Our Team | The Princess Project

Emma Tanner is our founder and CEO. She started the Princess Project back in 2011, after being struck by the lack of support available to young mums in her community and prompted by God to do something about it. She lives in Maidstone with her husband Graham and their two teenage daughters. Apart from her family, her faith and the Princess Project, her main loves in life are reading, writing, cooking, country music and cats! She has been totally overwhelmed by what God has done in and through the Princess Project over the last 10 years, and considers it an honour to lead the amazing team He has brought together.

Alison Jackson is our Project Manager, based in Medway. She’s been part of the Princess Project team since 2019. She lives in Gillingham with her husband Tim and their two sons. She loves spending time with her family, spending time with friends and enjoys listening to and playing music and is learning to play the drums! She also loves to cook and bake. She is also involved with the work of The Family Trust. God has opened many doors in Medway and she is excited to see what else He makes possible in the area!

Mary Sangwan is our Pastoral and Prayer Support Co-ordinator. She is married to Ravi and has 2 children and a stepson. She moved to Maidstone in 1984 , and started work in the community in 1993. Before joining the Princess Project Mary worked for The Vine Church, which is also the church she attends with her family.

She enjoys being with people so loves spending her free time with her family and friends. In the winter evenings she enjoys cross stitch and knitting.

She feels privileged to work for the Princess Project and loves being able to support and encourage many wonderful mums .

Helene Spocchia is another of our Community Support Workers, and is also the Mum2Mum Kent Project Co-ordinator. Helene lives on the Isle of Sheppey with her husband Matt and two daughters, Martha and Edie. Helene and her family moved to Sheppey with the purpose of sharing the good news of Jesus and seeing a new church planted. In addition to her faith and family, some of Helene’s passions are people, painting, and hazelnut lattes. She also has a profound love for chunky knitwear and Marvel films. Helene loves getting to know people and bringing people into community. She considers it a real privilege to support others and loves having opportunities to befriend and encourage.

Ceri Parkinson is one of our Community Support Workers, working in Medway and Maidstone. She lives in Sittingbourne with her husband Luke and daughter. Before working for the Princess Project Ceri worked within the nursery sector for over a decade, but since becoming a Mum herself has found a new perspective on the responsibilties of raising a child.

In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family on walks or getting cosy on the sofa to watch a film.

Ceri felt a call from God to provide support system for Mum’s in her local area and is excited about the where this new chapter in her life will take her.

Hannah Sampson is our newest Community Support Worker, working in Maidstone and Tonbridge. She lives in Maidstone with her two sons. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends. In her free time she enjoys keeping fit and being out in nature, as well as watching films and listening to a variety of music. She doesn’t really enjoy cooking, but she does love eating – especially desserts and cake!

She had the privilege of being one of the first Befrienders with the Princess Project and helped to run the parenting courses. She loved volunteering and coming alongside parents and their children, and went off to train as a child and adolescent counsellor. She has had her own practice for 5 years now and her skills and experience compliment this new role perfectly. God has brought her back full circle and she is so excited to be a part of the Princess Project team again and to see what God has in store, as she supports others in this new chapter of her life.

Louise Dunmore is our Administrator. She is married to Marc and has one daughter. Louise enjoys doing all things admin related. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking and baking, reading and watching TV.

Jane Negus is our Chair of Trustees.

Jane has always had a passion to support families and children, knowing first hand that being a parent brings not only joy but challenges along the way. Every parent needs someone to believe in them, come alongside without judgement and be a listening ear.

She worked for many years within a pre-school setting, has been a foster parent as well as a mum and grandma and more recently worked in the Regulatory sector. She counts it a privilege to be part of The Princess Project.

Steve Ring is our treasurer. Having spent his working life with Nat West Bank, he now spends his retirement supporting various charities with their accounting and enjoys walking and spending time with his wife, children and grandchild.

Angela Trigg is our Secretary, and also our Safeguarding Co-ordinator. She has been a volunteer with the Princess Project since December 2018, and joined the trustee board in 2019.

Her passion for the Princess Project stems from experiencing, in her role as a Headteacher, how important it is that mothers receive love and practical support in giving the best possible care to their children. She has now seen first hand this help for mothers given by the amazing team of staff the Princess Project employ and the impact on both mothers and their children.

Bobbi Ezeike is the newest addition to our board of trustees, and lives in Maidstone with her young son. She has worked as a healthcare support worker in the community and residential homes both in Ireland and the UK. She moved to the United Kingdom in 2015 after living for nearly a decade in Ireland. She is currently a Health and Social Care Student and hopes to work more in the Social Care Industry. In her leisure time, she loves spending time with her son as he loves cuddling a lot! She also enjoys watching action movies, cooking and playing music. She feels privileged to be part of the Princess Project trustee board.

Rev Phil Goodey became the vicar of Boughton Monchelsea in 2015, having worked in the church of England in many different parts of the country beforehand, including Yorkshire, Hampshire and in North Devon. In 2018 he was invited to become a trustee of the Princess Project, and during lockdown in 2020 also became the Vicar of Christ Church Park Wood, where the Princess Project is based.

Phil has been the trustee of a variety of different charities over the years and brings a wealth of experience both as a spiritual support and knowledge of working across urban and rural areas of the UK. As well as supporting the Princess Project and their fantastic work, he enjoys being part of the Mothers’ Union, an international charity that supports marriage and family life.

His hobbies include collecting Lego, Regency Dancing, and reading science fiction.

He has been married to Sandra for over 35 years and they have two grown up, married daughters one of whom lives locally in Coxheath.

Helen Williamson has been a trustee since 2017. She is married to Robin, a wonderful partner for over 25 years, who is now retired but continues in his retirement with his work as a priest.

She is mother to 2 special children who are now both in their 20s, and spent nearly 32 years serving the people of Maidstone as a GP, retiring from practice as a doctor in 2016. She feels privileged to have walked with so many people from all backgrounds through both good and difficult times.

Our Staff Team

Board of Trustees

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