Adventurer Dwayne Fields named Scouts chief
Scouts has appointed Dwayne Fields, the first Black Briton to reach the North Pole, as its new chief scout.
He will lead half a million young people and adult volunteers, focusing on teaching life skills and demonstrating leadership.
A major part of Fields’ mission is to attract new volunteers, especially from communities new to Scouts, by visiting these areas and inspiring teams to expand the movement.
Fields said: “I hope my story will encourage others to join and achieve their dreams.
“I am calling for more volunteers to step up and make a difference to young people’s lives across the country.”
CEO appointed at Cancer52
Cancer52 has appointed Chris Walden as its new chief executive.
Chris expressed his enthusiasm for the role, stating: “I have long appreciated the impact of Cancer52’s work and can’t wait to take on the CEO role and lead Cancer52 forward.”
Cancer52 represents rare and less common cancers, excluding breast, bowel, lung, and prostate cancers.
Susannah Hardyman appointed as Impetus CEO
Susannah Hardyman has been appointed as the new CEO of Impetus, which supports young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, starting in January 2025.
As founder and current CEO of Action Tutoring, Hardyman has led the charity in supporting thousands of disadvantaged young people to improve their academic performance, with 7,000 tutoring courses delivered to over 6,000 pupils in 2022-23.
Action Tutoring has been part of the Impetus portfolio for over a decade, and Hardyman has demonstrated strong leadership, growing her team to over 70 people and managing 1,800 volunteer tutors annually.
The Wallich appoints next chief executive
Karen Robson will take over as chief executive of Welsh homelessness charity the Wallich on 23 September, succeeding interim CEO Sian Aldridge, who will return to her role as director of operations.
Robson’s previous roles include leadership positions at RNID, the Care Collective, the National Association of Disability Practitioners, and Cardiff Metropolitan University.
The Wallich, established in 1978, supported 8,306 people facing homelessness or financial hardship in Wales during 2023-24, and runs 132 services across 21 of the 22 Welsh local authorities.
Genetic Alliance UK recruits CEO
Mark Flannagan has been appointed as the new chief executive of Genetic Alliance UK.
Flannagan has held senior leadership positions in the NHS, national charities, medical organisations, and the private sector throughout his career.
He was chief executive of Beating Bowel Cancer for seven years until 2017 and most recently served as director of marketing and communications at Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust from 2017 to 2024.
Flannagan said: “I’m delighted to join Genetic Alliance UK at this vital time to drive implementation of the charity’s new five-year strategy to improve the lives of millions of people in the UK affected by genetic, rare and undiagnosed conditions.”
Marketing chief appointed as HorseWorld’s CEO
Jo Coombs has been appointed as the new chief executive of HorseWorld Trust, based in Bristol.
She will replace Petra Ingram, who has stepped down after four years at the charity.
Formerly UK chief operating officer of Publicis Groupe and CEO at Ogilvy, Coombs will lead HorseWorld, established in 1952, focusing on rescuing and rehabilitating horses and supporting children with special educational needs through its discovery programme.
Coombs said: “It is an absolute privilege to be taking on the role of CEO at one of the most respected equine charities in the country, founded in Bristol 72 years ago.”
CEO at college charity steps down from role
Rachel Black is stepping down as chief executive of the Orpheus Centre after nearly six years, to become CEO at St Joseph’s Hospice in Hackney.
The Orpheus Centre, located in Surrey, is a charity and college for young disabled people aged 18-25, focusing on life skills and creative arts.
Under Black’s leadership, student numbers grew from 38 in 2019 to 66, with plans to accommodate up to 100 in future.
Target Ovarian Cancer appoints CEO
Catherine Hart has been appointed as the new chief executive of Target Ovarian Cancer.
With 20 years of experience in the health and charity sectors, Hart has previously held roles at Cancer Research UK, University College London, Guy’s & St Thomas’ Charity and, most recently, as director of development at the Zoological Society of London.
Hart said: “I look forward to working together to build on our achievements and accelerate progress toward our mission of doubling survival from ovarian cancer by 2050, ensuring that everyone affected by ovarian cancer gets the support, information and treatment they deserve.”
Redthread CEO joins criminal justice charity
Lucie Russell has left Redthread, as the charity merges into Catch22, to become chief executive of criminal justice charity User Voice.
Redthread’s chief operating officer Tayo Salami and director of services Garnet Johnson will also be leaving the charity over the next couple of months as the merger progresses.
Kate Wareham, strategic director of Catch22’s young people, families and communities hub, will be leading Redthread as its director.
Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre CEO steps down
Mridul Wadhwa has stood down as CEO of Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre (ERCC) after a critical report into the charity.
A report commissioned by Rape Crisis Scotland and published last week found that ERCC did not provide dedicated women-only spaces for around 16 months.
ERCC said in response: “We are in daily communication with Rape Crisis Scotland, have met their urgent demands, and are currently implementing the recommendations in the report.”
The charity said recruitment of a new CEO will happen in due course.
UnLtd CEO to become ACEVO chair
ACEVO has announced Mark Norbury as its incoming chair, following a thorough selection process to succeed Rosie Ferguson, who finishes her term in November.
Norbury has been chief executive of UnLtd since 2016, an organisation that supports social entrepreneurs,
“I am honoured to join ACEVO as its new chair,” Norbury said.
“Rosie has done an exceptional job, and I’m lucky to build on her legacy.”
Chair recruited at World Habitat
World Habitat has appointed Adam Challis as its chair.
Adam Challis currently leads UK research and strategy at real estate firm JLL and previously chaired World Habitat’s finance and investment committee.
World Habitat focuses on finding sustainable housing solutions to address issues such as climate change, displacement, inequality, conflict, and economic instability.
Kate Sayer to step down as Bond chair
After nearly five years in her role as chair of NGO umbrella body Bond, Kate Sayer will be stepping down in November 2024.
Since joining in November 2019, Sayer has guided Bond through significant events, including the pandemic, the foreign and international development department merger, and cuts to the UK aid budget.
Established in 1993, Bond supports more than 350 civil society groups from across the UK.
CFG appoints two directors
Charity Finance Group (CFG) has appointed two new members to its leadership team.
Sue Hall has been appointed as interim digital transformation director and Kath Qualtrough joins as interim finance director.
Qualtrough, who previously worked at Humentum and Bond, will take over from CFG director of finance and operations Rui Domingues who, after four years, will be moving to a new role with London City Mission.
Hall, who previously worked at Parkinson’s UK and Prostate Cancer UK, has joined CFG on an interim basis to lead its digital transformation programme.
Canterbury Cathedral appoints first fundraising director
Canterbury Cathedral has appointed Sarah Harmer as its first director of fundraising.
Harmer, who will start at the Cathedral in December, is currently director of development and audiences at the Wallace Collection in London.
Canterbury Cathedral is soon to launch a 10-year strategy under the leadership of dean David Monteith.
Parkrun director steps down
Tom Williams, who held key leadership roles at Parkrun, including overseeing operations in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), has stepped down from his position to pursue new opportunities.
Williams left his university job in 2011 to work full-time for Parkrun, eventually becoming managing director of Parkrun EMEA.
He said: “Almost 14 years ago, I gave up my safe and secure lecturing job to volunteer for this wonderful movement, and every day since then I've been fortunate to enjoy the most incredible journey.”
LEGO executive joins health play charity’s board
Christian Pau, VP and general manager of LEGO Group for the UK and Ireland, has joined children’s charity Starlight’s board of trustees.
Starlight is dedicated to improving play opportunities for children undergoing treatment.
Cathy Gilman, Starlight’s chief executive, said: “In addition to his vast experience as a global leader and strategist, he really understands Starlight’s purpose and the importance of play and will help us to bring the power of play to even more children in hospital and hospices.”
Duke of Edinburgh’s Award appoints two trustees
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) has appointed Polly Williams and Rob Shuter as trustees to help the charity reach 1.6 million young people by 2026.
Their roles will support the DofE’s Youth Without Limits strategy, aiming to improve access for marginalised young people.
DofE encourages young people from diverse backgrounds to develop confidence, skills, and self-belief through personal challenges, passions, and talent discovery, offered in various institutions across the UK.
Refuge announces actor Ellie Bamber as ambassador
Actor Ellie Bamber has joined Refuge as its newest ambassador to raise awareness of the charity’s work in supporting domestic abuse survivors and their children.
Bamber made her film debut in 2014 and has since gone on to star in a host of major films and TV shows, including Nocturnal Animals, Willow and Les Misérables.
“Refuge provides a lifeline for thousands of women and their children every year, and I am thrilled to be joining their celebrity ambassador programme so that we can work to not only support survivors, but campaign for a world where domestic abuse is not accepted,” she said.
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