During her 6-year tenure as Executive Director, Kelly has led the growth of the Foundation’s news and media literacy work with schools and in communities in the UK and in Europe, which has seen more young people than ever building the skills and confidence to critically analyse information and develop resilience to fake news.
Kelly has also overseen the implementation of a new strategy designed to meet the needs of educators, news organisations and young people in a time of increasing disinformation and global threats to press freedom. Additionally, Kelly oversaw the expansion of the Scott Trust Bursary scheme for aspiring journalists and the Foundation’s work on media capacity building projects in countries such as Turkey and India.
As the charity begins the development of its next strategic phase, Kelly believes now is the optimal moment to transition to new leadership.
The Guardian Foundation’s Chair, Keith Magee, said:
“On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I want to express our deepest gratitude to Kelly for her outstanding leadership, dedication, and passion over the past six years. Her commitment has been instrumental in shaping the Foundation’s impact, from expanding news and media literacy programs to strengthening support for aspiring journalists worldwide. Under her leadership, we have grown stronger, more resilient, and more determined in our mission. As we embark on this next chapter, we do so with confidence, knowing that the Foundation Kelly has built will propel us forward. We wish her every success in her next endeavours and remain deeply grateful for her invaluable contributions.”
Kelly Walls said:
“Leading The Guardian Foundation has been an incredible privilege, and I will continue to be a huge supporter of its vital work. With such a talented and dedicated team, a generous and supportive Board, and a mission that is so important, this was a particularly difficult decision, but the right one for me personally and for the Foundation. I look forward to exploring what comes next for me, and in the meantime, I am committed to working closely with the Board to ensure a smooth transition, including supporting them in finding a new Executive Director to lead the organisation through the development of a new strategy and this new chapter for the Foundation.”
The Guardian Foundation’s Board of Trustees have begun the process of recruiting a new Executive Director. The job description and details on how to apply are available here.
About The Guardian Foundation
The Guardian Foundation is an award winning charity that works directly with journalists, news organisations, audiences and educators in schools and across communities to:
Build news and media literacy skills for the next generation;
Champion more diverse voices and perspectives in the media;
Support at-risk independent media to continue their work and engage audiences with fact based journalism.
They are known for their educational programmes, which cater for primary aged students (NewsWise) right up to secondary and higher education students (Behind the Headlines). They also open up access to journalism through their Scott Trust Bursary and political opinion writing award. They also support independent media internationally.
Further information about the charity’s work can be found here.
Media enquiries: charlie.shepherd@theguardianfoundation.org
