The disability charity Whizz-Kidz has appointed Sarah Pugh as its next chief executive.
Pugh, who has spent almost six years as chief executive of Heart of Kent Hospice, will succeed Ruth Owen, who has taken up the top job at the disability charity Leonard Cheshire after 17 years at Whizz-Kidz.
Whizz-Kidz, which provides equipment and support to young wheelchair users, said Pugh would become only its third chief executive in its 30-year history, after Owen and Mike Dickson, who led the charity for its first 13 years.
Pugh was head of corporate fundraising at Breast Cancer Care before joining Heart of Kent Hospice as director of income generation in June 2014. She was promoted to chief executive at the hospice in May 2015.
Sir Crispin Davis, chair of Whizz-Kidz, said Pugh would bring a “wealth of experience and a track record of delivering transformative change”.
He said: “Sarah clearly has a compassionate and empathetic nature, is a real team player and will, I believe, fit in very well with the Whizz-Kidz family culture.
“We are excited to have her leading us into the future as she shares our ambition and commitment to take Whizz-Kidz up to a new level to transform the lives of even more young wheelchair users for years to come.”
Speaking about Whizz-Kidz, Pugh said: “The charity has achieved amazing things in the past 30 years, supporting thousands of wheelchair users across the UK, and I’m very excited to help it meet its ambitious goals to reach and change the lives of even more young people.”
She is expected to join the charity in May.