New Trustee appointed at the Centre for Ageing Better

Cathy's career has included innovation in housing, links between university research and business, as well as the issues around health and wellbeing at work. She has long-term experience of working with national and local policy makers, to influence agendas and detailed knowledge of evaluation approaches for continuous improvement, based on her background in urban and social research.

She has significant experience as a non-executive director and charity trustee, both in the UK and internationally. She has served on the board of a major UK housing association and chaired one of the largest housing associations in Scotland for the past six years. In these roles, Cathy has served on both audit and risk and governance committees. She is also a long-standing trustee of a health and development charity based in Geneva.

As executive director at the Work Foundation, Cathy championed efforts to change thinking and actions for those that experienced exclusion from the workplace, due to ill-health and chronic conditions frequently associated with later life. As Chief Executive of Manchester: Knowledge Capital, she built a globally recognised partnership for innovation by engaging business, universities and local government across the city.

Previously, Cathy established and led an international NGO, which addressed the health needs of the global poor in partnership with the Rockefeller Foundation, global agencies, universities and the pharmaceutical industry. She was a founding director of the Scottish North American Business Council and served as inaugural Vice President for International Relations for the Association of University Technology Managers in the USA. She is also a Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society and the Royal Society for Arts in the UK.

Cathy will work with the rest of our Board of Trustees to help us fulfil our mission to bring about change for better later lives.

Dr Cathy Garner, Trustee at the Centre for Ageing Better said:

“I am thrilled to join the Centre for Ageing Better as a Trustee, as I am passionate about drawing on sound knowledge and evidence to make a positive difference for people, their communities and wider society. I hope that my experience of social innovation in the fields of housing, work and wellbeing will support Ageing Better in achieving its ambitious and vital mission to help people age better and improve later lives.”

Geoff Filkin, Chair at the Centre for Ageing Better said:

“I am delighted to welcome Cathy Garner to our Board. Cathy brings great skills and experience in housing, employment, in promoting local change and as a trustee, we are delighted she is joining us. She is joining us at an exciting time as the Board, with our Chief Executive, considers how we expand our work over the next few years, after our successful start-up and the completion of our first full year of action.”