We are delighted to announce the appointment of Charlotte Osborn-Forde as our new Chief Executive Officer. She will take up the role in April 2023.
Charlotte is a pioneer of the social prescribing movement, having designed and scaled diverse and innovative approaches both in NHS settings and the wider community. As the CEO of Involve Kent for 11 years, Charlotte transformed the organisation from a local community group to a significant provider of health and wellbeing services with 150 staff working closely with the NHS and local authorities, supporting over 30,000 people a year.
Charlotte Osborn-Ford is announced as the new CEO of NASP
She has worked with the Department of Health and Social Care to pilot social prescribing in primary care, growing the original pilot of 5 GP practices in Kent and Medway to 102 now offering social prescribing. She also lectures in social prescribing at the Kent and Medway Medical School.
Charlotte has worked in the voluntary sector for 18 years, in a range of management, leadership and Board roles, including volunteer development, inclusion and mental health. Her work has a strong focus on addressing health inequalities and reaching out to people and communities experiencing disadvantage, stigma, poverty and trauma.
She replaces James Sanderson, who was seconded part-time to NASP from its formation in 2019 until November 2022, before returning to NHS England to take up a larger portfolio.
Charlotte said:
“I am absolutely delighted to be appointed as CEO of this critically important organisation; now, more than ever, we need to make social prescribing business as usual in health care. I have seen, every day, the difference it makes to patients, the NHS, people and communities. Together, we will continue to grow and scale this transformative movement, changing lives for the better.”
Professor Dame Helen Stokes-Lampard, Chair of NASP, said:
“We are delighted to have appointed Charlotte as our new Chief Executive, against a very high-calibre field of candidates. Charlotte brings unparalleled experience in developing and growing social prescribing through her work in Kent. She will bring energy and vision to NASP as we move into our next phase as an organisation.
“We are hugely grateful to James Sanderson for his inspiring leadership since 2019, and I know that Charlotte will build on his work and be a brilliant advocate for social prescribing.”
