​Hanif Barma, Chair of Trustees at St Christopher’s, is retiring after three years in the role and 11 years as Trustee. He will be succeeded by Bert O’Donoghue, current Vice Chair, from the start of October.

Hanif said: “They say all good things come to an end. And for me, that’s certainly the case for when I step down as Chair of St Christopher’s. This has been a hugely rewarding role for me and there have been many positives for me during my time as Chair – some excellent inspection results, our first apprenticeships for the young people we look after, our work with young people from Calais camps, innovations such as Safe Steps and Staying Close, embedding social pedagogy as our core philosophy of care, and welcoming Future Families to St Christopher’s are just a few examples.”

Bert said:​ “I am delighted and honoured to be taking over as Chair of St Christopher’s and to follow and build on the excellent work that Hanif has done. It is an exciting time for the organisation, with a new chief executive starting in mid October – we are looking forward to his leadership and to what he brings from his experience in this sector. My role and that of the Trustees will be to support and guide him as he takes on his new role.

“I will focus on supporting the building of detailed plans based on our three strategic aims – creating more excellent homes, fostering and support for children and young people, improve emotional wellbeing, and promoting lifelong learning and thriving.”

We would like to thank Hanif for his continued commitment over the past 11 years and wish him well for the future.