Appointment of New Chief Executive Officer, Vicky Shepherd

Rochdale & District Mind is delighted to welcome Vicky Shepherd as new Chief Executive Officer, who joined the organisation on 25th August 2026.

Vicky has spent over 30 years in the charity sector, planning, developing and delivering services to support people to have improved health and wellbeing and quality of life, most recently, for 13 years as Chief Executive at Age UK Blackburn with Darwen, a local charity working with older adults. Prior to this she held a range of service development and management roles and before that worked as a welfare rights officer. Vicky is also a trustee of a local health and wellbeing charity in Blackburn and volunteers for a wildlife charity.

Alongside leading Age UK Blackburn with Darwen Vicky has worked strategically with colleagues from across the voluntary, community and faith sector and public sector partners from local authorities, and NHS commissioners and providers to influence and drive system change and decision making – striving to improve services and support across a wide range of areas including neighbourhood health, dementia support, digital inclusion, physical activity and healthy weight and mental health and wellbeing; and also spent 6 years as a nominated governor at Lancashire and South Cumbria Foundation Trust which delivers mental health services.

Vicky’s experience will be instrumental in leading us as we enter the next phase of our organisation, as we continue to evolve and deliver for our communities.

Vicky shared her enthusiasm for the role, saying “I am delighted to be joining Rochdale & District Mind as Chief Executive, especially at such an exciting time for the charity, and I look forward to working with trustees, the staff and volunteer team and those who need our services to develop the new strategy, continue to deliver excellent support for local people to improve mental health and wellbeing and to working with partners to ensure the best services possible are delivered.

I am keen to talk to as many people as possible to hear and understand people’s perspectives about how Rochdale &District Mind can make an even bigger difference for local people dealing with mental health issues”.

The Board extend their thanks to Philip Bramson for his leadership over the last two years, as he starts a new chapter in the south of England.

Posted on: 1st September 2026