Meet the team

Our Trustees

Victoria Heeley - Chair of Trustees

Victoria was first elected as a Trustee in November 2017 and was then appointed as Secretary on the Board, at the AGM in 2019 the existing Chair retired from Office and Victoria was then appointed as Chair by the Board.

Victoria brings a wealth of voluntary experience with her and has worked in the Charity Sector for over five years, having worked at a National UK Charity for several years and is currently a Senior Manager at another Dorset charity.

Victoria is also a Qualified Counsellor and has been a placement volunteer at the charity for over three years, supporting clients with long-term trauma-informed counselling.

Outside of work Victoria enjoys running and music.

Alex Hancox - Vice Chair of Trustees

After graduating from Bournemouth University in 2017, Alex was elected Vice President of the Students' Union. It was here that he first heard of STARS (Dorset Rape Crisis Support Centre as it was then known), and started volunteering at events across Dorset, including Bourne Free and Bestival, promoting the charity's Consent Tent. Alex then started volunteering as a support line listener too, and in 2019 was elected as a Trustee and appointed as the Vice Chair.

Alex is currently a Civil Servant and brings recruitment experience and an interest in policy and good governance to the board. He lives in Bournemouth and in his spare time enjoys travelling and skiing.

Jane Eldridge

Having spent over thirty years working in HR and training Jane currently works in a law firm delivering HR internally and providing consultancy services to external clients which include charities and churches.

Prior to that she worked as Head of HR at Salisbury Cathedral and was responsible for safeguarding policy and training for both staff and volunteers.

Most of Jane's HR work has been undertaken in growing and developing organisations and she really enjoys formulating strategy and plans for growth and seeing the results of their implementation. Jane is deeply committed to the value of education having worked as a lecturer in HR at two local universities for over 20 years and having enjoyed helping teach children at her local church. She hopes this interest and experience will enable her to understand and appreciate the challenges faced by STARS and that she can use this to support planned future growth.

In her spare time Jane enjoys swimming, walking and spending time with her family.

Jo Gordon

Jo Gordon was elected as a Trustee for STARS in September 2020. She started as a Supportline volunteer in May 2018 and since completing her training is now a mentor. Jo has manned the STARS stall at Bournemouth University Freshers Week and has also been into Bournemouth School for Girls conducting the 'Consent Sessions'.

Jo is retired from nursing after a long career in hospitals and in General Practice as a Senior Practice Sister. Whilst in the GP surgery she was able to undertake an In-House Counselling course with Dorset Mental Health. This was invaluable in her work with chronic disease management and signposting patients to the correct organisation where they could access the help and advice they needed. She also befriended clients passed from the Counsellor attached to the surgery while she was on vacations.

For relaxation Jo enjoys cycling, long walks, gardening and playing with her grandchildren.

Our Staff

Helen Stevens - Chief Executive Officer

Helen joined the STARS team in November 2016 and brings her extensive knowledge of working in the private, public and voluntary sectors in a number of different roles. She is a creative, strategic business leader who trained with the Institute of Leadership and Management and is passionate about both developing and delivering the highest levels of service to our beneficiaries. Helen believes in building positive trusted relationships that enable effective partnership working.

In her role, Helen has led the team through some key development changes including our rebranding; head-office move and opening of a second STARS center in Dorchester. Through her fundraising experience our staff team has grown to meet increasing demand for our specialist support services. She regularly meets with commissioners and statutory services seeking to improve support for survivors, making sure they have access to specialist services to help them in their journey of recovery.

Helen is a non-executive director or her husband’s company; Trustee of a local charity and advisor to a newly established charity that she helped to establish. She is also a passionate gardener.

Gerry Jones - Clinical Lead

Gerry Jones is BACP accredited, Tavistock-trained psychotherapist with over 18 years experience working with individuals and organisations in the private, public and charity sector.

Gerry believes that the environment in which we develop profoundly affects the individual: socially, culturally and in our family units. Gerry describes herself as working with a relational stance, specialising particularly in complex trauma and childhood issues.

As a Clinical Supervisor, she is interested in the secondary traumatic stress present in individuals working with those who have been traumatised.

Tracey Parsons - Lead Independent Sexual Violence Advisor

Tracey passed her NNEB qualification in 1985 and worked with children who were from deprived areas that had experienced physical and sexual abuse and neglect.

She then took some time out to bring up her own children before starting work in 2008 with BCHA as a Domestic Abuse support worker covering Christchurch, Bournemouth and Poole, She then completed her NVQ3 in Management and went on to Manage the Independent Domestic Violence Advisor Service (IDVA) , 2 Domestic Abuse Outreach services and 2 Mother and Baby units.

She joined STARS Dorset in July 2012 as one of three newly appointed Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVAs) and then 18 months later became the Lead ISVA. Since Tracey's appointment the STARS Dorset ISVA team has grown from three to ten ISVAs in eight years.

Alison Woodward - Clinical Supervisor

Alison is a Supervisor, UKCP accredited Psychotherapist and Certified Transactional Analyst. She trained with Metanoia Institute initially and continues her learning to support her practice, most recently she has started working with EMDR. She works both in private practice in Bournemouth and for the Sexual Trauma and Recovery Service (STARS) in Dorset. Alison also runs training events for counsellors and other related professional organisations specifically related to working with Trauma.

Alison has developed her experience in working with clients who have symptoms of complex PTSD. She works within a three-phase therapeutic trauma framework with her clients to ensure clinical safety and space to understand and resolve the intrusive symptoms that clients experience.

She is passionate about finding effective ways to work with complex trauma clients, she has seen how recovery can and does happen when clients are given the time and space to work.

Simone Gosden - Operations Manager

Simone has worked within the statutory and voluntary sector for 20 years. Both as a front-line worker supporting vulnerable young people and managing and co-ordinating projects. Prior to working at STARS Dorset she managed a team of contact supervisors supporting families, many of which, were party to court proceedings.

Simone joined STARS Dorset in 2016 developing our volunteer programme and community engagement projects.

As Operations Manager Simone is passionate about the work STARS Dorset delivers and is committed to supporting the wider team to deliver quality services to survivors, of all ages, in Dorset.

Latest

Sam and Sara Skydive

To support a worthwhile charity at a time of increased need due to the current social climate.
The Missing Link - Training with Miriam Taylor

The Missing Link: Neuroscience research has shown that we cannot work with trauma without working with the body, but few of us are trained in body process. This one day workshop covers theory and practical techniques for including the body in trauma therapy, based in neuroscience. Miriam Taylor, a Gestalt therapist, supervisor, international trainer and author, will guide the day.
Star Jump for STARS Dorset

STARS Dorset is asking everyone across Dorset to fundraise for them by doing as many STAR JUMPS as they can in one minute or if they’re wanting to take on the extra challenge, five minutes, on Friday 28th May 2021.
James' 15,000ft Charity Sky Dive For STARS Dorset

I'm raising money for STARS Dorset to help support this incredible charity and the various services it provides. STARS fulfil an outstanding role, in Dorset, by assisting individuals who have experienced any form of sexual violence, within their lives. Indeed, it is because of all this and so much more that I have decided to help fundraise for this brilliant cause.

What is an ISVA?

Ever wondered what an ISVA is? Here one of our Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVA), Sarah, talks about her role at STARS Dorset.
Victoria's Volunteering Story

This week is Volunteers Week and throughout the week we will be releasing a series of blogs from our volunteers, past and present, about their different volunteering roles. This is Victoria's story.
Moving from Self-Loathing to Self-Love

A beautiful reflective piece by one of our Wellbeing Workshop leaders, Rachel Wilkinson. Rachel is a MARK (Minded Addictions Recover Kit) therapist and founder of CYC Community Yoga Collective a Dorset project making wellbeing accessible to all.
STARS Dorset Receives Funding to Help Children and Adults Affected by Domestic Abuse

STARS Dorset has received funding from both BBC Children in Need and the National Lottery to expand its services in order to help support both children and adults who have been affected by domestic abuse.
The problematic use of past sexual history as evidence in rape trials

The problematic use of past sexual history as evidence in rape trials by Kez Bhola-Dare, 2ND Year Law Student, Bournemouth University, and Jamie Fletcher, Lecturer in Law, Bournemouth University. Whilst there are a range of sexual assault myths that can influence rape trials, this blog focuses on the myth that a women’s sexual history is an indicator of consent to the act in question.
STARS Dorset Receives Seven Year Contract to Continue its support of Sexual Violence Survivors across Dorset

Sexual Trauma and Recovery Services (STARS Dorset) has been awarded a seven year contract to continue to provide its much needed Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA) service across the county.
Colette's Volunteering Story

This week is Volunteers Week and throughout the week we will be releasing a series of blogs from our volunteers, past and present, about their different volunteering roles. This is Colette's story.
Alex's Volunteering Story

Everyday this week, Volunteer Week 2020, we are sharing a volunteering story, today's is Alex's. Alex began as an Events Volunteer, then become a Support Line Listener and is now Vice Chair of the Trustees.
Contact Us

Our contact details, how to get in touch.
Compassion in a Cold Climate

For many COVID-19 has ignited flames of anxiety- for those who already struggle with their mental health, it has poured fuel on the fire. Anxiety is a normal human response to adverse situations.