Action for Children's Sir Tony Hawkhead resigns

Hawkhead, chief executive of the charity since March 2014, will leave his role in February due to health concerns.

He will be replaced by Carol Iddon, managing director for children's services at Action for Children.

Action for Children is one of the largest children's charities in the UK working with 370,000 children, young people, parents and carers last year and employing 5,000 staff and 2,000 volunteers.

In a statement to CYP Now confirming Hawkhead's resignation, Action for Children said his health concerns are "resolvable, but require him to take a break from a full-time role".

John O'Brien, chair of trustees at Action for Children, said: "Tony has successfully led the charity for the last four years and, with him at the helm, the charity has made important changes to ensure that children are even more clearly at the centre of everything we do.

"It is with sadness that I accepted Tony's resignation and I wish him the very best on behalf of the trustees."

Hawkhead added: "I have had the enormous honour of being chief executive for this wonderful charity. The past four years have seen significant changes at Action for Children, and we have gone from strength to strength. When I joined, we worked with 250,000 children, young people and families each year and today we are supporting more than 370,000.
 
"It has been an absolute privilege to work for this amazing charity and I know that senior leaders and colleagues across the UK will ensure the focus remains on delivering our ambitious strategy, with children at the centre of everything that we do."