50 Years, 50 Faces: Ruth Bravery

50 Years, 50 Faces: Ruth Bravery

“My name is Ruth Bravery; I was born and grew up in Newham and have kept tight connections to Newham all my life. I like to think of myself as a proper East Ender! 

In 2014 I was ready for my next career move and was thinking about applying to be the Chief Executive of a charity but I wanted to find a charity that was close to my roots. I was thrilled to discover the Renewal Programme was looking for a new Chief Executive – it was perfect timing and I started in February 2015.

I am passionate about social justice and people being able to access their rights to a decent income and education, freedom from fear, hunger and homelessness. I think strong local communities are vital to people being able to lead a good life and support each other through life’s ups and downs. The Renewal Programme delivers on every single aspect – I think over the years, the Renewal Programme has not just enhanced lives of local people but has saved some lives as well.

I love all the Renewal Programme services – they all do such important work and make a difference to so many people in Newham. One of the best things about the Renewal Programme is that people can take advantage of the wide range of support on offer without having to navigate different organisations. 

The Renewal Programme is a fantastic family and I loved getting to know everyone and the part they each played in making a difference to so many lives every day. The staff have such a wide range of talents; the volunteers are so dedicated and inspiring; it was a real pleasure to get to know so many of the people who use Renewal Programme’s services – from young people to older people – everyone had a story to tell and I was always humbled by the huge challenges people face and how they used the support and services on offer to  turn their lives around.  

I would like to say a big thank you to the most amazing Trustees who keep the Renewal Programme on the right track, and also the people who have supported Renewal Programme over many years – such as the many local people, schools, churches, mosques, football clubs and those further afield such as our friends at Beaconsfield.

To me, the Renewal Programme means my community family.”