Your Trust Rochdale announces new CEO

Published on: April 17th 2023

Your Trust, which operates leisure and culture venues across the Rochdale borough on behalf of Rochdale Borough Council, has announced Estelle Rowe as its newly appointed CEO. 

Estelle has carried out the role of interim CEO since the previous CEO, Andy King, left the organisation and has now officially been appointed in the role.

Previously, Estelle has held Deputy CEO and Finance Director roles at the charity since 2017 and has been supporting the organisation for many years, with a clear understanding of their mission and values, specifically tied to their community impact.

Estelle Rowe, CEO of Your Trust, said: “It’s a privilege to be appointed in this role after working with the organisation for a long time and growing with them over the years. I truly believe in the positive community impact the various programmes and events Your Trust culture and leisure venues deliver, providing a safe space and outlets for the community.

“I can’t wait to continue the great work of our charity alongside brilliant partners and team members. It’s clear through our recent community impact report the importance of the work delivered by the charity, and I’m keen to help develop and nurture this further.”

The charity said it was delighted with the candidates who applied for the CEO position, but Estelle was a ‘stand out’ choice. Estelle has substantial experience within the public, private and voluntary sectors, seeing her wealth of experience places her as a top candidate for the role.

Working with many businesses, charities and social enterprises, Estelle aims to provide high-impact leadership in business, finance and governance sectors. She is also a qualified accountant, experienced board member and entrepreneur.

David Gelsthorpe, Chair of the board, said: “We are delighted to have Estelle accept the position of CEO. She was the perfect candidate for the role and a stand-out choice from the numerous applications we received.

“I’m immensely proud to be the Chair of the Your Trust Board of Trustees and the continued work we do to support communities in the Borough of Rochdale. The work we do stems from the commonality of making a difference in the community, and Estelle will help us further thrive and help the borough to be active, creative and healthy.

“We’re excited to shape the next phase with Estelle by our side, and I have no doubt the organisation will continue to flourish under her leadership. We can’t wait to see what the future will hold.”

Estelle’s post is effective immediately, and she will be focusing on ensuring that Your Trust’s service offering is reflective of the borough’s diverse communities, as well as developing new business plans for existing and future facilities.

Your Trust is an independent charity operating venues across the borough on behalf of Rochdale Borough Council, including Touchstones Rochdale, Middleton Arena, Heywood Sports Village, Rochdale Leisure Centre, Littleborough Sports Centre and Hollingworth Lake Adventure & Water Activity Centre. 

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