New leadership in place for Practical Action

Sarah said: “I’m excited to lead Practical Action because I’m a passionate believer that our core vision for a world that works better for everyone is needed more than ever. We were founded on Fritz Schumacher’s twin beliefs of economics as if people matter and living within the world’s planetary boundaries.

These founding beliefs, coupled with a deep understanding of the communities we work with to find sustainable, scalable solutions to the challenges they face, still guide our work today – 55 years on.

“Delivering economic and social change with people and planet at its heart is essential to the wellbeing of everyone, especially now as we face up to the twin challenges of the Covid19 pandemic and climate change.  These urgent problems need both innovation, and a systems focus so that change is embedded and sustained.

“Practical Action has shown how rural and urban environments can work better, even in the face of climate change, and we have demonstrated how renewable energy can transform lives and create more productive farming.

“It is my ambition that by 2025 Practical Action links the experience and evidence gained from working directly with over 6 million people in Asia, Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa, to global initiatives and bold, innovative partnerships that inspire lasting systemic change that goes far beyond our programmatic footprint.

“This is urgent work that cannot wait. The voices and actions of local communities are critical to realising our ambition of a more resilient, fair and sustainable way of living. This is something that is as important in my personal life as in my professional one. My main mode of transport is my bike and everywhere I live I have been involved with groups working to make safe cycling and good access to sustainable transport a reality for more people. This continues today in my role as trustee of our local climate action group in my home county of Derbyshire, England.

“One of my first initiatives as Chief Executive Officer will be to chair a new regenerative agriculture hub designed to support our ambition to make agriculture viable in the long term, improving food security, soil health, biodiversity and delivering dignified livelihoods for the half a billion small holder farmers, and all those who rely on it. We will support companies who are trying to move to more regenerative practices in their supply chains develop the approaches that work on the ground and can be embedded in their practices.

“I would like to pay tribute to the adaptability, innovation and team-work shown by our staff and the communities we work with in difficult and uncertain circumstances over the past 18 months and to thank partners, funders and supporters who have worked with us to make it all possible.

“To lead the organisation as it builds more partnerships that work to change the systems that keep people vulnerable and disadvantaged is a privilege and a huge opportunity and I can’t wait to get started.”