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, and his wife Isabel. Ann was born in the mission at Ranaghat, near Kolkata, 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 ther ...

. They later settled in

Notting Hill Notting Hill is a district of West London, England, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Notting Hill is known for being a cosmopolitan and multicultural neighbourhood, hosting the annual Notting Hill Carnival and Portobello Road ...

, 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 afforda ...

and the charity

Shelter Shelter is a small building giving temporary protection from bad weather or danger. Shelter may also refer to: Places * Port Shelter, Hong Kong * Shelter Bay (disambiguation), various locations * Shelter Cove (disambiguation), various locat ...

. 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- most p ...

, Massachusetts, was a historian who worked for the Historical Manuscripts Commission.

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 develo ...

(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 buil ...

. 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 Safe Routes to School Group. She served for many years as a trustee of the Environmental Transport Association. An avid cyclist, she has been an advocate and activist and was a long-serving trustee of the London Cycling Campaign, 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 An order of merit is conferred by a state, government or royal family on an individual in recognition of military or civil merit. Order of merit may also refer to: * FIFA Order of Merit, for significant contribution to association football * PDC ...

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