Catherine Hine
CEO
Catherine joined BfN as Chief Executive in 2022. Catherine’s led charities tackling inequality and delivering life-changing services for twenty years, worked at a local, national, European and international level and in a local authority. She is a Director of award-winning grant-maker, Smallwood Trust and a Fellow of the RSA. She has an MBA from Nottingham University.
Really grateful for the timely support she received from a midwife on her own -initially very rocky- infant feeding journey, she’s passionate about all families accessing information they can trust and the free, exceptional support that her BfN colleagues provide -free- when they need it.
Catherine is based in Nottinghamshire, where she grew up.
Fiona Walker
Finance and Systems Manager
Fiona joined BFN in May 2023 with over 20 years’ experience working in the public and charity sectors, fulfilling senior operational roles covering Finance, Governance, Administration, IT and Human Resources.
With qualifications in both Human Resources and Finance, she has a particular passion for work involving women and families and used this experience in her spare time to volunteer as the Treasurer of Home Start Glasgow South (2015-2023). Home Start Glasgow South was the second largest Home Start in Scotland.
Outside of work and volunteering, she enjoys travel and live music.
Fiona is based in Glasgow.
Hester Schofield
National Breastfeeding Helpline Manager
Hester joined BfN as NBH Programme Manager in 2021. Prior to this she had 18 years’ experience of managing teams in social care, charities and local authorities, with a focus working with young people with adverse childhood experience. She is also a trustee for Shropshire Mental Health Support.
Having personally experienced the challenges of breastfeeding during the pandemic, Hester is committed to ensuring evidence‑based infant feeding information reaches all families who need it.
Hester is based in Shrewsbury, in the West Midlands.
Sarah Edwards
Programme Manager (Scotland)
Sarah Edwards is one of the Breastfeeding Network’s Programme Managers working to manage and support the running of national and local peer support services across Scotland. Her role involves overseeing commissioning work, working with local teams to develop and set up local services, preparing funding applications and evaluating impact. She has expertise in working with health boards, HSCPs and national groups with an interest in infant feeding across Scotland and the UK to share best practice around peer support and supporting families.
Sarah worked as a Clinical Research Associate before having children and has been involved with peer support since attending a local BfN peer support group in Ayrshire with her first child. She trained as a peer Helper with the BfN in 2006 and since then has continued to volunteer at the same group she first attended, looking for support as a new mum. She is a trained Breastfeeding Supporter and also a Tutor/Supervisor with BfN, helping to train and support new volunteers across the UK. She is also a Baby Friendly Initiative qualified Advocate.
She combines these skills and experience with the role of Programme Management and is committed to ensuring all parents across Scotland have access to evidence-based information and peer support to help them feel connected to a supportive community and empowered and confident in caring for their new baby.
Anthea Tennant-Eyles
Programme Manager (London)
Anthea is one of BfN’s Programme Managers who oversees commissioned services across London, where we deliver and develop a wide range of infant feeding peer support services. The Programme Manager is a key role supporting the sharing of UK-wide best practice and knowledge.
Anthea worked as an academic post-doctoral research scientist before having children, and with that gained a new passion for breastfeeding peer support after training as a BfN Helper with her first child. Going on to train as a Supporter and Tutor/Supervisor with BfN, she combines her peer support training and knowledge with her PhD research skills and management experience, into the role of Programme Manager. She enjoys supporting involvement of academic research into BfN work and the charity’s commitment to becoming a diverse and inclusive charity that works to reduce health inequalities.
Nina White
Programme Manager (England)
Nina trained as a BfN Helper in 2008 and went on to complete Supporter Training then take on the role of Supervisor in her area. She managed the Sandwell Project from 2010 to 2016 before going on to work as Programme Manager for England—supporting our Service Managers, developing relationships with new areas and setting up new services and projects.
She also takes a lead on Safeguarding with the other Programme Managers and the national evaluation of our work.
Nina is based in the West Midlands and enjoys swimming, running, reading and being outdoors with her family.
Eleanor Johnson
Programme Manager (South England and Wales)
Eleanor became a volunteer with BfN in 2010 following the arrival of her first child. She is passionate about ensuring all families receive evidence-based, independent, information to inform and empower their own unique feeding journeys.
Eleanor has a degree in Psychology and a background in Retail Management. She managed projects in Portsmouth and Southampton from 2012, before going on to work as Programme Manager for South England and Wales in 2024. She is also a Tutor, Supervisor, and Approved Internal Moderator for BfN, with involvement in the quality assurance of the charity’s training and development.
Eleanor currently sits on the Baby Friendly Initiative, Designation Committee and led on the first wave of Infant Feeding delivery through Family Hubs in Southampton.
In her spare time, she enjoys cold-water swimming and crocheting.
Eleanor is based in Portsmouth.