Greater Manchester Mayor's Charity appoints its first ever Chief Executive

The Greater Manchester Mayor's Charity has appointed its first ever Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

THE GREATER Manchester Mayor's Charity - the organisation on a mission to end homelessness in the city region - has appointed its first ever Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Fran Darlington-Pollock will lead the charity, which has gone from strength-to-strength since its inception in 2018.

Fran will be tasked with continuing to grow the charity, which has to so far raised over £3.1 million to support people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. It’s done so through pioneering initiatives like the ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme for people rough sleeping in Greater Manchester.

Since its launch, Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity has been driven by the dedication of a dynamic board of trustees and a small but committed staff team.

In the next chapter newly appointed CEO Fran, who joined last November as Head of Strategic Development, will expand the number and type of fundraisers, as well as increasing the Charity’s partnerships and reach in Greater Manchester.

Fran’s background as an academic specialising in understanding inequality means she brings a new lease of life to the charity’s approach to advocating for change and an end to homelessness. She’s previously held positions at the University of Liverpool and Queen Mary University of London, as well as Save the Children UK, and is currently Chair of The Equality Trust.

Fran Darlington-Pollock said:

“It’s inconceivable that anyone in our society should be without somewhere to call home. Our collective mission to rectify this profound injustice is not only essential; it’s the driving force that gets me up in the morning. I could not be happier to have the opportunity to continue developing the charity, our team, and our work in this new phase of realising that mission.

“So many people have donated their time, expertise and money to the Charity to help in this mission in Greater Manchester and the work we’ve been able to do is all thanks to that incredible spirit here. But we’re not slowing down, we’ve got our biggest ever year of fundraisers ahead, which will ensure we can continue to make a difference for those in their hour of need.”

Since joining the charity last year, Fran has played an instrumental role in shaping a new business plan for the future, growing the staff team to its biggest ever size and forging meaningful partnerships.

With mayoral DJ Battles and 24-hour runs setting the scene, Fran has continued to grow the charity’s reputation for the sort of events that the people of Greater Manchester want to see. Next up us an epic event at Manchester Central on Thursday 17 August – which will see teams of five battle it out to be crowned Greater Manchester’s strongest by pulling one of the city’s new bee network buses over a 30m course.

Tim Heatley, Chair of Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity, said:

“It’s awesome to see what Fran has achieved in such a short time with us. I’m blown away by her enthusiasm and energy every time we speak. She really wants to end homelessness and find ways to reach and galvanise people in a way that works for them. Whether that’s through music or sport in our events, discussion and debate at roundtables, or building meaningful partnerships with businesses who want to give back, she lives it everyday. Fran is the perfect person to take the charity into its next stage as our first ever CEO.”

Donate today and know that your money will help tackle homelessness across our city-region for a fairer and more sustainable future.