The new chair of the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (Acevo), John Low, has used his appointment to call for major changes in the way the sector presents itself.

Speaking at his first board meeting, Low said it was time chief executive’s shook off the “amateurish” image and showed people how powerful the sector is in bringing about social change.

“The sector must stop trading on its good intentions, and start trading on the results it achieves. Over the next ten years, charities will be judged on their impact – the difference they make to people’s lives – not on their aims. Charities must embrace this, if we are to be trusted by the public to deliver.

“But charities will only achieve impact if they have good arrangements with funders and solid governance in place. So, as Chairman, I want to see Acevo consolidate its work to improve the sector’s governance arrangements. We will need a powerful new drive to make sure Acevo’s work on funding and contracting reform changes the terms of trade between charities and funders.

Low is chief executive of RNID, the largest charity for deaf and hard of hearing people. He replaces Fran Beckett, chief executive of the Church Urban Fund, to whom he paid a warm tribute for her record as chair over the past two years.