Southmead Development Trust’s Board of Trustees is delighted to announce the appointment of Amy Kinnear as their new CEO. Amy will bring a wealth of experience from the community of south Bristol, where she has been CEO at Hartcliffe and Withywood Community Partnership, to the community of Southmead in north Bristol. Amy succeeds Alex Kittow, Southmead Development Trust’s CEO of the last nine years who left in May to become CEO of Libraries Unlimited in Devon.
Kevin Sweeney, Chair of Trustees for Southmead Development Trust said, “Southmead is delighted to welcome Amy. Our community has so much in common with the communities of south Bristol and we are keen for Amy to apply her community learning here. Alex Kittow built solid teams and foundations for the Trust’s many projects and services and we need a strong character like Amy to continue to help grow opportunities for Southmead Residents”.
Amy has a sound background in development work for community enterprises and charities. Before working in south Bristol she led the UK wide business development team for Sustrans, and has also worked on regeneration projects in London. Amy said, “Southmead already has a great reputation for community-led initiatives and I can’t wait to get to know the residents and get to grips with leading one of Bristol’s most successful Trusts for residents”.
Southmead Development Trust runs Greenway Centre, Southmead Youth Centre and Southmead Adventure Playground where its teams offer services in Health and Wellbeing, Fitness, Social Prescribing, Training and Employability, Youth work, and more recently community- led housing; the Trust is leading one of the country’s largest schemes for which Amy’s experience will be essential.
As well bringing her track record of good working relationships with residents, Amy will bring her connections to organisations vital for Southmead’s continued vision for a better future, such as Locality, Public Health, Bristol City Council, Avon and Somerset Constabulary, Voscur, University of the West of England, and Homes England, as well as funders Big National Lottery and Bath and Bristol Regional Capital.
Amy takes up her role at Southmead Development Trust on 23rd September and will attend her first meeting with Southmead Residents, run by community volunteer group Team Southmead, on 24th September. Deana Perry from Team Southmead said, “We say a fond farewell to Alex Kittow and thank him for initiating our vital community survey and the Southmead Community Plan, which is now our ‘bible’ as we strive for a better future for Southmead. We’ve heard good things about Amy and will be giving her a warm Southmead welcome, she is joining a very friendly and proactive community”.
Amy added, “Community leaders, the Trust and partners have already achieved so much in Southmead when it comes to looking after their community – keeping facilities open and developing wellbeing and housing initiatives. I’m really looking forward to taking this work forward and working on behalf of everyone in the area”.
For further info please contact: Gemma Woolley, Senior Operations Manager, Southmead Development Trust, tel: 0117 950 3335, email: gemmawolley@southmead.org