Vanessa Longley confirmed as the new Chair for Contact, alongside Ed Archer, Laura Godwin, and Ramandeep Kaur as Trustees.

Contact, the charity supporting parents and carers of disabled children across the UK, has just appointed Vanessa Longley as their new Chair of the Board. We also supported in the appointments of Ed Archer, Ramandeep Kaur, and Laura Godwin as ordinary Trustees.
Contact provide information, advice, and support to parent and carers across the UK. Since their inauguration 40 years ago, they have moved from a grassroots approach to national reach and influence, but maintain a focus on supporting parents and carers.

Their previous Chair had stepped down at the end of 2023 after reaching the end of his term, and they had also recently onboarded a new CEO, so needed an experienced individual to help lead them through this period of change, and support in building the Charity’s profile. Additionally, several Trustees had reached the end of their terms. Lived experience of supporting a child or young person with a disability was essential, as was a successful track record in charity governance.

Vanessa Longley is currently the CEO of Chance UK, and brings over 25 years of leadership and fundraising experience in the charity sector. As a parent carer herself, Vanessa and her family had valuable insights from having interacted with Contact in the past, and as an experienced charity Trustee and CEO, she is well-poised to steer Contact into the next stage of their growth journey.

When asked for comment, Vanessa shared ‘I am thrilled to join Contact as the new Chair of Trustees, which unites my personal passion for supporting families and lived experience of raising a child with additional needs. Contact’s dedication to supporting and uniting families, while empowering them to advocate for others, deeply resonates with me. I look forward to working alongside this amazing community to make a meaningful impact. A heartfelt thank you to Society for their supportive approach throughout the recruitment process, they have been huge advocates for Contact throughout and ensured the appointment process was both straight-forward and inspiring.’

We wish Vanessa, Ed, Laura and Ramandeep all the very best in their new roles!