New leadership for a new world
Raw Material’s Board and Team are delighted to announce three key appointments and a restructure in our leadership and governance, moving towards key aims of inclusion and diversity in every aspect of our organisation’s operations and management.
Rachel Nelken | CEO
Following a very successful interim period, during which time Raw’s building operations, management structure and programme have been completely restructured with a new team in place, the Board are delighted to have confirmed Rachel Nelken as permanent CEO. Despite the external challenges all arts and cultural organisations currently face, Rachel has already helped to bring our organisation stability, vision and direction for the future. She has also embedded a collective leadership approach, involving the whole team in decision-making, an inclusive and empowering model we wish to build on for the future.
Rachel says,
“I am really happy to be staying on at Raw Material and delighted to be working with such a committed, passionate and brilliant team across the Board, permanent and freelance staff. Together they really embody and represent the different communities, lived experience and creative pathways that the organisation serves and I feel very excited about the future direction and potential for change and development for our next steps.”
At Board level, following the recent resignation of the previous Chair Sara Yates due to ill health, Raw has chosen to appoint two of our committed Trustees in a progressive Co-Chairing model.
Jide Ashimi | Co-Chair, Trustee
Jide Ashimi has been a Raw Material Board member since Dec 2016 and Vice Chair since Dec 2019. Jide is a mental health specialist working with South London and Maudsley (SLaM) NHS Foundation Trust, whose experience spans 17 years of community-based provision in Lambeth. He is the chair of the SLaM BME Network and also sits on the BME working group committee for the Trust, as well as the Patient Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF) Project and the Tackling Inequalities and Discrimination Experiences in Health Services (TIDES) Project. He has project managed and delivered ‘Stereohype Lambeth’ Events (2004 - 2010); supporting mental health and well-being through music and the arts, leading to the development of Raw Material’s awarding-winning Raw Sounds Programme.
Jide says,
“I have always been passionate about music and the arts and the demonstrable impact that they can have on health and well-being. Raw Material’s creative programmes have a positive impact on the lives of young people and those facing the challenges of mental health issues. I am excited about being part of the leadership team at Raw Material and the truly positive impact that real inclusive leadership will have moving forward.”
Alex Ritchie | Co-Chair, Trustee
Alex Ritchie is Executive Director at GlobalGiving UK, a nonprofit that supports other nonprofits in over 170 countries by connecting them to donors and companies. She is also Founding Director at The ARC Agency, an award-winning marketing and events agency. She has been a Trustee of Raw Material for a year, heading up the board’s Risk Committee. Her background spans non-profit, commercial and public sectors, with much of her work having a focus on supporting young people into entrepreneurship, education, employability, or leadership. She has founded two companies and was a board member of MassChallenge UK, London's largest and most diverse startup accelerator and advisory board member for Astia, a global organisation for high-growth women-led businesses and Finca International, a global micro-finance institute supporting the world’s poorest entrepreneurs, predominantly women.
Alex says,
“I have a genuine passion for supporting young people, particularly those who are disadvantaged in some way. I believe that access to varied and alternative education and training, along with relevant mentors and role-models is the key to change and social mobility. I am excited to help lead Raw Material through a new era of change and growth.”
Raw will continue to develop and enhance its Board with diversity and representation as key objectives, and will be recruiting for two new Trustees in the next few months.
