Charity manager receives British Empire Medal in King’s Birthday Honours list

Home-Start Northampton is celebrating after one of its colleagues was awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to families and early years learning in the King’s birthday honours list.

Bernadette Barnes, known as Bernie, was the charity’s manager for 25 years and supported more than 1,500 families in her time there. She was responsible for turning the charity around, bringing structure and governance to it’s working practices and tirelessly promoting Home-Start Northampton to supporters, sponsors and partner agencies.

Bernie has since retired from her role but remains a well-known and much-loved figure in the town and within the wider Home-Start organisation. She is widely credited with Home-Start Northampton being one of the first schemes to introduce paid volunteers, called Family Support Workers. Despite resistance to the plan, Bernie forged ahead and broke the mould of what the charity had previously been doing; charting a course for other branches within Home-Start that have since adopted the same approach. Under her leadership, Home-Start Northampton was recognised as an exemplar within the Home-Start UK family by the Home-Start UK Quality Assurance team.

Home-Start Northampton Chair Julia Halliwell said: “Bernie draws people in with her warmth and charisma and everyone who has come into contact with her knows that she will fight tenaciously for what is right for the families we support.

“There have been countless occasions, out of hours, when Bernie has driven to a family’s home to provide emergency supplies, offer reassurance, or provide emotional support. This can be seen as just doing her job well but quite simply there are a vast number of vulnerable families who enjoy a safer, better life today because of her.”

Colleague Maia Aldridge said: “Bernie’s personal devotion to this charity has demonstrated to me a care which exceeds professional duty to deep personal consideration and diligence to serve the local community in Northampton. The borough of Northampton owes Bernie Barnes a debt beyond measure; I can only begin to imagine the widespread impact she has had from twenty-five years of service to this charity and community.”

Home-Start Northampton Patrons Emma and Paul Grayon, MBE, added: “Bernie is determination personified, with empathy and generosity of spirit in equal measure. She embodies everything a caring community and charity is all about and in her retirement she leaves not only a tremendous legacy but also a huge act to follow.”