Former Oxfam CEO retires from role at Asylum Welcome
Mark Goldring, current director of asylum seeker and refugee charity Asylum Welcome and former CEO of Oxfam, has announced his retirement from his current role, effective May 2025.
Goldring also previously held leadership roles at the VSO and Mencap.
The charity has now begun recruiting for Goldring’s successor.
Chief executive of National Garden Scheme retires
George Plumptre, the chief executive of the National Garden Scheme, has announced that he will be retiring at the end of summer 2025 after 15 years in the role.
In his time as chief executive, Plumptre reportedly led the charity – which opens up private gardens to the public to raise money for other charities – to record levels of donations.
The National Garden Scheme will be commencing its search for a successor in the early new year.
New CEO for Barrow Cadbury Trust
Social justice charity, the Barrow Cadbury Trust, has appointed Asif Afridi as its new CEO from March 2025.
Afridi is currently deputy CEO at brap, a Birmingham-based, UK-wide, equality and human rights charity, with an inclusive and rights-based approach to equality.
He is also a trustee of Lankelly Chase Foundation and the Baring Foundation.
Mentell welcomes new CEO
James White has been announced as the new chief executive of men’s mental health charity, Mentell, effective immediately.
White has worked in the sector for over 15 years.
His previous roles include as head of public affairs and campaigns at Alzheimer’s Society, and head of advocacy and campaigns at Stroke Association.
Camden charity announces chair
Robin Morgan-Chu has been appointed as the new chair of the London-based grant-making charity, Camden Giving.
Morgan-Chu is currently the director of partnerships and policy at the School for Social Entrepreneurs.
In his new role, Morgan-Chu will take over responsibility for leading the charity’s board of trustees over the next four years.
Bath’s oldest charity appoints new chair
Bath and Northeast Somerset community charity St John's Foundation has appointed Sandra Forbes as the new chair of its board of trustees.
Forbes is a distinguished banking and corporate lawyer who has a proven track record in senior leadership positions, including 18 years as a partner at the national law firm Burges Salmon.
Forbes currently serves as a board director at Bath’s Holburne Museum and previously dedicated eight years as a governor at the University of the West of England, where she also served as deputy chair of governors.
New chair for Pilgrim Trust
Grantmaking charity the Pilgrim Trust has appointed Lord James Sassoon as its chair.
He began his five-year term on 1 January, following the tenure of outgoing chair, Sir Mark Jones.
Lord Sassoon is currently president of the China-Britain Business Council, and chair of Sir John Soane’s Museum.
London Marathon Foundation appoints director
Mike Diaper has been announced as the new group funding and impact director of the London Marathon Foundation.
Diaper’s previous experiences include senior roles at Sport England and leading the government’s national school sport strategy under Tony Blair.
The foundation is one of the UK’s major funders of projects that help children, young people, and underserved communities to lead active and healthy lives.
Association of Chairs appoints chair of large charities group
The Association of Chairs, a charity dedicated to supporting the leaders of charities and non-profits, has appointed Milla Mazilu as the new chair of its large charities special interest group (SIG).
Mazilu said: “I’m delighted to be volunteering with the Association of Chairs.
“With Helen Baker, the group’s current chair, stepping down, I am looking forward to building upon her accomplishments.”
ETF welcomes four trustees
Four new trustees have been appointed by the Education and Training Foundation (ETF), a professional development body for the further education and skills sector.
The new trustees are Anthony Carey, Shazia Ejaz, Mark Malcomson, and Brenda McLeish.
Each of the new trustees brings a variety of perspectives and experiences to ETF’s board, including representation from independent training providers and adult community learning and expertise in finance and membership and professional bodies.
New trustee joins board of Moorfields Eye Charity
Louise Robertshaw, the current group director of engagement at disability charity Sense, has been appointed a trustee of the board of Moorfields Eye Charity.
Robertshaw is also a trustee at the Thomas Pocklington Trust, a charity that supports people who are blind or partially sighted.
She takes on her new role at a time when Moorfields Eye Charity has grown its income to over £10 million a year and when the new centre for advancing eye health is set to open in St Pancras, Camden in 2027.
Two new trustees for British Red Cross
The British Red Cross has announced the appointment of Carl Cowling and Mark Beddy to its board of trustees.
Cowling is the group CEO of WH Smith PLC and also chairs the WH Smith ESG Steering Group, where he drives initiatives for sustainability and social impact.
Meanwhile, Beddy is a chartered accountant; he is also an independent member of the finance committee of the London Symphony Orchestra and is chair of LSO Productions.
Cowling and Beddy formally joined the board on 1 January, with Beddy also becoming the finance and audit committee chair.
MediCinema gets new trustee
Louise Parkes, current chief executive of the Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity, has joined MediCinema as a new trustee.
Parkes joined GOSH Charity as the chief executive in May 2019, prior to which she was at the helm of Barnardo's Income and Innovation division, where she led a directorate of over 2,000 people.
Parkes is joining the therapeutic cinema charity, which runs film screenings in hospitals across the UK, as it enters its 25th year.
Hospitality Action welcomes new ambassadors, patron and trustee
The hospitality industry charity, Hospitality Action, has announced the appointment of chef Charlie Hodson, director of Hodson Norfolk, as its newest patron.
In addition, Helen Milligan-Smith, Aramark president and CEO of UK and Global Offshore has been appointed as the charity’s newest trustee.
The charity has also appointed 16 more ambassadors to join its network of over 130 ambassadors.
Bowel Research UK appoints first celebrity ambassador
NHS doctor, chef and winner of BBC's 2017 MasterChef competition, Dr Saliha Mahmood Ahmed, has been announced as the first celebrity ambassador of Bowel Research UK.
Ahmed, who worked with Bowel Research UK to promote its gold award-winning microbiome garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, will join forces with the charity as its ambassador to continue to promote good gut health and raise awareness of bowel diseases.
“I’m really excited about my new role as ambassador for Bowel Research UK. I believe this will help us reach even more people with these important messages and help raise vital funds for research that can change and save lives,” said Ahmed.
Refuge announces new ambassador on Human Rights Day
Model, author and activist Charli Howard has been appointed as a celebrity ambassador for domestic abuse charity Refuge on the same day as Human Rights Day (10 December).
Howard has fronted numerous major fashion and beauty campaigns and published two novels and is renowned for championing women’s rights and body positivity.
She already has worked closely with Refuge over the past year, promoting the charity’s summer appeal and sharing her own experiences of domestic abuse to show survivors that they are not alone.
Scottish disability charity appoints two ambassadors
Former footballers Gordon Smith and Billy Davies have been appointed as the newest celebrity ambassadors for major Scottish disability charity, Capability Scotland.
Both ambassadors will play a key role in fundraising campaigns, aimed at raising funds to provide support for disabled people and their families.
Davies said: “From the first moment I connected with Capability Scotland, I wanted to get involved however I could.
“This is a charity doing incredible work, and I’m proud to be part of it. I’ll be helping to promote campaigns, sharing its message through my networks, and supporting fundraising efforts wherever I can.”
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