Celebrating care, community and commitment: The Evans' journey with Home Instead
As 2025 draws to a close and Home Instead celebrates 20 years of relationship-led home care in the UK, the story of franchise owners Bryn and Jill Evans stands as a powerful reminder of the people, principles and community spirit that have shaped the brand’s national success. Now approaching their own 20 year-milestone in 2026, their journey is deeply intertwined with Home Instead’s evolution into the UK’s leading home care franchise.
Back in 2006, when home care was still relatively unknown in the UK, Bryn and Jill took a leap of faith. Neither came from a care background: Jill worked in advertising and marketing, and Bryn in IT consultancy, but they shared the belief that older people deserved something better, a way to remain at home, living independently, supported by care that was truly personal, and became the first franchise to open in the UK.
Their own personal experiences fuelled that vision. After Jill struggled to find the right support for her grandfather, the couple discovered Home Instead’s model of relationship-led, one-to-one care. They knew immediately this was the future.
Learn more about Home Instead’s relationship-led approach to home care.
Nearly 20 years of their own impact
Fast forward to today, Bryn and Jill have built a thriving, multi-territory operation spanning Sheffield North, Sheffield South and Barnsley. Their business has supported over 2,000 local people, grown to 160+ Care Professionals and 27 members of staff. They have also expanded their services to include specialist dementia care, complex and live-in care, and have embedded themselves as trusted pillars of the local community. Their ethos has never changed, delivering care that they would be happy for their own family to receive.
Find out how Home Instead supports franchise owners to grow sustainable, multi-territory businesses.
By their 15-year milestone in 2021, the couple reflected on how far they’d come, not just as business owners, but as part of a growing movement.
As Home Instead celebrates their 20-year milestone, the Evans’ story reflects exactly why the brand has become the most recommended home care company in the UK.
An office with a sentimental name
In June 2023, Bryn and Jill reached another defining moment, with the grand opening of Jackson House, the new home of their Sheffield South office.
Named in memory of Bryn’s mother, Enis Jackson, who became the company’s first Care Professional back in 2006, Jackson House symbolises everything the Evans’ have built: family values, continuity service and heartfelt community connection.
The opening was attended by notables including the lord Mayor of Sheffield, Colin Ross, the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of South Yorkshire, Rev Peter Bradley, and Martin Jones MBE, CEO of Home Instead UK & International.
Reflecting on 2025 and looking ahead to the new year
As Bryn and Jill move closer to their own 20-year celebration in 2026, Jackson House stands as a symbol of the enduring power of care rooted in community and family.
Speaking at Home Instead’s 20th anniversary celebrations in 2025, the couple, the very first franchise owners in the UK, reflected on the journey with genuine emotion. “It’s been an amazing journey,” Bryn said, “and it’s wonderful to come back and celebrate what we’ve achieved as a network.”
Jill added: “It’s been 20 years of fun, hard work, craziness, and celebrating something we’ve built together that’s been special. Thanks to all the clients, Care Professionals and key players, because that’s what it’s all about. We’re super proud.”
Their words capture the heart of their story: a business built not just on growth and achievement, but on relationships, resilience and a deep sense of gratitude for the people who have made it all possible.
With Home Instead, they’ve found the flexibility and freedom of owning their own business while making a genuine difference. “It has been an exceptional experience,” they’ve said, “one we would recommend to anyone who wants to be their own boss whilst really making a difference.”
As Home Instead looks back on 2025 and two decades of transforming home care across the UK, Bryn and Jill Evans remain living proof of the brand’s founding promise: that care, when delivered with heart, changes lives for clients, families and Care Professionals alike.