As many of you may know, Peter Costello left Heart of Bucks earlier this year after three very successful years as our Chief Executive. We were very sorry to see him go, but were so pleased that he had the opportunity to follow his long-held dream to relocate to Scotland. He leaves with our gratitude for his hard work and commitment to growing Heart of Bucks and placing us at the very heart of our community, and takes with him our very best wishes for this new chapter of his life.
Peter’s departure left us with some big shoes to fill and we knew how important it was to get the right person to take on the job of leading our organisation, in what is undoubtedly a challenging time for the third sector. We are therefore delighted that we can now announce the appointment of Henry Allmand as our new Chief Executive. We are very excited at the prospect of Henry joining us at the beginning of September and look forward to introducing him to many of you as he settles into the role. Meanwhile, you can read more about Henry and his varied community interests below.
– The Countess Howe (Chair)
A message from Henry:
I’m delighted to be joining the Heart of Bucks team and to have the opportunity to get involved in all the amazing work being done by the staff, trustees and of course all the organisations we provide funding and support for. I’m also looking forward to getting to know our generous donors, without whom, many outstanding projects and initiatives across the county would not be possible.
It’s incredibly exciting to start my journey in the third sector in such a vibrant and engaging team. I’m pleased to have had the opportunity to meet all the staff and trustees during the recruitment process, and I was impressed with how passionate they were about their roles and responsibilities in making the community of Buckinghamshire the best possible place it can be. First and foremost, a team of people who care about their community is somewhere I know I’ll fit in well. As a long term resident of Bucks, having attended school locally and with many family and friends living here, I am enthusiastic about the local area and I want to play my part in ensuring all parts of our wider community continue to grow and develop in a positive and inclusive way.
Since leaving university, where I studied Criminology and subsequently Political Science, I’ve spent my career working in local government in Bucks. I have experience in delivering a diverse range of public services including welfare benefits, homelessness prevention, social housing development, waste & recycling, the built environment, community safety and commercial services. As a senior manager within local government, I thoroughly enjoyed my time working hard for the people of Buckinghamshire and I hope that my experiences in this sector and my local knowledge will be of use in my new position at the Heart of Bucks.
Away from work, I’ve previously been a trustee for a Bucks charity focused on providing support to elderly residents in the county and I currently volunteer as a mentor for pupils in local secondary schools. Both of these experiences have been rewarding and challenging in equal measure, so I have seen first hand the value that the third sector brings to the local area and the significant impact that my volunteer colleagues have had on very different demographics of society. I am also fortunate enough to be employed as a part-time Reservist in the British Army, which has given me a strong sense of appreciation for all our armed forces and I am particularly interested in how our veteran military personnel are supported in civilian life. While these roles are very different in many ways, they’ve each taught me personally a great deal about the value of getting involved in the local community and giving back time and energy to causes that matter.
There are many people across the county working tirelessly to ensure that we maintain a sense of community in these turbulent times. It’s fair to say the aspect of my new role I’m perhaps most looking forward to is working alongside our donors, and developing partnerships with people and organisations across Buckinghamshire.
If you care deeply about your community and are interested in finding out about the Heart of Bucks, or just simply want to talk all things Buckinghamshire, then please do get in touch as I’d love to speak to you!
