• Thu. Mar 28th, 2024

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North East charity appoints first CEO

CHUF’s1A North East based charity has appointed its first ever chief executive officer as it continues to expand its operations.

The Children’s Heart Unit Fund (CHUF) has named its former head of fundraising, Chris Gray, as its newly created CEO. CHUF raises funds to make lives better for children and young people who are born with or who develop heart conditions by providing lifelong support to them and their families and funding much needed equipment and staff in hospitals throughout our region.

CHUF’s patrons, Geordie heroes Alan Shearer, Ant & Dec and Sage founder, Graham Wylie, whose own daughter received lifesaving treatment on the Children’s Heart Unit at the Freeman Hospital, are delighted with Chris appointment.

CHUF’s Chair of Trustees, Dr Richard Kirk said “Chris’s appointment to CEO is an exciting new development for CHUF and will allow us to build on the success of the charity over the last few years. Her impact on CHUF has been immeasurable since joining us. She has enabled CHUF to achieve new levels of professionalism and driven our rapid fundraising growth – all of which helped us achieve the ‘North East Charity of the Year’ award in 2015. We can think of nobody better to take the lead role at the head of the ‘CHUF Family’.”

Chris, who arrived from the North East operations of the Prince’s Trust almost three years ago has built a four-strong fundraising and administrative team in that time, and is now on the search for a senior fundraiser. She said: “I’m honoured, humbled and very excited to be named as CEO of this great charity. I really must thank the incredible CHUF team and most importantly all our CHUF supporters and fundraisers. Their amazing generosity and enthusiasm makes it a pleasure to work for CHUF and I know, through their effort,s that we improve the lives of the heart children and families we look after.”

CHUF has helped to fund the parents’ accommodation, Scott House, that allows parents and families stay near their children while they’re treated at the Freeman Hospital in addition to a new play room on the ward, specialist play staff, psychology support workers and many others who assist with the psychological wellbeing of the young patients on the ward.  The Charity has also bought all six of the heart scanners for the Freeman Centre and funds research programs too.

By admin