Gerry has been CEO of BCF since January 2016, and was appointed Chair of the Berkshire Anti-Slavery Network in December 2018. She was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s New Year’s honours list 2011 and has received two Thames Valley Venus awards: the Lifetime Achievement award in June 2018 and the national Inspirational Woman award in July 2018. In June 2021, she was appointed Deputy Lieutenant by James Puxley, the Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire. Under Gerry’s leadership, BCF has seen a steady increase in support from key donors and stakeholders, hitting the £1 million target in annual grant giving in 2018 for the first time ever. In 2020, facing the biggest challenge in BCF’s history, Gerry and co-CEO(2019-2025) Jon Yates raised and distributed more than £3 million to the most vulnerable across Berkshire. Gerry’s involvement in the voluntary sector dates back to 1998, when she was the Director of the Slough Business Community Partnership. She served as Chief Executive of East Berkshire Women’s Aid from 2003 to 2012, transforming a small refuge supporting eight families into a multiple award-winning, nationally recognised centre supporting victims of domestic abuse, handling up to 10,000 calls a year. In her spare time Gerry enjoys spending time with her husband Ray, children and five grandchildren, attending the theatre, and walking her two dogs Bertie and Betty. In her younger days she loved ballroom dancing and won her first medal dancing the cha-cha.