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Bowel Research UK has welcomed a new chief executive after its leader for the past three years announced plans to retire.
Lindsay Easton, who was previously chief executive of Brain Research UK, took up the chief executive post at the medical research charity yesterday (1 May).
She succeeds Lynn Dunne, who has held the chief executive post at Bowel Research UK since December 2021.
Dunne, who will retire at the end of June after a handover period, said it had been a “real privilege” to lead the organisation through a “challenging time for the sector”.
She said: “Our small team punches well above its weight, and I’m proud that we’ve delivered successful fundraising campaigns that have funded truly innovative research and supported early-career researchers through funding their PhDs.”
Bowel Research UK is the product of a merger between Bowel & Cancer Research and the Bowel Disease Research Foundation, which was completed in 2020.
Easton brings more than 25 years’ experience in the voluntary sector to the role, having most recently been a freelance fundraising consultant. Her last full-time post was executive director at the British Paediatric Neurology Association, a role she held from May to November 2022.
Her experience also includes a stint as chief executive of Brain Research UK between 2009 and 2016.
Easton was the director of fundraising for the Royal Voluntary Service between 2018 and 2019, and has held interim roles in fundraising and supporter relations at Action for Children, the British Heart Foundation and Diabetes UK.
She was also the head of individual giving for RNIB between 2005 and 2006.
Easton said: “Almost 43,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year in the UK and over a million suffer from bowel diseases. Despite this, there are so many neglected areas of research – from understanding the gut microbiome to improving life for people with a stoma, and using knowledge about inherited bowel conditions to develop new treatments.
“I’m delighted to join a charity that is dedicated to answering these tough research questions, in areas of science where there is still so much to uncover.”
Asha Senapati, chair of Bowel Research UK, said: “I’m excited to work with Lindsay to enhance the incredible momentum we’ve built in fundraising recently, nearly doubling the donations we’ve received in two years to be able to fund our cutting-edge research.
“I’m sure her experience will strengthen our strategy and witness the charity have a growing impact in years to come.”
This article was updated on 2 May 2024 to include Lindsay Easton’s roles as a freelance fundraising consultant and as executive director at the British Paediatric Neurology Association.