Welcome our new CEO, Angela Salt OBE

Angela will start her role as Girlguiding chief executive on 14 January, where she will join the chief guide team, Board of Trustees and staff to support the half a million strong membership base, which includes 400,000 young members and over 100,000 dedicated volunteers.

In her most recent permanent role, Angela Salt was chief executive of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, which focused on education, leadership and research. With a passion for supporting young people, Angela began her career as a teacher but built her expertise in communications and media roles becoming the Director of Communications at the Millennium Commission.

As Head of Nations and Regions for LOCOG (London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic games), Angela was responsible for leading engagement with individuals and groups across the UK on a wide range of projects, including the 70,000 Gamestime volunteers. Later as UK Director for Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO UK) Angela was responsible for the organisation’s operations and oversaw the recruitment and selection of volunteers from the UK serving overseas. Since 2017 Angela has been working as a consultant and philanthropy advisor.

Girlguiding chief executive Angela Salt OBE said:

I’m excited to be joining the leading charity for girls and young women in the UK as its new chief executive. Girlguiding’s mission to support girls and young women to thrive and to use their voices to create a better world is very close to my heart.

From my experience leading VSO UK and diverse engagement across the UK in the 2012 London Olympics, I understand the scale of contribution volunteers make to improving lives, serving and supporting their communities in the UK and beyond. With 100,000 volunteers delivering guiding every week, Girlguiding is a truly inspiring charity for me to be joining.

I’m looking forward to getting to know more about the work volunteers do alongside the staff teams in London and the UK countries and regions, and especially to hearing from girls and young women, both about the fun and adventure they get from guiding and the care and support to be well and happy as they grow up, and help make the world a better place.

Girlguiding chief guide Amanda Medler and Catherine Irwin, Chair of the Board of Trustees welcomed the news:

We are thrilled to welcome Angela to the Girlguiding family. Angela is committed to providing a platform for young voices to be heard and her experience in supporting volunteers will be invaluable to our charity. We’re excited to work with Angela and gain her insight as our wonderful charity continues to champion the wellbeing and happiness of girls and young women and change as their lives change, with the support of our dedicated volunteers.

Angela Salt takes the reigns at an exciting time for the charity, which last summer revealed the biggest ever overhaul in the charity’s history, revamping its iconic badges and activities to create a programme for every girl.

Over 50,000 girls were involved in shaping the new look activities and badges through testing and consultation and girls can now choose to work towards interest badges such as Entrepreneur, Inventing, Navigator, Animation, Craftivism, Self-care and Human rights or enjoy other activities including first aid, survival skills, DIY and 3D craft and design.

Supported by a host of exciting new expert and corporate partnerships, the new Girlguiding programme is designed to equip girls and young women with the skills and experiences they will need to thrive, succeed, make change and be happy in the modern world.

Girlguiding’s advocate panel  said:

Girlguiding gives girls and young women such amazing, unique experiences and opportunities to make friends and try new things in a supportive environment. We are excited to welcome Angela Salt to Girlguiding and to have her support for our voices to be heard far and wide. We look forward to sharing our thoughts and ambitions on behalf of girls and young women with her.

Angela Salt’s appointment comes after Julie Bentley, Girlguiding CEO since 2012, stood down in June 2018 to take up the position of Chief Executive of Action for Children. 

Deputy CEO Ruth Marvel, who has led the charity as Acting CEO since June last year will handover to Angela Salt when she takes up the role on 14 January.