Board
Board and Founding member
Future Families has 10 years of exemplary financial stewardship, committed staff and successful impact.
Penny Learmonth
Founder and Executive Director
Penny is the founder and current executive director of Future Families; a dynamic, social enterprise based, NPO working in the field of HIV/AIDS, economic strengthening and social assistance to refugees and asylum seekers. She is a Social Worker by training with 40 years’ experience in the field and over 10 years’ experience of managing and growing this NPO. The 3000% growth in funding over the decade since inception is testament to her skills and commitment to creating an NGO that is well-funded, sustainable, strives for financial independence and is a leader in the sector it operates.
Her passion is inspiring people to reach their full potential and empowering threatened families to create their own futures unrestrained by the circumstances they found themselves in. The Future Families’ operational and therapeutic strategies pioneered by Penny, are based on recent academic research, established grassroots community development methods and a demand for ever increasing cost effectiveness while reaching ever present targets and meeting funder demands. This innovative, integrated social work management approach ensures targeted families receive the psycho, social and economic support they desperately require to survive and ultimately thrive.
Penny leads Future Families based on the conviction that NPOs have a vital role to play in the development of South Africa and her most disadvantaged people; as long as they are well governed, relevant to the community they serve, and constantly seek ever greater autonomy.
Penny has presented the work of Future Families at a number of conferences, the most recent being in December 2019 at the 20th International conference on AIDS and STI’s in Africa in Kigali.
Clair Oxley-Oxland
Chairwoman
Clair Oxley-Oxland has led the Human Resources Department and ISO Quality assurance at Panoramic Components for over 20 years. She has been actively involved with Future Families for many years and has over 30 years of NPO experience. She holds a B.Ed and before joining Panoramic was an educator for over 20 years.
Jeff van Niekerk
Director
Jeff van Niekerk is a CA (SA) and held the position of Head of Finance SA for over 10 years with Corteva Agriscience and then Regional Ethics and Compliance Head for a further 5 years. He has served in volunteer capacities in the Methodist Church and on school governing bodies. He has over 20 years of NPO experience.
Palesa Makobe
Director
Palesa Makobe is our newest Director and joins us with a wealth of experience from the commercial finance industry most recently as a Partner at Deloitte South Africa. She is a CA (SA) and holds an MBA from Columbia Business School & London Business School.
Sipho Sibanda
Director
Sipho Sibanda is a practice lecturer in Social Work as the University of Pretoria. This gives him insight into the realities of Social Work at the coal face as well as the latest theory in Social Work. He has extensive experience in the field of Children’s services and is busy with this PhD in Social Work.
Pinky Hlatswayo
Director
Pinky Hlatswayo is our staff elected Board member and was elected in 2020. She has a background in finance and over 10 years of NPO experience.
Jessica Huntley
Director
Jessica Huntley’s professional experience includes roles in publishing and the charity sector – in both the UK and South Africa. Her core skills are in persuasive writing, fundraising, communications, project management, and networking and relationship building. In her spare time, you’ll find her exploring the outdoors with her family.