The Fire Fighters Charity has refused to confirm or deny reports that its new chief executive has quit just nine months after taking up the role.
Jan Barlow joined the benevolent fund for firefighters, whose patron is the Queen, in February from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, where she had held the same position.
According to the Fire Fighters Charity’s 2009/10 annual report, its highest-paid employee earned a salary of between £140,000 and £150,000.
But Civil Society received reports this week that Barlow had resigned along with a number of other directors.
However, enquiries to the charity about Barlow's tenure were met with a blank wall. The PA to the directors referred all enquiries to the press office, who refused to say whether Barlow was still with the organisation. A spokeswoman said: “The charity does not comment on specific issues relating to its staff,” although she did say that the other directors alleged to have quit had not resigned and were still there.
According to the 2009/10 accounts just filed with the Charity Commission, the charity had income of nearly £9.3m. It employed 128 people and had 350 volunteers.
In February, when Barlow joined, the charity’s chairman Keith MacGillivray said: “We are delighted to have Jan on board; her wealth of experience will be an asset to the charity. I look forward to working with her.”
Before Barlow became CEO of Battersea Dogs & Cats Home she was chief executive of sexual health charity Brook.
The Fire Fighters Charity assists over 17,000 individuals every year, by providing treatment and support services from three therapy and recuperation centres in Cumbria, Devon and West Sussex.
