In 2017, we were a group of 15 or so mums, grandmas, daughters and members of the public concerned about the difficult time mums and under-fives were having in temporary or insecure accommodation in our neighbourhood.
We resolved to try to give them somewhere clean, fun and supportive to spend time during the day, then just ask them how we could help. We created the Magpie Project in community with so many amazing mums and minis. Many of whom have moved on to live their lives after a period with us, others who volunteer with us, act on our Right Experience Advocacy and Change team, or our Steering committee – and one (so far) who is now employed with us. We have been so lucky to be able to attract the very best staff and volunteers to help us fulfil our mission, and to enjoy the incredible support of our enthusiastic Newham community and understanding funders.
Meet the team
Staff
Our staff are an amazingly dedicated and professional bunch of women – we are so lucky to have them.
Jules Robertson Family Support Manager
What do you do?
I ensure mums can access the support and services they need and feel secure, safe and cared for in order to help their children feel the same.
When did you join?
I started volunteering with Magpie in September 2019 and started as Family Support Manager in September 2020.
What do we not know about you?
I have been a registered midwife, with almost 30 years’ experience of working in women’s health, safe motherhood and maternity care so I know what excellent care and best practice look like and how to access and demand this – as well as challenge poor care.
What do you love about your job?
I love to see the relief of many of our mums when they come to us and we welcome them with a big warm, smile. I love to see their confidence grow with each visit when they realise someone else is looking out for them and they are part of one big family of phenomenal women.
Hannah Duthie Play Manager
What do you do?
I create spaces and support safe, open ended play opportunities for our families. I organise beautiful, stimulating and fun play sessions for mums and minis whilst overseeing our wonderful volunteers who support me to run the play space.
When did you join?
I joined the team in 2018. My first task was getting the toy cupboard under control.
What do we not know about you?
My decades of experience in Early Years education and Special Needs means I come with a wealth of knowledge. I have the best job in the world. I can usually be found on the swing or in the sandpit!
What do you love about your job?
I love to play alongside mums and minis both inside and out in our park, watching our minis grow and develop is an absolute privilege.
Marcia Thompson Graduation Manager
What do you do?
I identify needs and actions to support mothers to overcome barriers to move forward during their transition to living independently. This consists of outlining options, reviewing pathways and signposting to practical resources such as housing, welfare benefits, education, training, and employment.
When did you join?
I have worked at Magpie since September 2020.
What do we not know about you?
No two days are the same at The Magpie Project!
What do you love about your job?
Engaging, empowering, and encouraging mothers during transition is crucial in terms of their healing. It can take immense strength for some mothers to break away from their past and visualise a brighter and better future for themselves. So, I find being able to support, help and neutralise some of these feelings can help to transform feelings of despair into optimism, which I find most rewarding.
Lindita Dafkur, Facilities Assistant
What do you do?
I organise and prepare essential and non essential products for our mums and minis. This involves hundreds of nappies, wipes, new baby bags, buggies, food and clothing.
When did you join?
First of alI I volunteered at the Magpie Project in 2018, I have been employed since September 2020.
What do we not know about you?
We provide a service that I am very proud of, this helps us build great long lasting relationships and provide a stepping stone for the mums to hear their voices in our community.
What do you love about your job?
My job is very rewarding, I get to work with people who share a common goal to help and support the mums of east London.
Jane Williams Founder and CEO
What do you do?
I spend my time talking to our wonderful mums and minis about how to make their lives better through advocacy, practical support, belonging and advice. I then try to source all the things that they tell me they need – through partnerships and collaborations with corporate, community, charity and statutory bodies. My main aim is to bring the very best to our precious families.
When did you join?
I first started exploring the needs of women with young children in Newham in autumn 2016. Our first six-week pilot was in June 2017, we became a charity in December 2017.
What do we not know about you?
I will turn any conversation to food. I have a dream of creating a community kitchen at the project where we can all cook and share food from around the world.
What do you love about your job?
I love everything about my job. Meeting and spending time with resourceful and fascinating women from all around the world, cuddling London’s most beautiful babies, and learning every day from our dedicated volunteers and staff. This is a joy, not a job.
Sorcha Maynard, Family support worker
What do you do?
I am the family support worker and so I help Jules with the casework. We welcome mums into the service and ensure they feel safe and seen. We help them with accessing support in the community and put them in touch with other professionals who can help them. We are also there when things feel a bit much and a mum needs someone to have a cup of tea and a chat with.
When did you join?
I joined in September 2023 and hit the ground running with a clothes club on my first day!
What do we not know about you?
I am training to be a forest school leader in my free time and I’m learning Makaton!
What do you love about your job?
I love getting to work with really wonderful mums and getting to meet their kids! When I need a break from the computer it’s such a joy to wander out of the office and see all the laughter and activity going on at the stay and plays.
Freya Chauncy, Admin assistant
What do you do?
I do a lot of the admin tasks, I help to keep everything organised, letting the mums know what we have going on, updating registers and generally making sure everything runs smoothly!
When did you join?
I started volunteering in September 2022 and became a member of staff in September 2023.
What do we not know about you?
I grew up in Newham and love working within my community.
What do you love about your job?
I love that no two days are the same at the Magpie Project! It’s so nice getting to meet all the mums and minis, I really enjoy working with the mums leadership teams hearing all their thoughts and ideas.
Gifty Amponsah, REACH Team Lead
What do you do?
I lead the REACH (Rights Experience Advocacy Change) Team, which is The Magpie Project’s Change and Advocacy group which is made up of Magpie Mums with lived experience of temporary accommodation and the hostile environment.
When did you join?
I have worked at Magpie since April 2023
What do we not know about you?
I am daily amazed by the resilience of our mums to pull through what is a very difficult time in their lives and I’m proud to be part of the team to journey through with them.
What do you love about your job?
That our mums are empowered to use their voices and their rights for Change.
Trustees
Sveta Alladi is a consultant paediatrician and currently a Named Doctor for Looked After Children for the East London NHS Foundation Trust. Dr Alladi graduated with distinction from the Royal Free and University College Medical School. She also has an MA degree from the University of Cambridge and a Masters in Public Health from Harvard University. She has worked on child health and policy in the UK, Europe and Chile.
“I am excited to join The Magpie Project as a Trustee to connect with the local community in which I work and really listen to the issues affecting children and families in Newham. I am keen to work collaboratively with the team to understand how to prevent the impact of adverse childhood experiences in the vulnerable population we support.”
Radhika Bynon is a portfolio manager at Impact on Urban Health, a foundation working to reduce health inequalities. A long-standing Newham resident, she spent lockdown working for One Newham, supporting community-led action in meeting urgent need. For many years she was a trustee at Community Links, a key anchor organisation in Newham. She is a board member of Global Fund for Women, a US-based foundation focussing on women’s rights globally and is chair of Global Fund for Women UK, and chair of Asha Trust (Sri Lanka) supporting a local team of community workers.
“The Magpie Project is an inspiring organisation doing important work with women and children in tough circumstances. I was keen to join the board because my mother arrived in this country with her young children with no family or friends here, and we four lived in one small room, largely dependent on the kindness of strangers. And despite the racism and poverty, we met good people.”
Paula Reily (Treasurer) provides freelance book-keeping services and consults for small charities and not-for-profits. She has a Post Graduate Certificate focused in charity accounting and finance management from Southbank University. She chairs the Finance and Fundraising Subcommittee of the trustee board.
“I have lived in Newham all my life and I am keen to use my qualifications, skill and experience in charity finance & governance to support Newham-based charities to make a positive impact on our community.”
Amy Ross is a Senior Adviser at the Charities Aid Foundation, working with charities, funders, philanthropists and corporates to improve their impact. She was previously CFO at The Magpie Project (2020-24), where she was responsible for all fundraising and financial management. Before that she worked in various roles and organisations across the charity sector including in fundraising, programme management, learning, strategy, and grant-making.
The Magpie Project is more than a charity, it is a community and a home for hundreds of mums and minis across London living under the hostile environment. It also belongs to them and is a place where they are valued and centred in a way which does not happen in other places. The Magpie Project is living proof that kindness, play, compassion, and trust are the intervention, and they work. It is a privilege to be a part.
Sam Ward is Head of Involvement and Movement Building at Parkinson’s UK. She has 20 years of experience working in the charity sector in the homeless and health charities. She specialises in Participation and Involvement as well as having led teams and projects within Services and Volunteering. Sam helped set up The Magpie Project in 2017.
I am so pleased to be a trustee of such a vital charity that provides a safe space for mums and children under 5 with no recourse to public funds in a uniquely kind and supported environment. It shouldn’t be radical, but values such as “We listen to the Mums and believe what they say” are transformational for many experiencing the hostile environment.
Theo Harrison
I decided I wanted to be a trustee of the Magpie Project after seeing first-hand how the centre provides for mums and minis and the work they, and the mums, do to support one another. I hope my background in housing and health can help Magpie Project ensure that the voice and experiences of the mums is heard by decision makers so that more mums and minis have safe and secure homes.
Freya Stock Jones
I decided to be a Magpie Project Trustee because I have seen the impact that living in temporary accommodation can have on children and mothers. I think that the work Magpie is doing is incredible and am excited to be part of it.
