As the Foundation gears up to its 25th birthday, we’ve appointed a new trustee; Russell Bailey. Russell, who is currently a Regional Director at Faithful+Gould, is the latest representative to join the board, and brings his 15 years’ of business expertise to the table.

After first being introduced to the charity through the Building Better Lives initiative – a programme pledging over £3m to support housing charities in the West Midlands – Russell was inspired by the Foundation’s work. With a further insight into the diverse causes that are supported by the charity, Russell felt compelled to join the board alongside the 12 other trustees.

An expert in property and construction, Russell will support with procurement, property and construction, leading on the BBL programme and other projects.

Commenting on his new role, Russell said:

“I am delighted to be joining the board at the Heart of England Community Foundation. It’s such a great honour to be working alongside the passionate Chief Executive, Tina Costello, and a board of trustees who are all a credit to the West Midlands. The continued work that the Foundation is undertaking makes a palpable difference across the breadth of our region and I look forward to helping support as many people as possible.”

The appointment will see Russell support with the overall strategy, performance and governance of the charity all whilst providing specific expertise when required. He will also help to drive new grants by seeking out new companies within the West Midlands who are able to donate and support the great work that the Foundation is doing.

The Foundation’s Chief Executive Tina Costello, adds:

“We have such a great board of trustees who are all determined to drive forward the Foundation, delivering real results for our grant recipients. We couldn’t be happier to welcome Russell to the team. We’ve got so many plans for our 25th year so there is no better time to come on board than now. He will be a great asset to the team especially with his experience and area of expertise.”

To find out more about the Foundation’s Board of Trustees click here.