Our Team.
Building for the Future was set up in 2007 by a group of parents of disabled children, aiming to launch a community centre for disabled children and their families in Wokingham and surrounding areas.
Our talented and dedicated staff are all parents of disabled people and most have worked with us since the start.
CEO & Founder
Jane Holmes
Jane has an adult daughter with cerebral palsy. She set up the charity in 2007 with the help of several other mothers of disabled children.
Before her daughter was born, Jane was a Human Resources Manager and has many years’ experience working in the hotel and restaurant industry. Inspuired by her daughter, Jane has devoted her life to providing support and services to young disabled people.
Awards:
-
2010 She Magazine Juggler of the Year
-
2014 Business Magazine's Business Woman of the Year Award for Oustanding Contribution, finalist
-
2015 Pride of Britain Award winner - Meridian West
-
2016 Sue Rider Woman of Achievement Award
Head of PR
Melissa Paulden
Melissa has an adult daughter with cerebral palsy. She has been working for Building for the Future since the beginning and is a valued part of the family!
Melissa is a communication professional and has recently gained a Level 5 Diploma in journalism.
Deputy CEO
Clare McIntosh
Clare has launched and led a number of charities. She founded and has led Chattertots since 2015. This is a local charity providing therapies and support for children with Down syndrome. She raised significant funding and participated in innovative media campaigns changing the perception of Down Syndrome reaching over 400 million views globally. Previously as CEO of St. Francis Leprosy Guild, Clare tripled fundraising revenue, strengthened governance, represented the charity globally, and ensured equitable partner representation in decision-making. An expert in strategic planning, revenue growth, financial management, and developing high-impact programs, Clare aligns stakeholders behind a powerful vision while implementing best practices to drive sustainable change.
Nicki Mitchell
Service Co-ordinator
I'm Nicki, I am a mum to 2 children, 13 & 18. My eldest has ASD, so I fully appreciate how invaluable it is to have somewhere such as Our House to be able to attend, to speak with other parents whilst having a safe space for the children to play.
I work part time with children who have special needs, offering well needed respite to their families. I also have my own cleaning business as well as a bit of cake decorating on the side.
Caretaker
Anna Goodchild
Hi l’m Anna, and I’m the caretaker at Building for the Future. I also volunteer for the stay and play sessions.
I’m a mum to two SEN children, both with very different needs, who have been coming to the centre for many years, It’s our 2nd home which is fitting really for a place called “Our House”!
It’s great fun working here and I enjoy meeting the families when they come along to play for the various sessions on offer.
It’s great seeing the children learn, thrive and be confident whilst they play.
BFTF Plus Lead
Jasper Holmes
Jasper is married to Jane and father to the same wonderful daughter!
He was once an academic working in language and communication and has a PhD from London University to show for it. After that he ran a consumer advice and research organisation working with older and disabled people and now he's a teacher in a SEND school.
Jasper is committed to making the world a more inclusive place so disabled people are able to engage with their communities and find fulfilment in their own ways. He is running our Plus provision providing services for young adults.
Come along to one of our workshops or social events!
Our Trustees.
We would not be where we are today without the hard work and dedication of our wonderful board of trustees and our patrons.
Chairman of Board of Trustees
Andy Slay
Andy has been actively involved in community and fund raising events in Wokingham over the past 15 years through the Lions, Charity Balls, May Fayre, Winter Carnival and Cantley Fireworks. Having retired in 2015, he decided to devote more time to the community and became a trustee with BFTF in 2016.
Trustee
Karen Woolford
Karen joined Building for The Future as a Trustee back in 2009 and was an integral part of finding and project managing the renovation of a deserted office into the inspirational space we have for our children today. She remains on the board now as a representative parent of a disabled child.
She is married with 3 children, one of whom has cerebral palsy, and she has a background in project management in the IT industry.
Trustee
Andy Goffin
After a career in sales and marketing, mainly within the promotional merchandise industry, Andy retired at the start of 2017. Having the free time to become involved in the local community, he is now an active member of Wokingham Lions Club, treasurer of a local Residents Association, and a volunteer with a couple of local charities. Andy became a Trustee of BftF in 2020.
Trustee
Paula Scott
Paula had a long career in education as a special needs teacher and manager working with children and young people with learning disabilities specialising over the last 20 years in vision impairment. She has always been passionate about providing equal life and educational opportunities for disabled children and their families. She has a particular interest in supporting children and families pre-school. Paula lives in Wokingham and became a trustee when she retired in 2021.
Treasurer
Geoff Hammond
Geoff retired in 2013 from a career managing a small, Reading based company operating in the electro-optics field. Apart from taking the role as treasurer for BFTF he is also treasurer and volunteer engineer for REMAP Berkshire who design and make bespoke aids for disabled people. He lives in Wokingham with his wife and enjoys growing vegetables and all things technical.
Trustee
Nimi Shephard-Patel
Nimi has experience in both corporate account management and small charity fundraising management. She has a learning disability herself and has always advocated for the improvement of education for those with differing skills and abilities. Despite her 'classroom' difficulties, she has completed her PhD in education.
Nimi joined BFTF as a fundraiser and joined our board in 2022.
Trustee
Val Lynch
Val is a governance specialist with considerable charitable and private sector experience. She qualified as a Company Secretary in 1995 and was appointed a fellow of the ICSA in 2007. She specialises in governance, compliance, regulation, health and safety, risk and audit.
Trustee
Gerry Mortimore
Formerly a local businessman who now works in the City, Gerry has lived in Wokingham for over 40 years. He has served as president of the Rotary club of Wokingham and the Windsor Forest Unicorn club. In 2012, he received the Borough Mayor’s Award for service to the community.
Patron & Advisor
Mark Ashwell
Successful local businessman Mark Ashwell joined Building for the Future in 2009 first as a Trustee, then as Chairman and today as Patron. Mark has been instrumental in our success, offering us an untold amount of support and advice and continues to be a cornerstone of the charity today.
Patron
Annette Drake
Former Borough Mayor Annette Drake was instrumental in supporting Building for the Future in its early days. We were delighted that Annette agreed to become one of our Patrons in 2013 and continues to be a great support.
Patron
Francesca Martinez
After performing at Building for the Future’s launch in 2008, well-known comedian, writer and activist, Francesca Martinez agreed to become our first Patron. Since then she has supported the charity at many of our events and continues to be a great ambassador for the charity.
Francesca is a wobbly* comedian, writer, and speaker who has toured internationally with sell-out runs at The Melbourne Comedy Festival, The Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and the Just For Laughs Festival, Montreal.
*Oh yeah, she has mild cerebral palsy but she much prefers the word ‘wobbly’.