NHS Consultant, Dr Paul Plant (pictured right) joins The Brick, to lead on the growth of the charity through what is set to be a year of expansion and transformation. Dr Plant, a respiratory consultant at Aintree University Hospital in Liverpool, has many years of experience of NHS management, managing large numbers of staff and substantial budgets across complex organisations. Dr Plant brings this management experience to his new position at The Brick.
Dr Paul Plant said: “I am delighted to be joining The Brick as the Chair of Trustees. When I first visited The Brick and met with CEO, Keely Dalfen, I realised that our thinking is aligned, and I knew I could work with Keely and her team. The Brick has grown from a small local charity to a charity that today has considerable impact across Greater Manchester.
“I am looking forward to working with the team at The Brick, to help with the growth of the charity whilst ensuring that we always stay true to our roots, and to continue to make an impact on the lives of the people we work with, on a daily basis.”
Dr Paul Plant will be taking over from outgoing Chair of Trustees, Dr John Parker. Dr John Parker said: “The Brick was born in 2008 when Reverend Tim Hall added The Bricklayers Arms in Hallgate to the Queen’s Hall Methodist Mission’s charity shop ‘Home from Home’. Over the last 15 years, in response to ever increasing need, the charity has continued to grow, and it is now a sizable charity dealing with homelessness and poverty across Wigan and Leigh.
“I have been with the charity for 20 years, the last 10 as Chair of Trustees, and it has been such a joy and a great privilege to have worked with some wonderful people on this amazing journey. The Brick is in excellent shape, and its services are in need now more than ever. So, at 78, I have made the decision to stand down and for someone else to take over the important role of Chair of Trustees and to lead, with CEO, Keely Dalfen, on the next period of expansion.
“I have great confidence in Dr Paul Plant. Paul is a committed Christian, he has great compassion for people facing poverty, and has broad experience. It will be fascinating to see how The Brick develops under Paul’s leadership.”
Speaking about Dr John Parker’s time as Chair of Trustees, The Brick CEO, Keely Dalfen said: ‘’John has been an enormous support to myself and the charity, providing insight and counsel during the busiest and most turbulent few years. The charity owes a debt of gratitude to John who has put his heart and soul into supporting the charity. In doing so he has made a significant contribution to alleviating the injustices of homelessness and social inequality.’’
Dr Paul Plant also brings a personal understanding of the circumstances facing many of the people The Brick supports.
Dr Paul Plant adds: “I was brought up in Norfolk in a small seaside town. My father ran a small business where he had to make his money in the three months during the summer, and as a family we needed to live on this income throughout the winter, which was a difficult time for us every year. My family struggled, to the extent that my parents lost their home and as a student at University I had 2 years of minimal income. If there had been foodbanks at this time, I would have used them. Joining The Brick, for me, is personal, and I know first-hand that the work that this charity does, really matters.
Keely Dalfen concludes: “I am delighted that Paul is taking on the role of Chair. Paul comes with a wealth of experience and values that align with our own. I look forward to working with him and the Board over the next few years as we refresh our organisational strategy and continue our journey as the leading homelessness and anti-poverty charity in Wigan and Leigh.’’