Our Team

Helen Watson
Chief Executive

My role as CEO is to make sure we are the best charity we can be. For me this means housing and supporting those who come to us for help with empathy and intelligence and ensuring that our staff feel supported to deliver their best work. I love to see the real impact we deliver and enjoy talking with current and ex clients about how they are moving on with their lives.

My work is also about making sure that as a local charity we can contribute to a larger arena, sharing our results and our ideas with other organisations such as Crisis and Homeless Link

PS: I once took part in a fundraising event and spent the night sleeping next to the statue of Eros in Piccadilly Circus to raise money and awareness of homelessness.

Jenny Holmes
Support Manager

My role is extremely hands on with our clients. When someone comes to Rentstart for help I tend to be the first person they deal with. I give advice on the phone and then go on to conduct face to face interviews with people we are helping to house. I need to carefully assess each client I meet and work with them to identify the right type of housing and any extra support they may need.

Every day is different for me, I see a huge variety of people—what I really enjoy is helping our clients to achieve their goals.

P.S. I've climbed Sydney Harbour Bridge

Helena Horsford
Director of Client Services

I have worked at Rentstart since 2003 and have seen the charity grow over the years that I have been here. My job involves running the Support Team that assesses clients' needs, finds appropriate accommodation and then provides support to ensure the tenancies are successful for both tenant and landlord. I am responsible for maintaining the data and statistics for the charity, ensuring that we meet targets for our funders.

We never know quite what the day will bring as supporting our tenants once in a property brings so many different scenarios. The challenge of helping them overcome difficulties and seeing our clients re-building their lives is very rewarding.

PS: My claim to fame is that I have sung and performed on stage at the Guildfest music festival!

Candice Wolfson
Homelessness Prevention Negotiator

My role includes supporting our clients, helping them in their properties, and improving our managed properties.

My background is working and helping children in lots of different roles, especially with their mental health but I wanted a change after doing that for nearly 9 years. What I love about this job is that every day is different and comes with its challenges. I do love problem solving and most of all, helping people. I'm always available to listen to clients' concerns and look for opportunities to find solutions to challenging circumstances, which I find the most rewarding.

P.S. I once cut off more than 10 inches of hair to donate to the ‘Little Princess Trust’ who help children with hair loss after long term illnesses.

Liz Belok
Head of Operations

My role is to support Helen, our CEO, and make sure the office and all of our systems run smoothly allowing us to deliver our services efficiently. Every day is different and there is never a dull moment.

I really enjoy working for a charity that makes an immediate and direct impact to the lives of real people in real need – it’s such a great team to work in too.

P.S. I recently discovered that my surname in Russian translates into ‘of the squirrels’!

Caroline Spooner
Tenancy Sustainment and Homelessness Prevention Officer

My role at Rentstart varies on a daily basis which always brings with it new challenges. I am there to listen to clients and try to find ways to help them resolve difficult situations. This also involves finding solutions to help them find suitable housing whilst doing my best to give them some much needed emotional support.

PS: I once rode the fastest zipwire in the world.

Laura Phillips-Farmer
Head of Community Engagement

My role as Head of Community Engagement varies from looking for fundraising bids that fit our goals to communications.

I joined the team at Rentstart while managing a night shelter project and have had several different roles over my last five years here both on the support side of our work and the community side.

P.S. I’m also doing a PhD about homelessness based at Birkbeck in London

Andy Robertson
Community Fundraising Manager

Hello, I’m Andy, the Community Fundraising Manager, which means I spend most of my time engaging with local schools, faith groups, community groups, businesses and individuals. It’s a privilege to be able to share the work of Rentstart within our community and to inspire action that brings transformation in the lives of those experiencing homelessness.  

P.S. I am a lifelong Brentford FC supporter, have an obsession with vinyl records and actually cook the best roast potatoes on planet Earth.