Amnesty International UK announces permanent chief executive
Amnesty International UK has appointed Sacha Deshmukh as its permanent chief executive.
Deshmukh has acted as the charity’s interim chief executive since May 2021. Before that, he was chair of War Child UK, deputy chair of Citizens Advice England & Wales and chief executive of Smart Energy GB. He is a non-executive director of the Fundraising Regulator.
Sen Raj, chair of Amnesty International UK’s section board, said: “Sacha joined Amnesty UK during a period of organisational transition and his leadership as an interim chief executive over the past year has helped improve trust, stability, communication, and collaboration across different parts of the organisation. I look forward to him moving into the permanent role and leading us through the next exciting and challenging phase of our work.”
Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance announces CEO
Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance has announced the appointment of Charles Hackett as its chief executive.
Hackett joined the charity following the retirement of Bill Sivewright. He has experience in the commercial and charity sectors and spent 17 years at GlaxoSmithKline in a variety of senior roles.
He said: “It is something of a dream come true for me to be able to join an organisation that so directly benefits individuals and communities here in the southwest. Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance has come so far over the past 22 years, working alongside its partners and supporters to collaborate and innovate, for the benefit of the patients they serve.
“I’m looking forward to meeting everyone associated with the charity and absolutely thrilled to be part of the team that will continue developing the service into the future.”
New CEO for Leap Confronting Conflict
The national charity providing help for people struggling financially has named Gabin Sinclair-Constance as its chief executive.
Sinclair-Constance has been with the charity for five years, starting as delivery manager before being promoted to director of London programmes. He has worked in the youth sector for thirty years and has held various senior leadership roles.
He said, “I’m thrilled to be taking the role of CEO at Leap, an organisation that truly aligns with my personal values. This represents a great step forward for diversity and equality at Leap – having been in conversations about the lack of representation in senior leadership roles across the charity sector, I’m excited to be a part of the change.”
Sustrans announces chair
Moray Macdonald has become the chair of Sustrans, a charity that supports people to walk and cycle.
Macdonald replaces Lynne Berry who stepped down after four and a half years. He joins from international business communications consultancy Instinctif Partners where he is group head of public policy.
Prior to that, he worked at Weber Shandwick as managing director and managing director of the agency’s Scottish offices. He was also chair of Scouts Scotland.
Xavier Brice, chief executive of Sustrans, said: “Moray has been appointed at a time when there is a pressing need for greener, cheaper and more pleasant ways to travel. With rising fuel prices, a climate emergency and our places still too dominated by cars, we all need truly sustainable transport that can create healthier places and happier lives for everyone now – nothing short of an active travel revolution.”
New chair and trustees for Magic Breakfast
The education charity has welcomed Aniela Shuckburgh as its new chair alongside two trustees, Julie Harkness and Jackie Newell.
Shuckburgh takes over from Joanne Thompson who has been in the position since May 2019.
Harkness is vice principal at Carr Manor Community School in Leeds. She has held leadership roles at inner-city primary schools for two decades.
Newell is headteacher Hollybrook Academy in Glasgow. She supports pupils with additional learning needs.
Lindsey MacDonald, chief executive of Magic Breakfast, said: “I’m excited that Aniela has been elected as the new chair and to welcome Jackie and Julie to the board.
“This year, we have reviewed and updated our strategy and plans to meet the need and challenges exacerbated by rising living costs and food insecurity. Further deepening Magic Breakfast’s understanding of communities in the North of England and Scotland will strengthen our voice as we advocate for investment in school breakfast provision to ensure no child or young person is too hungry to learn.”
King’s College Hospital Charity welcomes trustees
King’s College Hospital Charity has welcomed three trustees.
- Gillian Burgess is executive vice president and head of research at Gruenenthal, a pharmaceutical company. She is also the chair of Advanced Oxford and a trustee and member of the board of directors of the Rosalind Franklin Institute.
- Priscilla Lutalo is head of audit for operations and payments at Credit Suisse.
- Ian McKetty is chief information officer of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. He is also executive lead for Kew’s equality, diversity and inclusion programme, an independent governor at the University of Bedfordshire and a business mentor.
In addition, the charity has appointed Florence Akende as a member of its finance, audit and investment committee and Salah Mirza as its director of finance and resources.
Akende is a managing director at Barclays PLC and Mirza joins from the Architectural Association where she has held the role of director of finance and strategic development since 2019.
New trustees for The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
Three trustees have joined The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE).
• Anna Rose Barker was previously chair of the British Youth Council.
• Mo Isap is the founder and chief executive officer of IN4 Group, an innovation and technology hub operators. He is also the founding director, trustee and vice chair of Star Academies and a board director of The Career & Enterprise Company. Prior to that, he was co-chair of the Greater Manchester Local Enterprises Partnership.
• Ofei Kwafo-Akoto is head of legal at GLP Europe, a real estate fund manager. He was a trustee and company secretary at the Southside Young Leaders Academy and is a non-executive director at Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing.
London’s Air Ambulance Charity appoints director of fundraising and marketing
London’s Air Ambulance Charity as appointed Jayne Clarke as its director of fundraising and marketing.
Clarke brings a wealth of experience in the charity and private sectors. After working as the UK marketing lead for ethical bank Triodos, she moved to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution where she led the marketing, media, philanthropy, corporate and legacy teams.
She also worked at St Peter’s Hospice as director of income generation.
Jonathan Jenkins, chief executive officer of the charity, said: “London’s Air Ambulance Charity is entering into one of the most crucial periods in its history and in Jayne Clarke we’ve boosted our leadership team as we navigate the challenges of the next few years.
“Jayne brings with her substantial experience in marketing, communications and fundraising and will play a vital role as we prepare to launch our biggest ever public appeal.”
New high-performance lead for Goalball UK
The charity and national governing body for goalball in the UK has announced Gary Fraser as its high-performance lead.
Fraser is experienced in disability sport. He worked as regional development manager then performance manager at Scottish Disability Sport. In 2018, he led the Scotland Para Lawn Bowls team to the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
Mark Winder, chief executive officer of Goalball UK said: “This appointment is an exciting evolution for Goalball UK, as we continue to develop as a sport in all areas.
“Gary has strong experience of supporting athletes and their families and implementing talent identification and transfer programmes. The creation of the role represents a huge commitment by the board, and I wish to thank them for facilitating it.”
Cure Parkinson’s announces director of research
Dr Simon Stott has been promoted to director of research at Cure Parkinson’s.
Scott is currently the charity’s deputy director of research. His promotion follows the appointment of his predecessor Dr Richard Wyse as director of clinical development.
Scott has more than 15 years of experience in the field of Parkinson’s research, both in the academic and biotech sectors.
Will Cook, chief executive officer of Cure Parkinson’s said: “Simon’s appointment shows the trust he has earnt from colleagues and contemporaries alike. It results from his excellent service to, commitment for and leadership of many aspects of our work. It also signals the ambition of the charity, as Cure Parkinson’s grows, to enable our innovation and funding to continue to shape the field of Parkinson’s research.”
BSA appoints president-elect
Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon has been appointed as president-elect of the British Science Association (BSA).
Imafidon is a computer scientist, mathematician and author. She succeeds Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock and will take up the helm on 16 September. The position is a year-long, honorary appointment that begins in September and coincides with the annual British Science Festival.
Imafidon is a co-founder of Stemettes, a social enterprise supporting and advocating for more girls and non-binary people to participate in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) disciplines.
She said: “Becoming president of the BSA is a real honour; some great individuals have taken on this role and I’m really glad to be next. I am also pleased to see the organisation taking steps to recognise people from diverse backgrounds, something that was lacking in its history.
“I set up Stemettes to help remove barriers to technology for young women and non-binary people, and look forward to sharing these experiences to support the BSA in its work to engage communities underrepresented in STEM.”
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