ACORNS Children’s Hospice has unveiled Toby Porter as the charity’s new chief executive.
Toby will take up his position at Acorns in September and will replace current chief executive David Strudley, who announced in March that he was stepping down after a decade of service with the charity.
Toby will make the move from his current role as chief executive of HelpAge International, a global network of organisations working to help older women and men claim their rights, challenge discrimination and overcome poverty in older age.
He has also worked in a number of director-level roles for Save the Children UK and Oxfam GB.
Toby said: “I am absolutely thrilled to be appointed as chief executive of Acorns, a charity with such a fantastic reputation and with so much ambition to do even more for children and families.
“Everyone I have spoken to has been so positive about Acorns and the care and support it provides right across the Midlands.
“The challenges ahead are clear as we strive to ensure every child and young person living in the region that is life limited or life threatened and their families receive the specialist care and support they need.
“David leaves a huge legacy of achievement and I look forward to working with all the dedicated staff and volunteers and building on this as we take the charity forward over the coming years.”
In the last decade the number of children being cared for by Acorns has almost doubled and the charity’s vision is to care for 1,000 children by 2020 and to provide support to more than 1,350 families including those who are bereaved.
Chair of the Trustees, David Butcher, said: “We undertook a rigorous process to appoint our new chief executive and were extremely impressed by Toby’s experience and commitment to our cause, vision and values.
“We very much look forward to welcoming Toby to Acorns Children’s Hospice later this year and him leading the organisation forward, building on David’s achievements of the last decade as we head towards our 30th anniversary in 2018,” he added.
