Suzie Hutchinson, chief executive of the children’s health charity Little Hearts Matter for the past 20 years, has become its head of services.
Little Hearts Matter supports children, young adults and families affected by the diagnosis of single ventricle heart condition in a child, which means they only have half a functioning heart.
Hutchinson, who became chief executive in 2003 and has been involved with the charity for 30 years, has been succeeded in the top job by Lisa Davies.
Davies joined this week from her previous role as director of Leicester Hospitals Charity for the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust.
In her previous role, Davies led a £7.5m capital appeal to move the East Midlands Congenital Heart Service from Glenfield Hospital to the Leicester Royal Infirmary, which involved consultations with many families of children born with complex heart conditions, Little Hearts Matter said in a statement.
Hutchinson said: “I’m delighted to be able to focus on my first love – supporting members and heading up the charity’s service provision. I’m very much looking forward to working in partnership with Lisa to harness the growth of the charity and help more people travelling the half-a-heart journey.”
Davies added: “Having dedicated a significant part of my career to health-0related charities, I’m deeply passionate about the unique, specialised support that Little Hearts Matter offers to families navigating incredibly tough times.
“I’m eager to contribute to the exceptional care and compassion that Little Hearts Matter is renowned for, all while supporting Suzie’s vision of expanding the charity’s reach and awareness as our head of service.”
Warren Manger, chair of the charity’s board of trustees, said: “We know that both Lisa and Suzie will drive our commitment to achieve our goal of securing the best possible outcomes and opportunities for all those affected by single ventricle heart conditions.”