Our people

Graham Carpenter BEM

Co-CEO

A founding member, Graham is an experienced leader in charitable & commercial organisations. The last twenty years he has worked in the areas of adult chronic health conditions, family work and work with children & young people. Graham participates actively in the delivery of the service at Dandelion Time. He is a qualified counsellor, working systemically with families & individuals in biographical work.

Jane Angell Payne

Co-CEO

Jane is an experienced charity leader and part of the team that set up Dandelion Time. She has held roles in the charitable sector for 30 years and has set up and managed both operational and grant making charities. After graduating from the University of Leeds she worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers for 15 years internationally as a strategy consultant for communication and distribution businesses. 

As Co-CEO Jane leads on Income Generation, Finance, PR, Governance and HR. Jointly the Co CEOs lead on the delivery of strategy, organisational culture and meeting the needs of all stakeholders. Jane is a Chartered Accountant and holds a Diploma in Charity Accounting. 

Jane’s ambition is that the Dandelion Time’s evidenced approach Nature Craft and Family Systems be available to more children through both delivery and dissemination. She wants to strengthen the charity to enable an increase in the depth of the local offer and for the approach to be recognised in the national conversation about how best help young people who have been impacted by multiple adverse experiences gain control of their future. 

Carol Bridges

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

Vicky

Therapeutic Programmes Manager

Vicky is a Family and Systemic Psychotherapist with a background in nursing and in supporting children and young people with SEMH (Social, Emotional and Mental Health) needs. Over the past ten years at Dandelion Time, she has had the privilege of working alongside children, young people, and their families, offering therapeutic support with care, sensitivity, and compassion.

Through this work, Vicky has supported families as they navigate life’s challenges, helping them to strengthen relationships, deepen understanding, and gently rebuild connection both within themselves and with one another. She believes in the importance of creating a space where people feel safe enough to reflect, grow, and find new ways forward together.

Vicky holds a deep appreciation for the healing presence of the natural world, recognising the quiet and powerful ways it can support emotional regulation, reflection, connection, and growth. It has been a real privilege to witness families grow closer, build confidence, and rediscover moments of calm, joy, and connection through shared experiences in nature.

Dave

Business, Data and Compliance Manager

Dave joined Dandelion Time in September 2024 after working in a corporate environment for many years. He has a great deal of experience in data privacy and GDPR as well as business transformation, IT and web design. He is delighted to be working at Dandelion Time supporting the entire team in helping to make everything run smoothly.

When he is not sorting out data, Dave enjoys photography, sketching, hunting for fungi as well as playing drums in a samba drumming band.

Fi

HR Manager

Fi joined Dandelion Time in May 2024 and has over 30 years generalist HR experience. She is a Chartered Fellow of the Institute for Personnel and Development and has worked in a variety of organisations including retail, filmed entertainment and the independent schools sector.

She has a passion for supporting vulnerable children and their families which drew her to Dandelion Time.  That and the opportunity to work with our wonderful animals, particularly Mathilda the cat on hand for cuddles.

When not working Fi enjoys trying to keep fit, travelling, and walking in the beautiful Kent countryside with her family and rescue dog Roo. 

Ilona

Finance Manager

An accountant with love of children, nature & passion for sustainability. Ilona also helps at her local Cubs, as well as working on the allotment & foraging in her local woods! Her weekends are spent outdoors going for walks, cycling or camping with her husband & son. Love of creating, be it via knitting, sewing or baking. Her big passions are books & chocolate, ideally together! 

Julie

Income Generation Lead

Prior to joining the team, Julie spent over 27 years working in the voluntary sector in a wide range of roles within children and young people’s charities including as a youth worker, trainer, service manager and fundraiser. She now manages all aspects of our relationships with charitable trusts & foundations and other grant-making bodies. Julie has a passion for the outdoors and experiential learning. When not busy bid-writing & fundraising, she enjoys walks with her dog Alfie, raising her two boys and live music.

Tora

Insights and Impact Manager

Prior to joining the team, Tora had worked in the voluntary sector for over 10 years in a wide range of fundraising and bid management roles within health and social welfare charities. Tora manages our therapeutic database and oversees our impact monitoring and evaluation processes, analysing and reporting impact for funders and for internal and external evaluations.  Outside of this role, she also enjoys volunteering at Dandelion Time’s events & helping out around the farm and with the animals

Louise

Therapeutic Coordinator

Louise joined Dandelion Time in 2012 after a long career working in a solicitors’ practice. Outside of work, she enjoys caring for her daughter’s horse, spending time with her cats, and getting lost in a good science fiction novel. She loves visiting the New Forest and values the peace and perspective that open spaces bring.

Lara

Family Case Worker

Since qualifying as a counsellor, Lara has worked in a variety of settings, delivering mainly trauma focused interventions with adults & children within charities & CAMHs. She enjoys walking, spending time outside with her family and dogs, as well as some mindfulness, particularly whilst cooking and reading.  Lara has always had a strong connection with the natural world, and the gentle healing it can provide. 

Lara shared that it is a privilege to have the opportunity to support children, young people and their families in such a gentle, nurturing, and creative environment.

Rachel

Family Case Worker

Since qualifying as a counsellor in 2007, Rachel has worked in a variety of settings, delivering 121 counselling to young children across Kent. “Being immersed in the natural world, bird watching & mini-beast hunting is very much part of my life & it feels like such a gift to be able to support families in such a nurturing & creative environment, surrounded by trees & fields.”

Tom

Family Case Worker

Prior to joining the team, Tom volunteered as a Community Mediator and ran life-changing mentoring for young men on probation. He is a certified ‘Hand in Hand Parenting’ Instructor. “I believe that parenting is one of the under-resourced & under-appreciated jobs in our culture & that when supported & appreciated, caregivers themselves can provide the strongest foundation for lasting change & healing for the children they love & care for.”

Jo

Family Case Worker

Jo began her career as a primary school teacher before following her passion for both the outdoors and working with children. She retrained as a forest school leader and wellbeing facilitator, bringing together her love of nature and supporting others.  

Jo cares deeply about the environment and feels most at home when she’s surrounded by nature. She loves going on adventures with her family and their rescue greyhound, May. 

“It really is a privilege to spend each day alongside so many children and their families, in such a beautiful and nurturing setting.” 

Fiona

Family Case Worker

Since qualifying as a play and creative arts therapist, Fiona has worked in a variety of settings but being outdoors is where she is happiest. She loves running or walking her dogs in her local forest and trying (often failing!) to grow things in her garden. She says it is a real joy to work for an organisation which recognises the therapeutic value of creativity and the natural world in helping children and their adults reconnect and heal.

Sarah

Statutory Agency Coordinator

Sarah is a qualified social worker with over 40 years’ experience working in front line Children’s Social Services. She has delivering statutory services to children in need and their families, looked after children and unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. She is committed to the work of Dandelion Time and is passionate about the work we do working with vulnerable children and their parents or carers. 

Becca

Family Case Worker

Prior to joining the team, Becca qualified as a Social Worker and a Play Therapist, and over the years has worked with different charities and CAMHS across Kent and East Sussex; providing fostering support, family support and trauma focused therapeutic support for children and families.  

Becca says it is a privilege to be working alongside families in an environment where nature is regarded as our natural healer, where they are held through crafts and activities within the beautiful and calming setting, with gentle care. The opportunity to spend so much time outdoors, through all the seasons, is a lovely way to support families. 

Kenresa

Relationship Manager

Kenresa joined Dandelion Time in September 2023 after working in fundraising events for her local air ambulance before going on to work for a hospital charity. With a lot of digital marketing experience, she loves seeing an event come together and taking our supporters on their fundraising journey. She is delighted to be part of the Fundraising Team here at Dandelion Time and helping all the incredible people who support the charity.
When not planning events, Kenresa enjoys swimming, crafting or pottering in her garden as well as going to music festivals and the theatre.

Lizzie

Corporate Relationship Manager

Prior to joining the team, Lizzie had a background in regional corporate and trust fundraising within health and disability charities.  She enjoys the variety and creativity that corporate fundraising offers and is thrilled to now be working with like minded businesses that support Dandelion Time’s work transforming the lives of vulnerable children and families. 
Outside of work Lizzie enjoys travelling, trips to the theatre and spending time exploring outdoors with her young children and family.

Katherine

Bid Writer

Katherine had a ten-year career working in HR before leaving to have her children. Since then, she has undertaken a variety of different roles in the public sector, financial services and on a self-employment basis. Initially Katherine started volunteering for Dandelion Time and then became a staff member in September 2022. In her spare time, she practices Yoga, swims regularly and enjoys the benefits this brings to both her physical and mental health.  Her love of nature she attributes to her Nan who would take her fruit and vegetable picking, and on long country walks in her school summer holidays.  Katherine is passionate about the work of Dandelion Time and the benefits spending time in nature can bring.   

Alison

Volunteer Coordinator

Alison worked for the NHS as a paramedic for over twenty years before leaving to spend more time with her young family. She recently re-trained as a yoga teacher and enjoys practicing and teaching yoga in her local community. Alison also enjoys reading, walking and spending time on her allotment.

Michelle

Therapeutic Homestead Co-ordinator

Michelle loves sharing her knowledge with the families that attend Dandelion Time, from growing vegetables, to giving them opportunities to sow, pot on and harvest vegetables and fruit. She also looks after our lovely animals. Michelle works with our garden volunteers to help look after and maintain our 22 acres of land here at Dandelion Time for the families to enjoy. She loves sharing her passion for the natural world.

Sir Michael Andrew Bridge Morpurgo OBE

Patron

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.”

Isabel Hardman

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.”

Dr Caroline Jessel

Founder & Patron

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.

Gilly Wilford

Chair

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.

Jonathan Fenn

Trustee

Jonathan is a solicitor, now retired after more than 35 years in a City law firm, specialising in advising on employment, pensions, and employee incentives matters. He is also chair of governors at a local secondary school and a member of the Committee of the Kent Cricket League.

Simon Norman

Trustee

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.

Bob Weare

Trustee

Bob is an experienced marketing, innovation and strategy leader with senior roles in leading global technology, risk management and professional services firms. His work has centred on developing new opportunities, shaping go‑to‑market strategies and building strategic partnerships that support sustainable growth. He has additionally run his own consultancy, advising organisations on improving business performance. As a Community Ambassador for Dandelion Time, he is committed to strengthening the charity’s reach and long‑term impact. 

Dan Barnaby

Trustee

Dan is a Commercial Finance specialist, working in telecommunications in London. He brings experience working with corporates, public sector bodies and non-profits in operational efficiency, risk management and counter fraud.

With a passion for supporting children and young people in their education, he is committed to supporting Dandelion Time to achieve their goals and aspirations.

Mandy Romano

Trustee

With 30 years working in education as both a class and SEND teacher, Mandy is a steadfast advocate for inclusion and emotional well-being.  As SENCO and Mental Health Lead, she worked closely with vulnerable children and their families, leading staff training and working with senior leaders to enhance nurture provision across the school. 

Neil Potter

Trustee

Neil studied Medicine at Cambridge and then completed GP training in Maidstone. He worked over 30 years locally with 25 years as a GP partner at Marden Medical Centre. His role included Child Health and Safeguarding. Now retired, he has several trusteeships. He enjoys walking, cycling and gardening. He has three grown up children.