The Cabinet Office has appointed Dr Astrid Bonfield and Tony Burton to the board of the Big Lottery Fund (BIG).

They will both take up the position on 1 December 2012.

Bonfield (pictured) is the chief executive of both the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust and the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fund.

Burton was director of policy and communications at the Design Council until recently. He was made redundant in September 2012 after six months in the role, before that he was the founding director of Civic Voice and was awarded a CBE in the Jubilee honours for services to planning, local government and community.

Peter Ainsworth, chair of the board said: “Astrid and Tony join BIG at a really important time as we face a period of challenge and change for communities across the UK. I am delighted that they will bring their valuable VCS to BIG; they join at an important juncture as we develop BIG’s strategic framework and roll out new programmes.”

Three members, Diana Whitworth, John Gartside and Roland Doven, are leaving the board after completing their second term. Whitworth chaired BIG’s international grants committee, Gartside was the member from the England committee and Doven chaired the audit and risk committee.

The BIG board, which currently has nine members, is responsible for the overall strategic direction of the fund and members are paid £7,848 per year for an average time commitment of three days a month. Appointments are for a four-year term with the option of reappointment for a second term.