Hugh Thornbery CBE is to step down as Chair of Become
Press release
The former Chief Executive of Adoption UK and passionate child social care professional is leaving the organisation after six years in the role. Hugh, a qualified social worker and youth worker, has had a 40-year career in children and families social care, first in the public sector before moving to the charity field.
During his tenure at Become, Hugh used his wealth of experience and expertise to diversify the board and increase its number of care-experienced members, as well as help the organisation to grow in terms of reach and profile and strengthen its position as the voice for care-experienced young people.
He also steered the charity through the coronavirus crisis, aiding the organisation in delivering its services remotely and supporting staff as they transitioned to working from home.
Fellow board members, Andy Harris and Beth Taswell, will be interim co-chairs until a permanent replacement has been found. Both Andy and Beth joined the Board four years ago. Andy is an experienced leader and senior charity fundraiser and has worked for some of the UK’s best-known charities. Beth has a background of working in Higher Education and also brings her own care-experience to the role.
The charity is also pleased to welcome a new trustee, Frances Lang, to the board. Frances is a Chartered Accountant and has held senior roles in the charity sector, media, and finance.
Katharine Sacks-Jones, CEO of Become, says:
“Hugh has dedicated his whole career to improving the lives of disadvantaged children. We are extremely lucky to have had him as our Chair. He has made an invaluable contribution to Become, supporting us through difficult times such as the pandemic and always keeping us focussed on how we make the most difference to the young people we exist for.
His knowledge, passion, and the leadership he has provided have played a vital role in ensuring Become continues to put the voice of care-experienced children and young people at the centre of everything we do, helping to shape our services and informing our campaigns to bring about the changes most needed.
We thank Hugh for all he’s done and the tremendous legacy he leaves.
We’re very grateful to Beth and Andy for stepping forward to co-chair Become in the interim period and are excited about the benefits this model of leadership will bring to our organisation. We’re also pleased to welcome Frances to the board who brings a wealth of skills and experience.”