AllChild launches programme in Salford
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We’re pleased to announce the appointment of Sabine Chalmers and the Rt Hon Nick Hurd as Co-Chairs of our Board of Trustees. Sabine is General Counsel, Director of Regulatory Affairs and Company Secretary at BT Group, and Nick is former Minister for Civil Society and Minister for Youth.
The appointments come as we celebrate ten years of working alongside children, young people and families to improve outcomes, and look ahead to our ambitions for the next decade.
Bringing together leadership experience from business and the public sector, this joint appointment reflects our belief that the public, private and voluntary sectors share responsibility for working with communities to create lasting change for children and young people.
At AllChild, we work with schools, families and local organisations to bring support together earlier, helping children and young people build the relationships, skills and connections they need to flourish. Our Link Workers are based full-time in schools, providing a trusted adult who works with each child and their family to identify their goals and bring together the support and opportunities to help achieve them.
Since our first partnership began in West London in 2016, we’ve supported more than 7,500 children and young people to achieve social, emotional and academic outcomes. We now also work in Wigan, Salford and Hastings, with plans to reach more communities in the years ahead.
We announced Nick and Sabine’s appointments at our 10th birthday celebration in London earlier this week. Building on ten years of learning, our long-term ambition is to play a leading role in transforming how communities facing socio-economic challenges invest in their children and young people.
To support this ambition, our new Co-Chairs bring together Sabine’s extensive experience in corporate leadership and governance with Nick’s expertise in social investment, cross-sector partnerships and public policy. Together, they will help us strengthen our governance, deepen partnerships and champion closer collaboration between the public, private and voluntary sectors to improve children’s outcomes.
Louisa Mitchell MBE, Chief Executive of AllChild, said:
“Only by working together can we make sure every child has the opportunity to flourish. That requires leadership which brings public services, business and civil society together around a shared responsibility for the next generation. Sabine and Nick bring that conviction, alongside a breadth of experience and a shared belief that we can do things differently and better for children.
“Our first ten years have taught us so much about how to work alongside families and communities for children to have better outcomes. We’ve seen the difference it makes when we start with the child, act early and mobilise the right support and opportunities together around them. Now we want to build on that learning, working with more communities and partners to create lasting change in how children are supported across the country. We’re pleased to welcome Nick and Sabine as we look ahead to AllChild’s next decade.”
Sabine Chalmers, AllChild’s new Co-Chair, said:
“An inclusive economy is one in which a child’s future is not limited by where they grow up. Business has a responsibility to help make that possible by bringing its skills, relationships and resources into meaningful partnership with public services and communities. AllChild’s work has never been more critical. I look forward to working with Nick, the Board and the team to build on its achievements and help more children and young people access the relationships, support and opportunities they need to flourish.”
Rt Hon Nick Hurd, AllChild’s new Co-Chair, said:
“AllChild’s first ten years have shown what is possible when communities work together and invest in children earlier. My experience in government showed me first-hand the powerful impact of public services working with communities, charities and businesses to achieve lasting change. I’m excited to work with Sabine, and the AllChild leadership to help build the partnerships needed to take this approach further, and help more communities put earlier, connected support for children into practice across the country.”
Nick and Sabine succeed Sir Harvey McGrath, who steps down from our Board of Trustees after ten years. As Chair, he oversaw a period of significant growth and impact which has seen AllChild grow from a local initiative into a national charity working locally in the North West, London, and the South Coast.
Sir Harvey McGrath, AllChild’s outgoing Chair, said:
“It’s been a privilege to be part of AllChild’s journey over the past decade. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved together, and of the children, families, colleagues and partners who have made it possible. I look forward to seeing AllChild build on this work under Sabine and Nick’s leadership.”
Sabine brings a wealth of global leadership experience across the corporate, public, and cultural sectors. She currently serves as the General Counsel, Director of Regulatory Affairs and Company Secretary of BT Group Plc, a role she will be retiring from in December of this year in order to focus on her non-executive roles in the corporate and charitable sectors.
Sabine brings immense governance and commercial expertise from her roles on the board of directors of Anheuser-Busch InBev, Ardian, and as Chair of the Kiln Theatre. Her extensive track record also includes prior board experience with major international education and literacy organisations, including Room to Read and the International Baccalaureate, as well as previous directorships at Coty Inc., the National Theatre and the Court of the Bank of England.
Her prior executive experience includes serving as Chief Legal and Corporate Affairs Officer of Anheuser-Busch InBev and as US General counsel of Diageo plc. As a British and US citizen of Indian and German heritage who has lived and worked across Asia, Europe, and the United States, Sabine also brings a deeply international perspective to our mission. She holds an LL.B from the London School of Economics and is qualified to practice law in England, Wales, and New York.
Nick Hurd is recognised to have played a key role in the development of the groundbreaking UK ecosystem of social investment and social outcome partnerships.
As the longest serving Minister for Civil Society he led the government programmes that delivered Better Society Capital and the first central Outcomes fund. As Minister for Youth he led the development of the National Citizen Service.
Having left Government and Parliament in 2019, he chaired the Access Foundation for Social Investment until September 2026. As Chair of GSG Impact, now active in 49 countries, he is contributing to the global development of impact investment and outcomes based finance. He is known to be a strong supporter of the need to develop new models of cross sector collaboration to drive better social outcomes. He will continue with a number of commercial roles.
