Image: Left, Caroline Pope (Community & Corporate Engagement Manager, Home Start Wessex), Centre, Kathy Fryatt-Banks (CEO Home Start Wessex), Right Lauren Forecast (Brand Manager Dorset Tea).

Three years ago, we came together with Home-Start Wessex through our Communi-tea initiative to support their invaluable work. As a voluntary organisation, they offer support, friendship, and practical help to disadvantaged and vulnerable young children and their families. After presenting them with a modest donation—and plenty of tea—we quickly realised we wanted to do more. Since then, we’ve built a longer-term partnership, helping them continue their incredible work within our community.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day, we’re shining a light on women making a difference. This week, we caught up with Kathy Fryatt-Banks, CEO of Home-Start Wessex, to hear about her journey to leadership, the challenges she’s overcome, and the impact of the charity’s work.

What inspired you to get involved with Home-Start Wessex?

I’m absolutely passionate about gender equality and empowering women. It’s a tough world for women and all over the world women are still fighting to be heard and valued, with multiple responsibilities to juggle.
I realised at an early age that women get the chief responsibility for bringing up children and that often means putting their own needs last. In 2025 it’s still a fact that 97% of single parent households are headed by a single mother. Almost 1 in 5 children in the UK have no father figure at home, so it’s no surprise that once a woman chooses to start a family her life will completely change.
With a senior leadership background in the Health Service and many years instigating change in service delivery, I wanted to make a bigger difference. After having my own children and experiencing the loss of one of my twin daughters, I was led to Home-Start in 2017. Along with my experience, qualifications and skills, my belief in supporting people to get the most from life and achieve happiness and strength from the most unlikely situations has driven me to ensure the success and growth of the organisation.

Can you describe your journey to becoming CEO?

I built up my knowledge, experience and skills from starting work and using entrepreneurial skills whilst still at school and gained clinical and leadership qualifications soon afterwards. I spent 10 years studying and working, gaining degree, teaching and master’s qualifications in a number of subjects including social sciences and people management, progressing into project management, influencing major service redesign and strategic change. In my spare time I undertook property development and building projects and all of my experience combined has come together in this role.  

Have you faced any challenges as a woman in leadership, and how have you overcome them?

My background in influencing and negotiating has helped me overcome many difficulties in my journey and my positive attitude has helped me motivate others. By supporting other women and working jointly and in partnership I have been able to achieve so much more. A big part of my role has been understanding and celebrating the skills that women have to offer and creating flexible opportunities for inspiring women to join our team. All of these women have joined Home-Start because of our ethos, values and the support that is offered to enable them to juggle their families at the same time as dedicating time to a worthwhile career that helps others.

Image: Centre, Kathy Fryatt-Banks

What advice would you give to women looking to make an impact in their field?

Women everywhere need to join together, support and encourage each other and together we can make a massive difference.

Is there a particular woman who has inspired you in your career?

There are so many amazing women in history and I particularly want to thank the Suffragettes, as they had such a huge part in changing and developing women’s rights and without them, we wouldn’t be able to vote today!

And finally, we must ask, what’s your perfect tea break like? 

This is a great question, as one of the key ways that women support each other is through sitting and listening to each other, talking things through and drinking tea. It is an absolutely essential part of how we build relationships and how we help families. Many of our greatest ideas have come from meeting in the kitchen!

 

Over the last year, the charity has transformed 1,682 lives, helping a record 501 families. Their reach covers the Purbecks, Swanage, Weymouth, Dorchester, Bridport, the whole of the BCP Council area, including Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch, across the borders of Hampshire and Wiltshire, going as far north as Cranborne and Fordingbridge and as far east as New Milton – a huge area with a population of over 650,000, including many pockets of high-level deprivation