Young Minds director of development Vanessa Longley has been named as the next chief executive of Chance UK, which supports the social and emotional needs of children.

She will take the top role at Chance UK in October after four years at the youth mental health charity, which included a five month stint as interim Co-CEO.

Longley has also been director of fundraising and marketing at Havens Hospices and head of fundraising at Mencap.

“I am thrilled to join Chance UK as CEO to continue their remarkable work supporting children managing trauma,” said Longley.

“The crisis we see in young people’s mental health is so often rooted in these childhood traumas, and my time working with YoungMinds has reinforced my belief in the transformative power of early support.

“The impact Chance UK has shown through their mentoring and support programmes proves that we can make a difference for children now, and this positive impact can last a lifetime.

“I’m excited to work with the team at Chance UK so every child in the UK can feel confident in their potential and equipped for a brighter future.”

She replaces interim chief executive Matt Plen, who has been in post since May this year.

The last permanent chief executive at Chance UK was Geethika Jayatilaka. She left after six years leading the charity to join youth crime prevention charity Redthread as its CEO in June.

Chance UK chair Sarah Parker added: “Vanessa’s experience of working with young people and advocating for change in the mental health sector coupled with her extensive senior leadership skills will be hugely valuable, especially as we are seeing an increasing need for support for vulnerable children and families.

“Under her leadership Chance UK will continue to evolve and flourish – bringing about real change for children and young people.”

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