Sight charity Beacon Centre appoints new chief executive

Lisa Cowley has taken the helm at the charity following the decision of the previous chief executive Arwyn Jones to semi-retire at the end of December.

She formerly held senior roles at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the Conservation Volunteers, as a trustee with the Youth Action Network and her most recent role as deputy chief executive for visitor engagement at the Black Country Living Museum.

Ms Cowley said: “Having spent most of my career in the charity sector, I am really passionate about making a difference.

"Beacon has made a huge difference to visually impaired people over the last few years, and I feel lucky to be taking on this role at such an exciting time for the charity and the sector, as we move forward with the future needs of our communities and partners firmly in mind.”

Arwyn Jones led the charity for more than six years, transforming its outlook from a site-based facility to a community focused organisation. Despite a challenging climate for the sector, he also led the investment in technological innovation which improved the lives of those living with sight loss.

This included driverless pods to an award-winning Fab Lab which incorporated digital design and manufacturing to support skills development for the visually impaired, as well as producing income from generating products.

Pauline Heffernan, chair of the Beacon Centre, said: “Arwyn moves on from Beacon with our very best wishes for the future and heartfelt thanks for all he has achieved for us.

"We are excited to welcome Lisa as our new CEO and feel confident her experience and vision for Beacon’s future will steer us towards even greater success in our efforts to make a real difference for people living with sight loss.”