Dear colleagues and partners,
As Chair of Kindred, I want to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to Jennifer Van der Merwe, who will be stepping down as Executive Director at the end of December, after five years of outstanding service to the organisation and the Liverpool City Region’s social economy.
Jennifer’s contribution to Kindred has been immense. Under her leadership, working alongside a committed team, board, partners and socially trading organisations, Kindred has grown from a £6.5 million start-up commitment into a £10.5 million fund, investing in 100 socially trading organisations across our region. We have also laid the foundations for the £50 million Social Investment Pathfinder, which is now close to launch and has the potential to make a lasting contribution to the future of our social economy.
These are significant achievements, and Jennifer deserves enormous credit for the leadership, energy, and commitment she has brought to making them possible.
On behalf of the board, I want to thank Jennifer for her vision, determination, and the care she has shown for Kindred and the organisations we exist to support. Personally, I have greatly valued working with her and the commitment she has brought to turning our shared ambitions into reality.
I also want to recognise everyone who has contributed to Kindred’s journey. Our staff, board members, partners, funders and the socially trading organisations themselves have all played an important part in what we have achieved; with particular thanks to the ongoing support of the LCRCA. Kindred’s progress reflects the strength of that collective endeavour, and we are grateful for the trust, collaboration and commitment that have brought us to this point.
With the Pathfinder partnership established, this is a natural moment for Jennifer to hand over as Kindred moves into its next phase. While we will be sorry to see her leave the Executive Director role, we respect her decision and are determined to build on the strong foundations she has helped create.
Jennifer will work closely with the board and team over the coming weeks to ensure a smooth transition, and our work with you will continue as normal as Kindred has operated to date with three Co-Directors. Going forward Co-Directors Erika Rushton and Joanne Anderson will continue to lead the organisation’s transition into new Pathfinder partnership arrangements. Your primary points of contact will remain the same.
Jennifer leaves Kindred with much to be proud of. I know you will join me in thanking her for everything she has contributed and in wishing her every success and happiness for the future.
With sincere thanks,
Jas Bains
Chair, Kindred LCR CIC
