Linkage Community Trusts Appoints New Chair of Trustees
Thu 3rd June 2021
Mark Smith has been elected as the new Chair of Trustees at Linkage Community Trust, a Lincolnshire based charity providing education and care for people with learning disabilities and autism.
Mr Smith was elected into the position at the charity’s AGM on Tuesday 25th May 2021. His appointment follows the recent death of Michael Oliver, the incumbent Chair, in March 2021, who was due to retire from the role this year and had already set plans in place to find a successor.
Mr Smith comes to the role with more than 20 years’ board experience in financial strategy and technology in FX FinTech before leaving the sector to use his knowledge and business acumen in non-executive roles to help other organisations grow. Keen to support the wider social benefit, Mark has also vast experience in supporting not for profit organisations as a volunteer including serving as Peterborough Cathedral’s Trust chair since 2018.
Commenting on the new role Mark Smith said: “I am delighted to be the new chair of such a wonderful charity that has been recognised as delivering excellent specialist education and care for over 40 years. After a long and successful career in the commercial sector I wish to use that experience to help support the charity in achieving its ambitions for future growth.
“Linkage has exciting plans in place for the future and I am looking forward to working with the charity to help extend its activities to enable more support to be provide to more people with learning disabilities or autism to enable them to live more independent lives.”
Valerie Waby, Chief Executive of Linkage Community Trust said: “The impact of covid over the last 15 months have presented many challenges for charitable organisations such as ours but Linkage has emerged ready to embark on ambitious future plans and I am extremely delighted to welcome Mark Smith as the newly appointed Chair of Trustees. Mark brings to our team energy and enthusiasm, coupled with a wealth of knowledge and experience. Both I and the Trustees are looking forward to working with him.”
Find out more about Linkage Community Trust Trustees.
