Kids announces next chief executive
Disabled children’s charity Kids has appointed Katharine Sacks-Jones as its incoming chief executive.
Sacks-Jones became CEO of Young Women’s Trust in March and will join Kids in November.
She will succeed Katie Ghose, who joined Kids in 2019 and is due to join Refugee Council next month, with Helen Ellis serving as acting CEO until Sacks-Jones takes up the post.
Mark Devlin, Kids chair, said: “Katharine brings a strong track record of leadership, a deep commitment to the voluntary sector and a genuine passion for improving outcomes for disabled children.”
Young Women’s Trust’s board said its recent recruitment process to hire Sacks-Jones identified other strong candidates and it aimed to have a successor in place by the end of the year.
Charity Digital appoints CEO
Imran Sanaullah, founder of the Patchwork Foundation, has been appointed chief executive of Charity Digital.
He will succeed Maria Timon Samra, who has served as interim chief executive for the last 20 months.
Sanaullah led civic youth charity the Patchwork Foundation for more than seven years.
Most recently he was chief executive of the Adam Foundation, and he has also been CEO of the Avicenna Foundation.
“We find ourselves at a crucial turning point for the sector,” Sanaullah said. “Digital tools and AI have shifted from being optional to essential for charities.”
First permanent CEO hired at Adult Literacy Trust
Adult Literacy Trust has named Stevie Tyler as its first permanent chief executive.
Tyler was CEO of the Aplastic Anaemia Trust from 2020 to 2025, has almost 20 years of experience in the charity sector and holds a law degree from the University of Oxford.
She said: “At a time when the country is investing in AI and the skills of the future, adult literacy can’t be an afterthought.”
Brainkind brings in CEO
Brainkind has appointed Andy Cole as its chief executive who will join the charity in November.
Cole joins from Royal Star & Garter, where he is currently chief executive, and he also chairs the National Care Forum.
He previously led charity Bliss as chief executive and held senior leadership roles at Leonard Cheshire.
Cole, who succeeds interim CEO Chris Askew, said: “Brainkind has a bright future, and I am excited about what we can achieve together.”
British Library welcomes chief executive
The British Library has appointed Paul Bate as its chief executive and he will take up the role on 4 November.
Bate was CEO of the UK Space Agency from 2021 to 2026, and has previously held roles at Babylon Health, the government and the Care Quality Commission.
He succeeds interim chief executive Jeremy Silver, and chair Carol Black said: “The board were particularly impressed by [Bate’s] experience leading complex, research-intensive organisations.”
Lincolnshire Rural Support Network appoints CEO
Lincolnshire Rural Support Network has appointed Lisa Gibson as its chief executive.
Gibson joined the charity on 21 September, having worked at Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and South Lincolnshire Mind for more than five years, most recently as head of services, innovation and business development.
She takes over from Amy Thomas, who has been head of charity at LRSN for five years.
LRSN chair Matthew Phillips said Gibson’s “connection to farming and rural communities makes this a particularly special appointment for us”.
CEO joins Missing People
Missing People has appointed Katy Vaughan as its chief executive.
She will join the charity on 5 October following an open recruitment process.
Vaughan was most recently chief executive of St George’s Hospital Charity and has previously held senior roles at St Giles Trust and the Anna Freud Centre.
Interim chief executive Ross Miller will return to his role as director of fundraising and communications when she arrives.
Chair Lisa Jones said: “Katy’s commitment to equity and inclusion, and her passion for ensuring that lived experience remains at the heart of decision-making, are essential assets for the charity’s future.”
Avenue appoints CEO
Scottish support charity Avenue has appointed Seona Shand its chief executive.
Shand, who joined the charity last week, has worked across business, education and the third sector, and has experience on charity boards.
Avenue has been operating for more than 70 years to provide services in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Elgin.
Shand: “I want to help Avenue build on its incredible foundations, reach more people, develop new partnerships and make sure it’s in a really strong position for the future.”
AFK appoints first woman chair in 30-year history and new CEO
Disability charity AFK has appointed Miriam Deakin as chair and Katie Cavanagh as chief executive.
Deakin, a trustee since 2022 and director of strategy and policy at FODO Group, is the first woman to chair the charity since it was founded more than 30 years ago.
Cavanagh becomes permanent chief executive after nine months as interim, having previously been AFK’s director of fundraising and communications.
Outgoing chair Gurmeet Dhillon said: “I’m delighted to hand over to Miriam, who alongside Katie will I’m sure successfully lead AFK to even greater success.”
Chair named at Classics for All
Education charity Classics for All has appointed Andrew Copson as its next chair.
Copson will take up the role in early October, having been chief executive of Humanists UK since 2010. He was a trustee of the Religious Education Council of England and Wales.
He replaces Jimmy Mulville, who has chaired the charity since November 2020.
Jo Hobbs, Classics for All chief executive, said Copson “brings a rare combination of deep charity governance experience and a lifelong commitment to education and social mobility”.
Chair designate brought in at Access
Social investment foundation Access has appointed Daniela Barone Soares chair designate.
Barone Soares succeeds Nick Hurd, who will step down at the end of this month after six years in the role.
She was previously chief executive of impact investment fund Snowball until its acquisition by Tribe in 2025, and before that led venture philanthropy organisation Impetus.
One of her priorities as chair will be to lead the recruitment of a permanent chief executive, with Neil Berry serving as interim CEO as of 1 September.
Nesta picks three new trustees
Nesta has selected Tamara Finkelstein, Swarna Ramanathan and Shaunak Mazumder to join its board.
The trio started three-year terms on 1 September.
Finkelstein is chief executive of the Royal Academy of Engineering and was previously permanent secretary at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Ramanathan is a senior strategy and technology executive with more than 20 years’ experience in the automotive, energy and industrials sectors.
Mazumder has 20 years’ investment management experience and served as head of investments at Ownership Capital.
Victorian Society appoints four trustees
The Victorian Society has appointed Tom Ashley, Anna Dewsnap, Sarah Flew and Andrew Willetts as trustees at its annual general meeting on Friday.
Willetts, a chartered accountant, becomes the society’s finance trustee, succeeding Lynn Pearcy, who is standing down after ten years on the board.
Ashley is head of cathedrals and major church buildings for the Church of England, Dewsnap is a curator and heritage consultant, and Flew is director of development at the Royal College of Physicians.
The charity’s director James Hughes said: “We are enormously fortunate to welcome four people of this calibre to the Victorian Society.”
Country director brought in at FOUR PAWS UK
Animal welfare charity FOUR PAWS UK has brought in Neil D’Cruze as its country director, as the charity marks its 20th anniversary in the UK.
D’Cruze spent almost two decades at World Animal Protection, becoming head of wildlife research and policy, and was most recently strategic research lead at environmental organisation Canopy.
He is currently an academic visitor at Manchester Metropolitan University.
D’Cruze said: "My immediate priority is to work with the team, our supporters and partners to build on those strong foundations.”
Paul Hamlyn Foundation hires head of communications
Paul Hamlyn Foundation has hired Adam Rahman as its head of communications.
Rahman joins from the educational charity IntoUniversity.
He was previously head of communications at the National Zakat Foundation, older people’s charity the Silver Line and FOUR PAWS UK.
Rahman said: “I’m really excited to be joining Paul Hamlyn Foundation as their new head of communications.
“It feels like a particularly important time to be striving for social justice.”
