Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) has appointed Paul Rees, the National Housing Federation's head of campaigns and communications, to replace Mark Webster as director of communications following his exit in January.

Rees will start his new role with CAF at the end of August where he will report to chief executive John Low.

A former journalist, Rees worked for a range of national newspapers including The Times, the Evening Standard and for radio stations BBC Radio 5 Live and Radio 4. He later became head of communications at the Home Office and for the Zahid Mubarek public inquiry as well as director of communications at the lecturers' trade union AUT.  He has  spent the last four years at NHF.

John Low said of Rees' appointment: "I very much look forward to working with Paul and drawing on his first-rate campaign and communications experience for the benefit of charities here in the UK and around the world, and the philanthropy that underpins it."

The previous director of communications at CAF Mark Webster, himself a former journalist with experience at ITN and Channel 4, left the organisation in January to pursue a freelance career.