December 7, 2024

Cumbria CVS is delighted to announce its new Chief Executive; Dr Carolyn Otley will be taking over in January, following David Allen’s retirement.

Carolyn will already be well known to many of you, as she’s worked in partnership roles for Cumbria CVS for over 20 years. For the last five years, she’s been our Community Resilience Coordinator, helping to integrate voluntary organisations and community groups into Cumbria’s response to emergencies, a role that became particularly busy during the Coronavirus pandemic! Carolyn was subsequently awarded an MBE for services to the community during this period, which saw her chair the community resilience structures that formed part of Cumbria’s response to the pandemic, involving over 200 new community groups alongside established voluntary sector organisations.

Outside of work, Carolyn’s a keen mountaineer, and a volunteer with Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team, as well as being a trustee for Cumbria Scouts and for her local village hall.

Carolyn said, “I’m thrilled to be taking on the Chief Executive role of an organisation I know so well. I know I’ve got a brilliant base to build on, and I look forward to getting to know more of our member organisations over the coming months, so that we can grow our support for local voluntary and community sector organisations, and give them a strong voice across Cumbria.”

Chair of Trustees, Sheila Gregory, said “’I am really delighted with this appointment. I have known Carolyn for over 20 years and I have always been impressed by her enthusiasm, diligence and dedication to Cumbria CVS. Carolyn has always committed herself to the things that matter to Cumbrians, through her work supporting community reliance through floods, pandemic and so much more. So I couldn’t be more pleased with her appointment to lead CCVS through its next phases of development in these changing and challenging times. I look forward to working with her”.