of a person very close to them. Wanting to find out more and improve the care of future children, Margaret attended a HOLG AGM, spoke to our clinical lead Debbie McSwiney and immediately pledged her involvement, signing up as a prospective Trustee that evening.

Since then, Margaret has involved herself in most aspects of volunteering on the weekends – from washing paint brushes to making lunches and working with a child or young person.

Margaret has been the Chair of Trustees since July 2020.