The Children’s Centre has appointed Fiona Dawson as its new Chief Executive.

Fiona has lived on the Island for 16 years and joins the Island’s leading charity for families and children from Zurich International where she worked in Business Change and was also formerly a sessional lecturer at the Isle of Man International Business School. Her career has spanned finance, PR, customer service and operations, and includes roles as Director of Sales and Marketing at Isle of Man Post, Head of Customer Services at Bank of Ireland Fsharp, and earlier in the UK delivery of the Bank of Scotland group’s arts, sport and community sponsorship and charitable donations programme. She has an Executive MBA and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers.

Commenting on her appointment, she said:

“When I was researching The Children’s Centre I was amazed at the reach and depth of the services and support it provides to the Island community and the level of expertise, professionalism and passion of every member of staff I’ve met since I joined. We have professionals that know what children need from their environments to develop character, empathy, intelligence and resilience, to build the best possible future community of the Isle of Man, and to be one of the best environments in which to be born, raised and live. It is truly a charity whose services affect every resident of the Island, and everyone has an opportunity to become active partners and help us to grow the services we can offer, especially in the run-up to our 150th anniversary in 2018. The Children’s Centre has a bright future and will continue to put children, young people and families first by providing services which benefit the whole Island community.”

The Children’s Centre is an independent Manx charity that develops, manages and pioneers a variety of community initiatives and services aimed at enabling children, young people and families to realise their full potential. It currently manages five nurseries, pre/after school and holiday clubs, Out2Play outdoor play for all ages and abilities, Mobex outdoor adventures, the Community Farm, as well as About Adoption, Fostering First and family support services, family contact centres and support with youth justice services. It also runs leadership training and coaching for teams and individuals.

Fiona was appointed by The Children’s Centre’s board of trustees which is chaired by Mike Gardner. He said:

“The trustees are delighted to have secured someone of Fiona's calibre as Chief Executive of the charity. Her past experience and enthusiasm for the role fits perfectly with the requirements of The Children's Centre as it moves towards its 150th anniversary, and the board are looking forward to working with Fiona in developing further the charity's wide range of services to children, young people and families in the Isle of Man.”

Fiona takes over as Chief Executive from John Knight who stepped down after 14 years in the role in February to take up another post in the UK.

Photo - Fiona Dawson who has been appointed as Chief Executive of The Children’s Centre.