New Chair of Trustees takes over the helm

A new Chair of Trustees has taken over the helm at local charity Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin.

Business owner Julie Kaur took over the role from outgoing Chair Sue Robson at the annual general meeting this month.

‘I've been involved in Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin since around the time of the pandemic, but I look forward greatly to now being even more involved in this excellent organisation,’ said Julie who runs a convenience store in Hadley and who has been a trustee at the charity for almost five years.

‘The many services provided by Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin are so important, making such a big difference to people's lives.’

Born in Leicester, Julie moved to Telford thirty years ago where she began working as an independent retailer. The experience she has gained within the community through working and as a volunteer on a number of committees has fed her desire to help older people locally.

Julie’s appointment coincides with Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin’s rebrand and the introduction of a new tagline ‘Let’s change how we age’, reflecting our ambition to continue to change the lives of local older people in need.

Meanwhile, outgoing Chair Sue Robson said: ‘I've been Chair for six years and I've enjoyed every minute. It's been a huge privilege. I'm just a volunteer but to have been, if you like, chief volunteer, to have been able to see and appreciate what this organisation does, has been just amazing.’

Sue is the founder director of Supreme Home Care, a Shropshire based local domiciliary care agency. She also owns a residential care home in the county. A graduate nurse, Sue spent part of her career as a manager in the NHS with eight years’ experience in a variety of board level positions. In 2016 she was awarded the Shropshire Partners in Care award for promoting care as a positive career.

The annual general meeting also saw a number of trustees retire from the board.

Chief Executive, Heather Osborne said: ‘On behalf of everyone at Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin, I want to express our deepest gratitude to our trustees David Bell, Dave Robson, Balbiro Kaur and Natalie Headley who are retiring from the board this year. I thank them for their dedication and commitment during their time as trustees, their invaluable contributions, thoughtful leadership, and tireless efforts have made a lasting impact on our work supporting older people across Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin. We wish them the best for the future and thank them for helping shape the charity’s journey so far.’