New Woodcraft Folk General Secretary Appointed

Published on Monday December 11 2006

The Woodcraft Folk, the national cooperative educational movement for children and young people, has appointed a new general secretary, who brings a fresh perspective and great enthusiasm to the organisation.

Kirsty Palmer, 27, will take up her position on January 8. She comes to the Woodcraft Folk from Girlguiding UK, where she is development manager tasked with increasing membership and encouraging adult volunteers. Prior to that she was a graduate management trainee for Waitrose. Kirsty is also a volunteer with St. John Ambulance.

“I am really, really excited by all of the opportunities and the challenges and the variety that this role is going to offer, and I am really looking forward to it,” says Kirsty.

“The challenges that the role presents really play to my strengths. I like to figure out how we can make things work better and how we can make an organisation more efficient and more suitable for its members. And I am naturally quite high-energy and passionate.”

Kirsty takes over her position from Andy Piercy, who will continue working part-time until his retirement later in the year.

An important part of the interview process was a grilling by a panel of young people, an experience Kirsty says she found “fantastic”.

“It really demonstrates a commitment to involving young people in the process. A lot of organisations say they are youth-led, but they don’t do anything. This gave me the impression that they were important. And we laughed a lot in that part of the interview. I am looking forward to coming to work for an organisation that practises what it preaches.”

Richard Lace, chair of the Woodcraft Folk’s general council, says he believes Kirsty will shake up the movement – for the better.

“I think she will bring some energy, enthusiasm and some fantastic experience,” he says.

“I think with her as general secretary we will be able to reach out to more of the communities where we really are needed. She will give us a boost. It’s new blood, new ideas. And that energy will rub off on people.”