Mind announce new CEO
Mind has announced that Sarah Hughes, currently Chief Executive of the Centre for Mental Health, will succeed Paul Farmer as CEO.
Taking up her new post in early 2023, Sarah joins Mind after 30 years of working in leadership and advocacy roles in mental health and criminal justice.
Having initially trained as a social worker, she has headed up the Centre for Mental Health for the last 5 years and also holds a number of board roles including on the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care Board; and on the Football Association Inclusive Advisory Board. She is also a Trustee of the International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership.
Before joining the Centre, Sarah was Chief Executive of Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and South Lincolnshire (CPSL) Mind.
Sarah Hughes said:
“It is a huge honour to be appointed as the new Chief Executive at Mind, an organisation I have loved and supported for more than 30 years. I want to thank Paul Farmer for his leadership and inspiration over the years and I look forward to building our partnership with his new organisation, Age UK.
“I also want to thank my colleagues at Centre for Mental Health, we have done some extraordinary work together over the last six years, fighting for mental health equality, I know we will remain strong allies going forward. I am deeply excited to be working with the brilliant Local Mind Network again and to celebrate our exceptional shops across our two nations England and Wales. We have a bold strategy which builds on our long heritage of strengthening and protecting the human rights of people who experience mental illness. Now is the time for a brave step into the challenges we all face, including our commitment to becoming truly anti-racist. We are stronger together.”
Mind’s Chairman, Stevie Spring said:
“Paul Farmer is a tough act to follow but I'm truly delighted that Sarah will be leading Mind at this crucial time for mental health. Her commitment to bringing to the fore issues that have historically been ignored - including her work around race equity and poverty - will make her a passionate spokesperson for our sector.
“We're in the midst of a mental health crisis, where the work we do at Mind has never had more importance, particularly amongst those hardest hit by the pandemic. Sarah brings with her the vision, authenticity and leadership style we'll need to continue to meet the challenges ahead."
