Guidestar UK has appointed Dr Catherine Walker as its new head of research. Walker previously held the same role at the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), and holds a PhD in economic psychology from the University of Exeter.

She has also authored several publications on charitable giving and civil society including A Lot to Give and Charity Trends.

Graham Leigh, head of GuideStar Data Services, said: “Catherine is a leading expert in the world of voluntary sector research, with a distinguished background in both academic and applied research. With her on board we can demonstrate to clients and to charities that we can provide high quality, meaningful data on the third sector.”

Walker added: “This is an incredible opportunity to really revolutionise the research that GuideStar does and the data it provides. The Directory of Social Change already has a fantastic reputation for providing information and the synergy between DSC and GuideStar offers huge potential.”