A Warm Welcome

Dear Members and Colleagues

I am very pleased to have finally made it up to Carlisle and to have started work alongside the fantastic team we have at Cumbria CVS. This is only the start of my third week, so please bear with me as I work out which way is which!  In the coming months I hope to meet many of you and the organisations and networks of which you are such an important part.

A quick note of introduction then: I join you having most recently worked at the UK Faculty of Public Health, as CEO, for five years. This was a wonderful experience and involved working with leading experts and partners from a wide range of public health issues – as well as a committed staff team – and gave me a wider perspective on the determinants of health, health systems and global health issues.  Before that, I worked in a variety of roles for RNIB – initially in research, then operational management and service delivery at local, regional and national levels, before moving on to establish a blindness prevention programme across the UK.

So – what am I up to? Well, I am planning to take some time to learn the ropes, find out what our members and networks think of us as an organisation and how we can be of most use to you and the people of Cumbria.  I hope to make connections and raise the profile of the amazing work undertaken by the voluntary sector – often in partnership with the public and private sector – and to reinforce its importance in the economic and social landscape.  I welcome your ideas and suggestions – and will launch more extensive consultation on our future strategy in due course – but suffice to say I am confident that Cumbria CVS is in good shape and with your help and support, will be supporting the sector to achieve even more success in what are undoubtedly challenging times.

Thank you again for your warm welcome to a “Lancashire lad” – and I look forward to working with you all!

David Allen
Chief Executive Officer
Cumbria CVS