Welcome, Vanessa!

We are delighted to announce that Vanessa Ford has joined us as a Trustee. With a career spanning over two decades in project management across life sciences and healthcare and lots experience already of rescuing animals, she's a perfect addition to our team!

"Beyond my professional life, I have a keen interest in wildlife, particularly rescuing swans in need, which is how I spend a large portion of my free time!" says Vanessa. "I've had many interactions with Craven Wildlife Rescue as they have cared for many swans we have rescued. I've seen first-hand the dedication required to protect and rehabilitate vulnerable animals and this has given me an appreciation of not only the challenges faced by CWR, but the opportunities too. The work they do is totally inspiring and I'm beyond excited to be joining as a Trustee."

Jane Carpenter, Co-Founder and Chair of the Board of Trustees adds: "Vanessa is one of the most experienced swan rescuers we've ever met. She not only is committed to our vision and why we do what we do, she understands the importance of partnership building, robust fundraising, community engagement, and governance in enabling our work to thrive. We are thrilled to have her on board."

Vanessa brings a wealth of experience in governance, business planning, risk management, and stakeholder engagement. For the past 9 years she has worked with the Board of Broughton Life Sciences, latterly as Group Projects Manager, focussing on the delivery of projects to grow and improve the business. She has successfully delivered large-scale, multi-million-pound programmes, introduced governance frameworks to strengthen accountability, and ensured compliance with international standards such as ISO 9001, Medical Device regulations and pharmaceutical regulations. She also brings technology and systems expertise, having led the implementation of software systems, working with IT service providers to set up new and maintain existing IT systems, and working at Board level to develop new business processes.

She takes up her Trustee role immediately.