I am so pleased to be part of The Kids Network because I’ve spent my whole working life thinking about how best to make sure every child gets to live the life they deserve.

As a teacher and headteacher in London schools, I saw first-hand how crowded and pressured school life can be and the life-changing importance of appropriate, structured and child-led mentoring relationships. In my time as CEO at CLPE I was immersed in the evidence and research that shows how important early intervention is for future success.

The premise of TKN just makes sense to me. To build a stronger future we need to support our youngest citizens, our children, to be the best they can be – and to give those who may not have every advantage the opportunities to grow and develop in positive and supportive environments.

The mentoring programme enhances the community within which it functions because it’s about building connections, between mentors and children, between mentors themselves and between the charity and the schools – it builds a sense of community in the widest sense, leaving a legacy far beyond the programme.

Sarah has imagined, designed, built and nurtured a charity which is so clear about its values, about the centrality of those values and the importance of the voice of the children – there is evidence to show that the programme works and there is a structure, a staff group and a board that support future growth.

I am so honoured to be the person who has been chosen to build on these strong foundations and to work with our range of partners and stakeholders to take TKN into its next phase of development – and to keep fun, connection, diversity, integrity and curiosity at its very heart.