Refuge has appointed Save the Children UK (SCUK)’s Gemma Sherrington as its next chief executive.

Sherrington has worked at the children’s charity since 2007 and will join the domestic abuse survivors support charity in March.

She has been SCUK's executive director of fundraising and marketing since 2019 and its interim CEO since February last year.

Her other roles at the children's charity have included a three-year stint as director of community giving and more than two years as its innovation director.

She is also a former community fundraising manager with WaterAid and has been a trustee of the Disasters Emergency Committee since last year. She has sat on the board of London’s Air Ambulance Charity since 2020, most recently as its deputy chair.

“I am deeply committed to driving meaningful change and ensuring that Refuge continues its crucial work in supporting those impacted by domestic abuse,” said Sherrington.

“The government has committed to halving violence against women and girls (VAWG) over the next decade, and I will do everything in my power to help make that a reality. The current epidemic of VAWG is intolerable and must not be allowed to persist.”

Sherrington replaces Abigail Ampofo, who was appointed interim CEO last March and will be leaving the charity as planned.

Refuge chair Hetti Barkworth-Nanton added: “We are excited to welcome Gemma as our new CEO. Whilst we have made significant progress in addressing domestic abuse, we know there is still much work to be done.

“We are eager to leverage Gemma’s extensive leadership experience, as well as her dedication and passion, helping to bring us closer to our vision of a world where domestic abuse and violence against women and girls are no longer accepted.”

“We would also like to express our gratitude to Abigail for the outstanding work she has done since joining us as Director of Service Delivery in 2021, and for expertly leading the charity as Interim CEO during our search for a permanent replacement.”

SCUK has appointed former diplomat and senior civil servant Moazzam Malik as its next chief executive. The charity announced his appointment last November and he joins this month.

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