Ann Kenrick (born 13 January 1958) is a charity leader in the United Kingdom.

Early life and family

Ann Kenrick is the second of four children of the pastor and homelessness campaigner, Rev Dr

Bruce Kenrick Rev Bruce Kenrick (18 January 1920 – 15 January 2007) was an English Activism, social activist and Minister (Christianity), Minister in the United Reformed Church and the Church of Scotland. He is best known for writing "Come out the Wilder ...

, and his wife Isabel. Ann was born in the mission at

Ranaghat Ranaghat is a city and a municipality in Nadia district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of the Ranaghat subdivision. It is compact but one of the densely populated cities of West Bengal. It is known for its handloom in ...

, near

Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...

, India known as Doyabari when her father was working there as a missionary. When he was invalided back to the UK, the family moved to the Scottish island of

Iona Iona (; gd, Ì Chaluim Chille (IPA: �iːˈxaɫ̪ɯimˈçiʎə, sometimes simply ''Ì''; sco, Iona) is a small island in the Inner Hebrides, off the Ross of Mull on the western coast of Scotland. It is mainly known for Iona Abbey, though there ...

. They later settled in Notting Hill, London, at which time Bruce Kenrick founded the

Notting Hill Housing Trust Notting Hill Genesis (NHG) is a housing association formed in April 2018 by the merger of Notting Hill Housing and Genesis Housing Association. Notting Hill Genesis’ primary purpose is to work in the community to provide decent and affordab ...

and the charity Shelter. Dr Isabel Kenrick, from

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

, was a historian who worked for the

Historical Manuscripts Commission The Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts (widely known as the Historical Manuscripts Commission, and abbreviated as the HMC to distinguish it from the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England), was a United Kingdom Royal Com ...

Career

Kenrick worked as Secretary-General (CEO) of the diplomatic third-sector organisation, the

Franco-British Council The Franco-British Council is an organisation created on the joint initiative of President Georges Pompidou and Prime Minister Edward Heath in order to promote better understanding between United Kingdom and France and to contribute to the develop ...

(FBC), a role in which she served for 21 years. From 2016 to 2017 she led the FBC’s Young Leaders programme. In February 2017, Kenrick was appointed the first female Master and CEO in the history of the 17th-century charity and almshouse, the

London Charterhouse The London Charterhouse is a historic complex of buildings in Farringdon, London, dating back to the 14th century. It occupies land to the north of Charterhouse Square, and lies within the London Borough of Islington. It was originally built ( ...

. During her tenure, Kenrick invited the first women to join the community as 'brothers' and appointed the Charterhouse's first woman Canon. She also opened the Charterhouse to the public to raise much-needed maintenance funds and oversaw a meticulous restoration of the Great Chamber, the only Tudor hall to survive in Greater London. She chose to step down after a five year term in April 2022. In August 2022 she was appointed a trustee of the Barbican Centre trust.

Voluntary work

Kenrick founded the

Dulwich Dulwich (; ) is an area in south London, England. The settlement is mostly in the London Borough of Southwark, with parts in the London Borough of Lambeth, and consists of Dulwich Village, East Dulwich, West Dulwich, and the Southwark half of ...

Safe Routes to School Group. She served for many years as a trustee of the

Environmental Transport Association The Environmental Transport Association (ETA) is a British carbon-neutral provider of vehicle breakdown, bicycle and travel insurance for the environmentally concerned consumer. Unlike the AA or the RAC which are perceived as pro-car, the ETA ...

. An avid cyclist, she has been an advocate and activist and was a long-serving trustee of the

London Cycling Campaign The London Cycling Campaign (LCC) is an independent membership charity lobbying for better conditions for cycling in London. Its vision is to make London "a world-class cycling city". It is one of the largest urban cycling organisations in th ...

, elected chair in 2012, and serving for six years. She led several protests against the deaths of cyclists in London.

Honours

2009 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 2009 were announced on 31 December 2008 in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Cook Islands, Barbados, Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Christopher and Nevis,Saint Christopher. to ...

, Kenrick was awarded the OBE for services to Franco-British relations. In 2015, she became the sixth Briton to be awarded the National Order of Merit by the French government. In 2018, she was one of the "remarkable women who have shaped contemporary British society" selected by London's Foundling Museum for its "First Amongst Equals" exhibition. In 2021 she was awarded the Freedom of the City of London.

Publications

*''Let me Out! How to enjoy the school run'' (Lollypop Publishing, 2009)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kenrick, Ann 1958 births Living people Alumni of St Anne's College, Oxford British nonprofit chief executives Women nonprofit executives