As Terry Hunt steps down after nine years as Chair, Inspire welcomes James Buckle to lead the charity into its next chapter.
Today marks Terry Hunt’s final Board meeting as Chair of Inspire Board of Trustees.
Terry Joined us in September 2017 and become Chair in December 2020, taking over from Prof. Dave Muller
After a six-year term as chair and three prior years as a trustee, Terry is stepping down. Bringing to a close almost a decade of thoughtful leadership, steady guidance and an unwavering belief in young people.
During Terry’s time as Chair, Inspire has supported more than 8,000 young people and 22,000 children, delivered over 5,000 free counselling sessions, created 20,000 hours of youth-led social action.
Terry has given more than 10,000 hours of his own time to the young people that have passed through the Inspire doors. It has been said that dedicating 10,000 hours makes someone an expert in their field. We can certainly attest to Terry’s “expert” credentials when it comes to the impact he has had at Inspire.
From mock interviews and graduations to board meetings and strategic decisions, Terry has never sought the spotlight. He has always taken greater pride in celebrating the achievements of others, asking the thoughtful question when it matters most and quietly encouraging those around him. As Terry has often said, “You can’t truly understand Inspire until you’ve been a part of it.”
Thankfully this isn’t a permanent farewell, we are delighted that Terry is staying with us in a new capacity as one of our ambassadors.
I have been hugely honoured to chair this wonderful charity for the last six years.
Thanks to the fantastic team, brilliant volunteers and our tremendous board, Inspire has gone from strength to strength.
Of course there have been challenges along the way, particularly the Covid years, but the charity has negotiated those hurdles admirably.
I know Inspire is in very good hands with James Buckle as chair and Andy Crump as CEO. I look forward to the charity continuing to grow, supporting young, often vulnerable people.
I am very pleased to say that I will continue my association with Inspire, having very kindly been invited to become an ambassador, a role I look forward to very much.
– Terry Hunt
Andy Crump, Chief Executive of Inspire, said:
“Terry’s contribution to Inspire goes far beyond the years he has served as a Trustee and Chair. While many people know him for his leadership and unwavering commitment to the charity, I’ve also been fortunate to know him personally for much longer. As his sons football coach in the early days of my own career to working alongside him as Deputy CEO and, over the last year, as CEO, I’ve experienced first-hand the encouragement and friendship that he brings to everything he does.
Throughout my first year as CEO, Terry has been a constant source of support. His calm judgement, thoughtful challenge and ability to keep sight of what matters most have helped both me and our leadership team navigate change with confidence. In a sector where priorities and circumstances can shift quickly, Terry has always ensured that our focus remained exactly where it should be, creating the very best opportunities and outcomes for the children and young people we exist to support.
On behalf of everyone at Inspire, our staff, trustees, ambassadors and the thousands of young people whose lives have been touched by the charity — thank you. It has been a privilege to work alongside you, and an even greater privilege to call you a friend.”
As we say thank you to Terry, we’re also delighted to welcome James Buckle as the new Chair of Inspire.
James is already a familiar face to many across the charity. As one of our trustees, founder of The Porch Project and a passionate advocate for young people across Suffolk, he brings a deep understanding of our mission and the communities we serve.
James joins us at an exciting time for Inspire. Demand for our services continues to grow, new partnerships continue to open doors for young people and we’re reaching more communities than ever before. We’re looking forward to working alongside James as Chair, supporting Inspire’s continued growth and impact.
James told us;
“Three years as a trustee of Inspire has given me a first-class view of the amazing difference that the organisation makes to the lives of children and young people.
I am incredibly grateful to Terry Hunt who is passing on the role in fine shape, hopefully I will be able to continue the great work he has done. Terry has assembled an incredible array of talent in his trustee board all of whom I am very much looking forward to working with.
It will be an enormous privilege to chair this fantastic charity and to work with the most amazingly committed team.”
As one chapter closes and another begins, we’d like to thank Terry for his leadership and commitment he has shown over the past nine years.
James certainly has some big shoes to fill, but we know he’ll make them his own. We look forward to working together as Inspire continues to create opportunities that help young people fulfil their potential.
