Our people

Fran Cowie

Co-Chair & Digital Officer

Fran Cowie and her partner Rob, based in Lincoln outside Christchurch, always knew that they were going to home educate their 2 daughters (7 and 4). Hailing from Cardiff, Wales, Fran made the move to call Aotearoa New Zealand home in 2014. Fran has a background in process, project and financial management across a range of large commercial and educational organisations. In the Uk she worked for large multinational companies across retail, insurance and technology. On moving to NZ she joined the office of the Director of Learning Resources at the University of Canterbury providing financial and project management oversight of the University's ten year capital programme, including the post-quake campus rebuild. Since having children, Fran has offered her skills and experience volunteering across a range of community organisations. 


Mel Ewart

Co-Chair & Secretary

Mel Ewart has been homeschooling her two children since 2015 and recently moved from Marlborough to the Wairarapa. Mel is originally from North Wales and came to Aotearoa with her (now) husband Ian in 2001. Mel has many years of governance and administration experience in the not for profit sector,  in organisations such as  Plunket, Playcentre, Queen Charlotte Yacht Club, Marlborough Colleges Sailing Club, NZIODA and Wairarapa Youth Orchestra amongst others. She works part time as administrator to the Council of Medical Colleges in New Zealand.  Through her children's experiences, Mel has seen how limited equitable access to sporting opportunities is for home educated rangatahi in Aotearoa and is pleased to support HESSA to address this inequity. 


Peter Gore

Advocacy

Located on a lifestyle block on the outskirts of Hamilton, Peter and his wife have been homeschooling their three kids for 11 years. They are also guardians to their (now) 18 year old foster child who was educated via the public school system to Year 13. They are an active family that enjoys a wide range of outdoor pursuits and sports. Peter’s wife coaches homeschool hockey and is fully engaged within the greater homeschool community. Their kids are also enrolled in Kumon Maths, extracurricular Physics workshops hosted at Waikato University, music, speech and drama, and other academic workshops that are offered within the homeschool community throughout the year. Their family places a big emphasis on academic learning. Peter is a LINZ accredited Property Consultant, as well as the founder of a tech startup company and he has been a director on two company boards. He has extensive experience in corporate governance and sports administration at a volunteer level. Peter has been a committee member of several clubs including Waikato Gun Dog Club and the Waikato Offroad Racing Club where he has held secretary and treasurer roles. Peter has also front footed the homeschool discussion with NZSSSC over the last 4.5 years advocating for the inclusion of the homeschool community in school sports.


Andy Mannering

Inclusion Officer

Andy and his wife have two teenage boys, Lachie (15) and Jackson (14), and have been homeschooling since 2015. Over the last 25 years Andy has held a variety of leadership roles within for-purpose organisations, local government and now central government. He is currently employed by Kāinga Ora as the Waikato Kaiwhakahaere Hononga Hapori where he has the privilege of leading the Partnerships and Engagement Team for the Waikato. Prior to this he was employed by Hamilton City Council for 14 years, responsible for the relationship management of the community sector with the Council. He also managed the policy and allocation of the contestable funding environment of Council ($2.5millon per annum). For the last 8 years Andy has led the Flyers Junior Basketball Club in Hamilton city, managing every aspect of the club growth from administration and communications to coaching. The club has grown exponentially over this time and now sees 200 young people playing with 22 teams each term registered in Waikato Basketball led competitions.


Rico Van Niekerk

Health & Safety Officer

Rico van Niekerk and his wife Chantelle emigrated to New Zealand in 2008 and were based mainly in Christchurch before moving to Oamaru at the end of 2023.  An Engineer with a second degree in IT, it was his time at Meridian Energy as a Wind Reliability Engineer for the wind turbines that cemented his passion for health and safety and the importance of both within an organisation.  His family's homeschooling journey started when his oldest asked to be homeschooled after COVID-19 school closures because he felt he learnt so much more at home.  He joined the HESSA team because of his passion and belief in sport and the wellbeing that it offers, and consequently creating an environment where all children have equal opportunity to fully engage in all aspects of sport.    


Nadia Sole

NCHENZ Committee member

Nadia has been on the Executive Committee of the National Council of Home Educators (NCHENZ) for well over ten years and is currently serving as Co-ordinator. She lives with her husband Gavin and their three teen boys in Ōtautahi Christchurch. The family first experienced exclusion from competition due to their homeschool status when the boys were prevented from competing in Interschools Chess many years ago. As her middle son had a high ranking nationally, this was a big blow to his aspirations and he eventually abandoned competitive Chess altogether. Nadia has an extensive team management background, is a skilled communicator and is well known for her organisation abilities. She has served on several committees over the years and is active with her local home education groups.


As a committee we:

  • Honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi

  • Work to make decisions by consensus

  • Act in good faith by dealing respectfully with each other, respecting our diversity and celebrating our differences

  • Aim to achieve balanced representation in appointments and elected roles

  • Ensure that our members understand Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its importance to our kaupapa

  • Uphold international human rights instruments, especially but not limited to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)



Krystal Ward

Founding Member

Krystal has recently stepped back from HESSA to concentrate on her studies but maintains an advisory role with HESSA. The HESSA team is indebted to Krystal for her passion and dedication to getting HESSA up and running and wish her every success with her studies.

Living in the beautiful Hawkes Bay, Krystal and her husband love their rural outlook with their three tamariki (children) and a menagerie of animals. They have been home educating since 2015, enjoying all things outdoors and sports related, and are active members within their home-ed community. While raising her children, Krystal has enjoyed 15 years experience working within various not-for-profit and sporting organisations including Playcentre, Barnardos, Clive Rugby and Sports, Hastings Rugby and Sports, the National Council of Home Educators, and No 11 Squadron Air Training Corps - to name a few. Krystal’s passion for sports, health, wellness, equitable opportunities and inclusion were an easy fit with HESSA’s aims.