Welcome to our new CEO!

As we bid farewell to Philippa Crowther, after eleven years at the helm of the Wilberforce Trust, we give a very warm welcome to our new CEO, Ellie Stead.

Ellie joins us from a successful career which has seen her hold senior roles in financial services and payment processing, from Yorkshire Bank to TSYS/Global Payments, and working as a troubleshooting and improvement consultant for large organisations in the UK and overseas.

She then stepped up to be interim CEO of the brilliant Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington. She is a non-executive Board member at Yorkshire Housing and joins Wilberforce Trust following her most recent role as CEO of the sustainability charity, St Nicks, which includes management of a 24 acre nature reserve, green spaces and habitats across York, environmentally friendly waste and recycling services and an Ecotherapy programme supporting those with mental health challenges through nature connectedness.

While the trust has a prestigious history and firm grounding, over the last few years we have taken strong steps into the future, notably with the opening of Wilberforce House, our state-of-the-art new build and supported independent living offer for those with a visual impairment and other disabilities.

Ellie’s hopes are to ensure that the Trust builds on its solid and trusted reputation and continues to push boundaries, strengthening its role as a progressive and future-facing provider of care and services. Working with the experienced team, partners and tenants, she is excited at the prospect of working together to leverage new ideas and technology  to empower people with sensory impairments, including other disabilities, to live fulfilling, independent lives.

Ellie is also keen to ensure that people’s stories are shared and heard; stories that talk to the journeys people have been on, how they’ve overcome challenges and who’s supported them. Representation and visibility are critical to lift and inspire others and we hope to be at the forefront of enabling these voices and stories to be heard.

We are excited to see what the future holds for the Wilberforce Trust with Ellie and to share our plans, community and services with you.

And while we don’t have a 24 acre nature reserve for Ellie to enjoy on a lunch break, we do have the new Sensory Garden and fantastic views from the Rainbow Room!