Meet our small and passionate team

Meet the people behind the capital’s network of local Home Start charities, working together to strengthen support for families with young children.

Esther Sample, Director

Esther joins us from One Small Thing, where she was Head of Policy, Research and Influencing. In this role, she led work to drive systemic change and improve outcomes for women in the criminal justice system and their children. Esther has served as Research Lead at the Young Women’s Trust, as a Trustee for Agenda Alliance, and helped establish and manage a housing scheme for women and families fleeing abuse at Safer London – a project that went on to win a London Homelessness Awards in 2018. A Churchill Fellow, Esther has researched international models of support for women experiencing homelessness in Canada, Finland, and Sweden. She has also held roles at St Mungo’s, Homeless Link and Drug Scope, alongside earlier frontline support roles.

Sian Koskela, Operations Coordinator

Sian helps strengthen the network of 15 local branches by supporting peer learning activities, coordinating key projects, and developing research and involvement work. She has a background in research and evaluation, having contributed to studies at King’s College London, Victim Support, and Kingston University on topics such as perinatal mental health, support for older people in care homes, and the experiences of victims of crime with mental health problems. Her previous roles in the charity sector include managing the Time Together refugee mentoring project across the UK. Having volunteered as a home‑visiting volunteer with her local Home‑Start, she understands firsthand the value of relational, compassionate support in helping families through tough times.

Sarah Villegas, Communications Lead

Sarah creates strategic communications to raise awareness of the charity and its London network supporting families. She shapes the organisation’s voice, strengthens its digital presence, and ensures stories of families and volunteers are shared with authenticity and impact. She also works at Home-Start Richmond, Kingston and Hounslow, providing strategic leadership across marketing, communications, and community fundraising as part of the Senior Management Team, giving her insight into both London-wide strategy and local service delivery. With over 20 years’ experience across fundraising, communications, and marketing in the charity and media sectors, including 10 years at BBC Worldwide and freelance consultancy, Sarah brings senior strategic expertise in purpose-driven communications, fundraising, and content. At Home-Start London she leads our #My2Hours volunteer recruitment campaign and our annual fundraiser Lace Up for London, helping to engage volunteers and raise vital funds. Sarah is passionate about values-led, mission-driven organisations where she can deliver meaningful, lasting impact through clear, compassionate communication.

Caroline Dawson, Projects and Partnerships Coordinator

Caroline’s previous roles include Senior Project Manager at Create Arts, where she led the design and delivery of UK-wide socially engaged arts programmes in partnership with local authorities, housing associations, schools, and community organisations. She has experience in fundraising and building partnerships and as a freelance consultant has worked with Tate, the National Gallery, the BBC Sounds, and community organisations to co-design accessible and inclusive programmes. She also served as a Trustee for Turf Projects.