Introducing our new CEO

We are pleased to let you know that Catherine Wood has been appointed to the role of Chief Executive Officer at Mencap In Kirklees.

Catherine brings a wealth of experience and knowledge having supported people with learning disabilities for over 30 years across a varied career as well as experience as a family carer. After graduating with a degree in social sciences, Catherine has worked in direct support roles in both residential settings and day services and managed teams supporting people in different types of services including supported living, residential care, nursing services and day opportunities as well as business development and communications work. Catherine has worked for local authorities, the NHS and charities and has continued to gain qualifications throughout her career. 

Catherine has a special interest in supporting people with learning disabilities as they age and has led award winning projects promoting good practice. Catherine has a place on the British Institute for Learning Disabilities (BILD) Growing Older with Learning Disabilities (GOLD) steering group and also the Palliative Care for People with Learning Disabilities (PCPLD) Special Advisory Panel. 

Catherine says “I am especially pleased to be working with Mencap in Kirklees as my history with the charity goes back a long way. Growing up in Kirklees I volunteered at the Gateway Club when I was young and my brother was supported by the community team for over 10 years until he died in 2005. I am fully aware of the organisation’s amazing history of developing services driven by dedicated families to meet the needs of their community. Mencap in Kirklees has for over 70 years developed to meet people’s changing needs and retained the commitment and vision to make it the well-regarded charity it is today. I am therefore very much focussed on building on all the excellent support that is currently provided and readying ourselves for the challenges of the future.”