MEET THE TEAM
Julie Roberts
Chair of Trustees
Julie has been a supporter and regular volunteer for HARC since 2007 and joined the Board as a Trustee in 2016. She was elected as Chair of the trustees in 2021.
Julie’s background is in secondary school teaching and more recently public health with children and young people.
She has two adult children, who still keep her busy, and two grandsons. Since retiring in 2015 she enjoys walking in the Peak District, cycling and racketball, volunteering for other projects, and rustling up a tasty vegetarian meal.
Liz Grasso
Fundraising Manager
After working in this role since 2012 Liz has decided to stand down as Project Manager. She will continue to work with us on fundraising.
As well as working for HARC, Liz is also involved in working for several other charities, one of which, Stopgap, provides temporary accommodation for rough sleepers, or those at risk of rough sleeping.
Prior to this, Liz worked as a paralegal in a legal aid law practice.
Jayne Kerr
Trustee-health and safety and communication
A supporter of HARC for many years Jayne has been a HARC Trustee since 2014.
Jayne was previously Training and Development Manager with the Sheffield Safeguarding Children Board, having worked for 30+ years with vulnerable young people in both the statutory and voluntary sector.
Jayne is all too aware that the challenging and complex issues that many young people face will follow them into adulthood where homelessness and isolation becomes, for many, an almost inevitable reality.
Gemma Thornton
Trustee-Community Ambassador and Comms lead
Gemma has been volunteering at HARC since 2009 and joined the Board of Trustees in 2023.
She is the Head of Learning & Impact at Grimm & Co, a children's literacy charity based in Rotherham, and was previously a teacher in both primary and secondary education.
Gemma has a greyhound called Aoife they both enjoy a walk through ancient woods.
Jazmine Douglas
Project Manager
Jaz was appointed the new Project Manager of HARC alongside Stephanie at the 2024 AGM but has been a Project Lead since Christmas 2022. She has experience of various roles within homelessness including at Framework, within the Local Authority and also through the Justice System. She is an outreach worker for SWWOP and also volunteers with various other charities in Sheffield. She enjoys running, big walks and has recently picked up the violin again!
Jo Lidster
Secretary to Trustees
Jo has been HARC Secretary since 2015, on the Board of Trustees since 2011, but involved with HARC as a volunteer since 2009.
Jo currently works in Higher Education where she leads a research and innovation capacity building project as well as being a senior academic.
She has worked as a volunteer with groups and charities supporting pre-school children and elderly people.
Jo is kept busy with her two teenage daughters, and when she gets a chance, loves to potter in her allotment.
Joan Jones
Trustee-data management
Joan has been involved with HARC since 2011, initially as a volunteer with her two grown-up children and as a Trustee since 2014.
Joan is an IT specialist and has been a freelance systems / data analyst and consultant for over 25 years, working mostly in Yorkshire and the Midlands, but further afield too.
Samantha Stocks
Co-ordinator of Volunteers
Samantha joined HARC in September 2022. Her main role is to provide administrative support to the HARC team and to support the Project Lead. Prior to this Samantha worked in Purchasing. She has two grown up children. Samantha is a reading mentor and enjoys walking. She brings her commercial experience to this supporting role.
Stephanie Haines
Project Manager
Steph was appointed the new Project Manager of HARC alongside Jazmine at the 2024 AGM. She has been involved with HARC as a project lead since 2022. She originally started her career working with disadvantaged young people but for the last five years has worked with rough sleepers and homeless people in Sheffield for Framework. She also works part time as an outreach worker for SWWOP who work with sex workers in Sheffield and volunteers as a board member for South Yorkshire YWCA who work with and house vulnerable young women.
She spends most of her spare time rock climbing in the Peak District.