Interview: Mark Russell, The Children’s Society chief executive

In 1881, Edward Rudolf, a Sunday School teacher, founded the charity that would eventually become The Children’s Society as a way for the Church of England to offer orphans and poor families better living conditions in south London. As it prepares to mark its 140th anniversary, current chief executive Mark Russell believes the charity’s role to support the most disadvantaged children and families has never been more relevant. Russell, who replaced Matthew Reed in August 2019, arrived from Church Army UK and Ireland, where he had spent nearly 13 years at the helm. After graduating with a law degree from Queens University, Belfast, he worked as a youth worker across the religious divide in his native Northern Ireland and was licensed as a lay preacher at the age of 21. Russell is launching a new vision for the charity at a time when its income – nearly £40m in 2018/19 – is being hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic.