FOLLOWING the announcement of the retirement of Mark Dixon OBE, the Board of Trustees at a Hampshire-based youth charity have appointed Madeleine Durie to take over the helm and lead the charity into a new strategy.

Madeleine has taken over at Youth Options at a critical time when young people have been particularly impacted by the Covid-19 Pandemic, with reports of increased mental health and well-being, disengagement from education and poor employment prospects.  The Charity has been working with disadvantaged young people in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight for over 80 years and has ambitious plans to grow and reach more young people.

Madeleine Durie, Youth Options Chief Executive, said:

“I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to lead the next stage of the work at Youth Options. The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the impact of living through a pandemic for young people. Our work is needed now more than ever to help build young people’s emotional well-being and help them re-engage in learning and society as a whole. 

“I will be working with a great team to develop an exciting new strategy and hope to build and grow our supporters to help us achieve this goal. We believe that every young person can reach their potential and make a valuable contribution to society with the right support and engagement. Our youth workers are there to make that a reality.”

Caroline Horrill, Youth Options Chair of Trustees, said:

“Following a competitive recruitment process, the Board of Trustees were very pleased to appoint Madeleine to this role. I’d like to congratulate her on her appointment, and we are looking forward to working with her and her team to make a real difference to young people’s lives in the region.”