Amanda Tincknell announces plan to retire

During Amanda's time as CEO the Trust has developed to a substantial scale and grown to provide a range of management support services to thousands of charities every year.

Amanda was appointed as Chief Executive at Cranfield Trust in 2000, and has built a strong team, enabling the Trust to support thousands of social welfare organisations over the last 25 years.

In 2004, the Trust became a national charity, extending its services beyond England, to Scotland and Wales, in 2004.

The number of pro bono consultancy projects has grown significantly over the last 25 years and in 2022 the Trust celebrated the successful completion of its 5000th project. During the last year, the Trust’s 35th anniversary, it provided more support than ever before, starting 527 new consultancy projects and mentoring assignments with an extraordinary 919 projects active in the year in total.

The pandemic saw new developments in the Trust with the introduction of a mentoring programme for charity leaders offering personal resilience support.  Much needed at the time, mentoring remains one of its most in demand services.  During the pandemic the Trust introduced webinars to share fresh thinking and knowledge with charities across the sector. These continue to attract substantial numbers of attendees.

Dr Charmaine Griffiths, Chair of the Board of Trustees, said, 

“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Amanda for her extraordinary leadership and dedication to her role and to Cranfield Trust for the last 25 years. During her time as CEO, Amanda has built an exceptionally strong staff and volunteer team, and the Trust has grown to provide a range of pro bono management support services to thousands of charities across the sector every year."

Amanda said: 

“It’s been an absolute privilege to have been Chief Executive at Cranfield Trust for such a significant amount of time. Now we have marked and celebrated our 35th anniversary I feel the time is right for me to pass the baton to a new leader to take the Trust forward.

“I’m enormously proud of how the Trust has developed over the years and that its ethos and vision has always remained the same: to support and empower charities with confidence and capabilities they need, whatever challenges they face.

“It has been an honour to work alongside my exceptional staff team whose dedication and commitment has enabled the Trust to get to where it is today, and our incredible volunteers who so generously give their time and expertise to support charity leaders and managers. I am very grateful for the support and generosity of our funders, donors and partners who have shared the Trust’s vision over the years and enabled the vital support of charities across the sector.  I would also like to extend my thanks to our client charities, who invest time and trust in working with Cranfield Trust, and to them and other sector leaders from whom I have learned so much.

“I will forever remain a huge supporter of the Trust and will watch with excitement and great interest as the Trust continues to evolve under new leadership. I wish my successor as much enjoyment and interest as I have been privileged to experience for the last 25 years.”