The chief executive of The ARCHIE Foundation has announced he will step down from the role after almost a decade.
David Cunningham, who joined the organisation in 2008 as director of fundraising, is leaving the post to lead a global health charity that builds children’s operating theatres in the developing world.
ARCHIE, which supports youngsters across the north of Scotland, Orkney and Shetland, is now searching for a new chief executive to lead it into the future.
During his time with the charity, Mr Cunningham oversaw a number of major improvements to children’s care across north hospitals, and joined the UK Fundraising Regulator as a board member.
He was also a key part of the charity’s global surgery programme, which has helped to develop children’s surgical programmes in east Africa.
Mr Cunningham said: “Working for ARCHIE has been a huge privilege for almost a decade of my life.
“Whilst many of our big projects such as the Highland hildren’s unit and the new entrance for the children’s hospital in Aberdeen have been very well known, there have also been so many smaller projects where we’ve made big differences to individual children and their families.
“An opportunity has arisen for me to lead a global health charity which will focus on building children’s operating theatres across the developing world, and that is just too big of an opportunity for me to turn down.
“It’s been the hardest decision of my life, but I feel that now is the right time to get somebody new into ARCHIE with new ideas and new enthusiasm to take the organisation forward.
“It is the most wonderful and incredible charity, and it has been my absolute honour to be its chief executive.”
Mr Cunningham said he will leave ARCHIE at the close of the year.
Joe Mackie, the charity’s chairman, said: “David has made a tremendous contribution to the charity, leading us through an ambitious period of growth and development, while ensuring we remained one of the most effective and efficient charities in the country.
“We’ve begun the search for ARCHIE’s next CEO and hope to appoint in the near future.
“It is an exciting opportunity, both for the charity and the individual who takes on the role of leading our dedicated and dynamic team.”
