We’re delighted to introduce Action Foundation’s new CEO, Karen Froggatt, who brings a wealth of experience from her rich and varied career in the Voluntary and Community Sector
Tell us a bit about yourself
I was born and raised in Guiseley in West Yorkshire and, after I’d married my childhood sweetheart, we moved to various other areas of Yorkshire before finally settling in Swaledale in the Yorkshire Dales to raise our family, a flock of rare breed sheep and a few chickens. My love of the countryside has been a constant and we now live in North Northumberland near the Scottish Borders and once again we keep a few chickens.
What’s your career background?
I have been and always will be, committed to social justice and have strived throughout my career to provide a voice to those groups of people who are discriminated against or who feel left behind and abandoned by society and those in power. Throughout my career in the Voluntary Sector, I have worked with charities who advocate for groups of people who require additional support and whose voices are seldom heard, from victims of crime to people with sight loss and people from isolated rural communities.
I’ve worked at senior management level now for a number of years and learnt a huge amount along the way. Working both with larger national charities or smaller local organisations, I have built a vast amount of knowledge around many different aspects of the social and political environment, including the criminal justice system, domestic abuse, child exploitation and abuse, disability, racial discrimination and more recently, rural issues – including hardship and poverty and social isolation and loneliness.
What drew you to Action Foundation?
Action Foundation advocates and works around sound principles that resonate with me and I have always strived for positive social change. I’ve also always valued lived experience and seen engagement with service users as crucial in developing support and planning future direction and priorities.
These two aspects, along with Action Foundation’s values of courage, compassion, integrity and inclusion, which I closely align to, led me to apply for the role of CEO.
As I step into the role, I am both honoured and excited by the opportunity to join such a resolute team. My initial impressions are of the keen sense of purpose that drives our work and the deep passion and commitment from everyone involved.
Having spent my first weeks engaging with staff, volunteers and some clients, I am struck by the positive atmosphere and the genuine passion for our mission. I believe that, by fostering open communication and collaboration, we can continue to make a meaningful difference to the lives of asylum seekers and refugees in the North East.
