Team
Lord Farmer – Founder
Michael Farmer has been a metals trader all his working life but got involved in politics to support policies which strengthen families. Since becoming a member of the House of Lords, he has been commissioned by the Ministry of Justice to carry out two reviews on how male prisoners’ and female offenders’ family ties can be strengthened to prevent reoffending and intergenerational crime. More generally he has highlighted the negative ramifications across society of family breakdown and promoted the need for better support for all families who need it and the strengths of the Family Hub model.
Dr Samantha Callan – Co-founder and Director
Samantha Callan is a published academic who has been involved in research and policy development to strengthen families for the last two decades. She has written several influential policy reports on family breakdown, the importance of children’s early years, family law reform, early intervention, mental health and domestic abuse. She has been championing Family Hubs since 2007.
Catherine Barker – Head of Development
Catherine Barker is a committed advocate of the benefits of strong family relationships and equipping people in every situation with relational capability. Her work since 2011 has spanned promoting parenting, anger management, healthy relationship programmes and campaigning for improved Relationships & Sex Education in schools. As an experienced network builder, she drives the growth and development of the Family Hubs Network.
Sophie Earl – Family Hubs Network Researcher
Sophie gathers and curates Family Hub insights and good practice, which she shares with the Network, and keeps members informed with latest news, policy and funding developments. Her previous experience in the voluntary sector, working with individuals and families, includes ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences), multi-generational cycles of addictions, trauma, PTSD, and other mental health issues. She passionately believes that positive transformation of society as a whole, requires supporting family life and relationships, as well as valuing collaboration and peer support for practitioners working with families.