Jacobson leaving Kisharon to become Norwood CEO
DR BEVERLEY Jacobson will be the new chief executive of children and families charity Norwood, replacing Elaine Kerr, who announced last November that she would be standing down.
Chief executive at learning disability charity Kisharon for 10 years, having previously worked in strategic management consultancy, Dr Jacobson expects to start her new role in the autumn.
“I am passionate about everything Norwood represents,” she said. “It has always been perceived by the community as a safety net.
“For me it is an opportunity to help a greater number of people and develop more partnership work across the community.”
This reflects her belief “that all learning disability charities should be working together to provide for the future. What we have to do is not duplicate work. But everyone
Dr Beverley Jacobson realises this is hard to orchestrate. “My first concern will be to develop a vision and strategy.”
With her Kisharon background, she feels there are elements of Norwood’s services for the learning disabled which can be improved.
She has been meeting Norwood leaders and is “keen to learn as much as I can before I get there so I can hit the ground running”.
Before then, she will undertake a farewell fundraising challenge in aid of Kisharon’s £12.5 million free school in Hendon, which will cater for five to 19-year-olds and open in the autumn of 2020.
Dr Jacobson — who completed the Antarctic Marathon in 2016 — will be tackling the Mont Blanc equivalent, a punishing mountain trail finishing at an altitude of 2,016 metres. “You have to take a survival blanket and a mobile phone with you.” Looking back on her time at Kisharon — which supports her daughter Talya — she said it had coincided with a positive change in the way society perceives learning disability.
Empowering clients to lead independent lives, the charity had grown to help 150 people on a daily basis with many more using services.
It had administered “ground-breaking” social enterprise schemes, notably taking over the running of Childs Hill Library and operating a bike repair business and an employment agency for those with learning disabilities.
As Kisharon’s work had become better known within the community, its income had risen, bucking the national trend.
Philip Goldberg, Kisharon’s chairman, said that although sorry to lose Dr Jacobson, he was pleased “the Jewish voluntary sector will continue to benefit from her leadership”.
Neville Kahn, chair of the Norwood trustees, said Dr Jacobson had impressed the recruitment team with her experience “working in a community charity that provides services with a strong people focus. She is widely regarded as an inspirational leader.
“I look forward to working with her to continue to drive Norwood’s vision to be an innovative national expert and leading provider of services which help those who most desperately need it in our community.”