Kindred has appointed Jas Bains as the first independent Chair of their Board.
Jas takes over from Vidhya Alakeson, Chief Executive of Power to Change, who’s provided direction, scrutiny and support as interim Chair throughout the pilot phase.
Jas arrives as an experienced housing association Chief Executive across England and Wales. He’s currently CEO of the Hafod Group, and has been visiting Liverpool for years as a huge Wolverhampton Wanderers fan. Passionate about innovation and committed to tackling inequalities, we’re looking forward to Jas driving the next phase of development for Kindred.
“The homegrown, entrepreneurial spirit within Liverpool City Region has a scale, ambition and audacity I have rarely encountered in 15 years of social investment work across the UK and internationally,” he says. “Entrepreneurs here are about more than just making money, they’re about changing the world for the better.”
We send a huge thank you to Vidhya for the support and commitment she’s shown Kindred, which is testament to the things we’ve been able to achieve so far – including a first round of investment totalling almost £1m. Power to Change was our first investor, and has also brought us the skills and experience we’ve needed to set Kindred up behind the scenes.
Helen Heap is Deputy Chair of Kindred’s Board. “Vidhya saw the need for Kindred right from the start,” she says. “She has been an enthusiastic supporter and a true partner, contributing valuable in-kind project management resource from Power to Change, devoting her own time as our interim Chair, and mobilising that crucial early investment commitment. As we embark on the next phase of Kindred’s development we thank Vidhya for getting us started and we look forward to sharing news of the impact STOs are delivering within their communities – and the difference they are making to the Liverpool City Region’s economy.”