The Hollie Gazzard Trust is thrilled to announce the addition of three new members to the board of trustees. The charity warmly welcomes Kirstie Carr, Mhairi Ball, and Sarah Hutchings to our dedicated team.
The charity was founded in memory of Hollie Gazzard in 2014, tragically murdered at her place of work in 2014 by an ex-partner. The charity exists to save lives by building individual and community resilience to domestic abuse and stalking, issues Hollie faced before her untimely death. We raise awareness about domestic abuse, stalking, sexual harassment and knife crime, and aim to educate communities about the signs of abusive relationships and the dangers associated with carrying knives. We have developed a free personal safety app, Hollie Guard, in the hope this will help individuals experiencing domestic abuse and stalking to stay safe. The Hollie Gazzard Trust began as a local charity, however, since inception has had a huge reach and impact both nationally and internationally. Hollie’s story has featured on several TV documentaries, notably launching on Netflix in February 2023.
Kirstie Carr, Board Director and co-Head of the Private Client Department at WSP Solicitors, will be supporting the fantastic work the Hollie Gazzard Trust does including being a link between the charity and its ambassadors, staff, and fundraisers. As well as this, she will be able to provide her own expertise as a leader in the legal sector and company director to support the board of trustees and the strategic direction of the charity. Of the opportunity, Kirstie said “This is such an exciting time to be getting involved with an important charity, local to WSP Solicitors, but with far reaching influence nationally. The training and education the Hollie Gazzard Trust provides is vitally important, especially from my perspective as a parent. Lots of fundraising is needed over the coming 12 months to allow the charity to continue with the great work they do”.
Mhairi Ball, joins with a wealth of local knowledge gained from her work with Gloucester City Council. Mhairi is particularly experienced with event management, skills that will put to good use during the Trust’s 10th anniversary in 2024.
Sarah Hutchings, Financial Planner at Kirby and Knott Financial Planning, has a long standing relationship with the charity already, having been an organiser of a key event, the Charity Golf Day, on behalf of the Hollie Gazzard Trust.
Hollie’s father, and CEO and Founder of the Hollie Gazzard Trust, Nick Gazzard said: ‘’We are delighted to have Kirstie, Mhairi and Sarah join the charity. They all bring specific expertise and experience to the board of Trustees, and will be invaluable in helping us achieve our aims in the coming years. I’d like to say thank you to all three for their hard work and commitment already, and we look forward to working together more in the future.’’
This is a particularly exciting time for the Hollie Gazzard Trust as it celebrates a 10 year anniversary in 2024, with several fundraising activities and events planned throughout the year.