HomeShare International

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HIN Member Spotlight: Homeshare North East

We are thrilled to welcome Homeshare North East as the newest Core Member of our Homeshare International Network (HIN).

Based in Durham, UK, Homeshare North East was set up by Emily Cutter, who has spent the last two years developing and delivering a homeshare service. Emily has a background in the voluntary and health sector, and has been supporting people in the North East of England for over a decade. She told us a bit more about her reasons for setting up the programme:

‘I’m thrilled to be part of the Homeshare International network and proud to shine a light on Homeshare North East, a service dedicated to supporting older people across our region to live independently, safely, and well at home.

At the heart of what we do is a simple but powerful belief: that no one should feel alone in their own home. So many of the older people we work with have experienced a loss of connection, often after bereavement or a life change and we know that companionship, routine, and gentle daily support can be truly life changing.

Through Homeshare, we carefully match older people with a spare room and a need for a helping hand, with someone seeking affordable accommodation who can offer practical support and friendship in return. These arrangements foster meaningful relationships, strengthen communities, and ease the growing pressure on health and social care services.

Our hope is to expand the reach and awareness of Homeshare across the North East, ensuring that more older people can access the kind of preventative support that enables them to stay in the place they know and love – their home, for as long as possible.

Equipping people with the right support at the right time isn’t just practical, it’s deeply human. And I’m proud to be part of a movement that recognises that value.’

Find out more: homesharenortheast.org.uk

NEW Honorary Secretary appointed to the HI board

We are delighted that Charlotte Day has been appointed to the HI Board of Trustees as our new Honorary Secretary.

Charlotte is an experienced operations and governance professional with a background spanning health, consultancy, and the not-for-profit sector.

She has specialised in compliance, service delivery, and organisational development, with a strong focus on people-centred systems and values-led practice. She brings her expertise in strategic coordination and good governance to her role as Honorary Secretary at Homeshare International.

Welcome Charlotte!

HI in Conversation: A Global Dialogue

On 30th April, we were thrilled to host another HI in Conversation session — and this one truly went global!

We welcomed attendees from 9 different countries across the world, all coming together to share, listen and learn about the power and potential of Homeshare.

From lived experience to local innovation, the session sparked meaningful conversation about how Homeshare is creating safer, more connected communities — wherever you are in the world.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us. Your insights and energy are what make this network so powerful. 🙌

Welcome to another new Trustee!

The HI Trustees are delighted to announce that Ramona Amuza, Co-Director of Homeshare West in the UK, has joined the Board of Homeshare International. Ramona brings huge passion for homeshare and its values, as well as significant experience, having run Homeshare Gloucestershire for 6 years. Ramona also adds more languages to our multi-lingual board, as a fluent Spanish and Romanian speaker. You can find out more about Ramona on our Who’s Who page.

 

Welcome to our newest Trustee!

The HI Trustees are delighted to announce that Lucie Cunningham, Founder and CEO of THE HomeShare in Ireland, has joined the Board of Homeshare International. Lucie brings loads of experience, energy and an entrepreneurial spirit to Homeshare International, and we’re thrilled to have a fourth European country represented on the Board. Find out more about Lucie on our Who’s Who page.

 

2024 in Review

2024 was an exciting year for Homeshare International, but also included some significant changes. Here are 10 key moments from the year:

1. Homeshare International celebrated its 25thAnniversary in 2024. The charity was set up in 1999 by Nan Maitland, and her extraordinary contribution to homeshare was recognised in the Nan Maitland Memorial Lecture given by Elizabeth Mills at our Congress in September.

2. Our first Congress since 2019 was held in Trento, Italy, and hosted in partnership with Core member VIVO.CON. With speakers from across Europe, the UK, the US, Canada and Australia, the Congress provided wonderful opportunities to meet, learn from and be inspired by other homeshare providers.

3. 2024 saw changes to the structure of the Homeshare International Network (HIN), with homeshare programmes and national umbrella organisations becoming our Core Membership. Over the course of the year we welcomed new Core Members from the US, Canada, Portugal and the Netherlands.

Read more