A WIMBORNE man has been appointed CEO of a Christian charity that supports victims of domestic abuse back to independent living.
Andy Gilbert brings a raft of experience from his church charities and business background to the role with the Christchurch-based Water Lily Project.
He was instrumental in running a nationwide charity initiative to help churches become more dementia friendly, including working with Lambeth Palace, London home and centre of ministry of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
He was also managing director of a corporate team-building company and before that worked with Barclays Bank, Poole, managing strategic development and UK-wide programmes.
Andy said: “Water Lily Project supports women in their greatest times of need yet receives no government funding and relies solely on grants, awards, and fundraising.
“As the country enters an economic crisis, I know things are going to get even harder for the women we support and charities like Water Lily.
“We have a waiting list of women in crisis as cases of domestic abuse continue to rise. We’re also seeing more cases of women with mental health issues.”
Water Lily Project trustee Sue Daly said: “Andy brings a huge amount of business acumen to the charity.
“We’re over ten years old and have grown considerably. His skills will prove vital in helping us restructure and look forward to the next ten years and how we can continue to help more women back to independent living.”
To get involved in supporting Water Lily Project, contact Andy by email to ceo@waterlilyproject.org.uk.