Collective Voice announces new Chair and Vice Chair

Collective Voice is pleased to announce the appointment of its new Chair and Vice Chair.

Paul Townsley, CEO of Humankind, will take over from Chair Karen Biggs from 1 April 2019. Lucie Hartley, CEO of EDP Drug and Alcohol Services, will take over from Vice Chair John Jolly on the same date. Paul, Lucie and the rest of the board will work closely with Director Oliver Standing to implement a new organisational strategy from April.

Karen has chaired Collective Voice since its inception in 2015, and said

“Chairing Collective Voice for the past three and half years has been an honour; I’m proud of the work delivered by the strong partnerships forged by the board with both directors Paul Hayes and Oliver Standing. We are in a strong position to move forward now with a new chair and strategy and I look forward to continuing to contribute as a board member.”

Paul said:

“Karen has done a brilliant job in providing strategic leadership for Collective Voice since we came together in 2015. Having been part of the alliance for some years now, I’m relishing the challenge of taking on the chairship and I look forward to working with the rest of the board – and Oliver – to drive forwards our exciting new strategy. I am interested in how we can collaborate with sector partners through 2019/20 to respond to major change and challenges and how we can work with experts by experience and smaller providers to make sure their voices are heard’.

Collective Voice is the national alliance of drug and alcohol charities. From 1 April two of its members (Blehnheim CDP and Humankind) will merge, leaving the membership comprising CGL, Changing Lives, Cranstoun, Humankind, EDP Drug and Alcohol Services, Phoenix Futures and Turning Point. Its Board is comprised of Chief Executive and directors from the member organisations. If you have any questions please contact Oliver.