Congratulations to Jan Powell on receiving the Order of St Richard

We are delighted to celebrate Jan Powell, Acting Chairman of Hove Deanery and a dedicated Family Support Work volunteer, who was presented with the Order of St Richard by Bishop Will Hazlewood, Acting Bishop of Chichester, at Chichester Cathedral on Saturday 26 September.

The Order of St Richard recognises lay people for their exceptional contribution to their parish, deanery or wider community – making it a fitting recognition of Jan’s years of service to both her local community and Family Support Work.

Jan first heard about FSW around 2010, when a lady from her church invited her to a deanery meeting “just to see what goes on”. This grew into helping with local fundraising events, attending deanery committee meetings and spreading the word about FSW and its work within her church and local community.

Over the years, Jan’s involvement has grown considerably. She regularly volunteers at our Rustington and Angmering After-School Clubs, helping with refreshments, crafts and activities. She has also volunteered at our SEND group and Baby Steps sessions, as well as supporting Family Days, Dalesdown residential weekends and Open Gardens.

Jan has helped with book sales, Christmas activities and other FSW events, baked cakes for fundraising activities and is a dedicated FSW volunteer driver, often offering lifts to other supporters. She is also someone the FSW team can rely on whenever an extra pair of hands is needed.

Alongside her volunteering with FSW, Jan plays an active role in her local church community as Acting Chairman of Hove Deanery.

For Jan, volunteering is about being active, connecting with others and making a difference. Reflecting on her experience with FSW, she said:

“It is nice to be active, get out and about and to feel useful and wanted.”

She also describes the enjoyment she gets from seeing the children grow and have fun, as well as the camaraderie she shares with FSW staff, volunteers and families.

Jan added:

“I get as much out of volunteering with FSW as I put in and if it spreads a bit of happiness in these troubled times, what can be better?”

We are incredibly grateful for all that Jan gives to Family Support Work. Her time, energy, kindness and willingness to help wherever she is needed make a real difference to our work supporting children and families across Sussex.

Congratulations, Jan, on this wonderful recognition – and thank you for everything you do for Family Support Work and the wider community.