A NEW treasurer has been selected for the UK’s leading family support charity. 

Robert White, 71, will become has joined Home-Start Winchester and Districts. 

The charity recruits and trains volunteers to support parents with at least one child under the age of five years. 

Nationally, Home-Start now supports nearly 35,000 families and more than 71,000 children each year. With almost 16,000 volunteers visiting families in their own home, helping parents in a variety of situations whether it’s isolation, bereavement, multiple births, illness or disability.

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Mr White said: “In my working life I have always regarded the people in the business to be its greatest asset. In my various roles I have always enjoyed walking the shop floor, listening to people’s ideas, worries and indeed sometimes, grievances.”

Previously working as a management trainee for Dunlop, Mr White eventually left for a career in the food industry, working for companies such as Nabisco, Rank Hovis McDougall and Bassets, before heading south to become operations director for Bendicks Chocolates in Winnall, Winchester. 

He then moved on to start his on consultancy in 1999 and ended up buying his own chocolate company in Preston, Lancashire, until 2016 after selling to take an early retirement. 

He added: “I would always try to help staff and colleagues overcome their problems and I’ve missed that element in my social life since retirement. In working with Home-Start I hope that I can use some of the skills acquired through my commercial life, to give something back to the community.”

Since retirement Mr White has taken up yoga and swimming to keep fit, but has also found the time for his passion of cars. He owns several classic BMWs and his pride and joy is a 63-year old Triumph TR3A, which keeps him very busy in the garage. 

Stephanie Durrant, chairman of Home-Start Winchester, said: “We are delighted to welcome someone with Robert’s considerable business skills into our organisation and look forward to working with him for the benefit of struggling families in the Winchester area.”

Mr White will work along side a team of eleven other trustees for the Winchester based charity.