Contact appoints new Chair of Trustees

2 mins read

Friday 27 September 2024

Tags: parent carer, trustees, governance, charity leader


Contact is delighted to announce the appointment of our new Chair of Trustees, Vanessa Longley.

Vanessa, an experienced leader in the not-for-profit sector, will replace our outgoing Interim Chair Angela Kitching. Angela has helped lead Contact for the last year, and before that was Deputy Chair and Trustee for six years.

Vanessa is parent to a disabled young person. She has benefited from Contact’s support as she went on her own journey through diagnosis and seeking support for her daughter.

Personal passion for supporting families

Vanessa is currently the CEO of Chance UK, reaching children aged 5-14 at their earliest point of need to provide 1:1 support. She brings a wealth of senior leadership experience, having worked as interim CEO at YoungMinds and with over 25 years in children’s and healthcare charities including Mencap and Havens Hospices.  

Vanessa said: “I am thrilled to join Contact as the new Chair of Trustees, which unites my personal passion for supporting families and lived experience of raising a child with additional needs. Contact’s dedication to supporting and uniting families, while empowering them to advocate for others, deeply resonates with me. I look forward to working alongside this amazing community to make a meaningful impact.”

Vanessa is passionate about amplifying the voices of families with children with disabilities and additional needs and putting their experiences at the heart of everything from advocacy and services to fundraising and communications. She is also a qualified bereavement counsellor and a Trustee for SignHealth. 

Vision and drive

Anna Bird, CEO of Contact, said: “We are delighted to have Vanessa as Contact’s Chair of trustees. Both her personal and professional experience, as well as her vision and drive to shape change, will be a huge benefit to Contact as we move forward and launch our new strategy.

“Contact has a hugely important role to play in creating social change for families who need it most. Vanessa’s leadership will help us in our ambition to do that.”