| Julie Bentley | |
| Awards: | Third Sector's 'Most Admired CEO' of 2014Charity Times 'Individual Achievement Award' 2019 |
Julie Bentley is a British voluntary sector leader and Chief Executive of Samaritans. Julie was Chief Executive of Action for Children from August 2018 to February 2020.[1] She had served in similar roles at Girlguiding, 2012–2018[2] the Family Planning Association and the Suzy Lamplugh Trust.[1]
In February 2020 Bentley resigned as Chief Executive of Action for Children for personal reasons.[3] She joined Samaritans as the charity's new CEO in November 2020, telling The Guardian newspaper that she sees the charity's mission to listen without judgement as "an extraordinarily powerful thing".[4]
While Chief Executive of Girlguiding she oversaw a complete governance review,[5] developed the organisation's first five year strategy,[6] and changed their Promise so that members commit to ‘develop my beliefs’ rather than ‘love my God’.[7] The organisation also launched a series of badges to support girls in the modern world including one promoting body confidence[8] and another teaching girls about mental wellbeing.[9] The charity also launched the Girls Matter campaign in order to get people in power to listen to girls’ views.[10]
"Everything we do helps make girls and young women more aware, more confident and gives them a voice" she said of the charity, in an interview with the Financial Times.[11]
During her term, the charity has enjoyed a revival with increased public understanding of their work to support girls and young women into adulthood.[11]
Bentley is a former chief executive of the Suzy Lamplugh Trust and the Family Planning Association.[1] She was also Director of Corporate Services for ARP (Alcohol Recovery Project) and Assistant Director of Charterhouse – in Southwark. Her early jobs included being a postwoman and a youth worker in South London.[12]
Julie was previously a Trustee and Vice Chair of the housing and homelessness charity Shelter[1] and was formerly a trustee of young people’s helpline Get Connected (now The Mix).[13] During her tenure at FPA she was part of the government independent advisory groups for teenage pregnancy and sexual health.[14]
In 2009 Julie and her partner cycled from Land's End to John o' Groats to raise funds for the Family Planning Association and Seham Village Appeal a charity Julie is patron of.[12]
In an interview with Empowering Women, Bentley explained, “I have deliberately committed my career to the charity sector as it’s where I believe real change can happen. It’s also a fantastic environment for developing potential.” [15]
In 2014 she was named Third Sector's Most Admired Chief Executive at the Third Sector Awards[1] [16] and was included in the top ten of the Britain's most influential women in the BBC Woman's Hour Power List.[17]
Also in 2014 Julie was a castaway on Desert Island Discs.[12]
in 2019 she was named one of the most influential CEOs in the charity sector and in the same year was awarded 'Outstanding Individual Achievement' by Charity Times.