The Canal & River Trust has announced the appointment of Ranjit Sondhi CBE to its Board of volunteer Trustees. His appointment, for an initial three-year term, was approved by the Trust’s Council on 25 September 2024.
Living in Birmingham, and with a passionate enthusiasm for the role that canals play within the community, Ranjit will bring his considerable experience to the Trust as it works to safeguard the nation’s historic canal network over the coming years.
Ranjit currently holds several Board positions, including at University Hospitals Birmingham, the Black Country Integrated Care Board and the Birmingham Race Impact Group. He is a Board member for Guide Dogs for the Blind, and was, until very recently, a Trustee of Citizens UK. His previous senior roles encompass national regulatory and governing bodies, including the Commission for Racial Equality, the BBC, the National Gallery and the Criminal Cases Review Commission.
Ranjit says: “Having lived, studied and worked in an increasingly diverse Birmingham for over 50 years, I know at first hand just how much difference the city’s canals can make to the quality of life of all its communities. Not only do they bear witness to a living link to Britain’s industrial heritage and its remarkable engineering accomplishments, they also provide a tremendous opportunity to improve public health and community cohesion. And, of course, the integral part they play in creating a cleaner and more sustainable environment cannot be understated. It is an absolute privilege to be invited to play a part in ensuring that the Trust continues to thrive.”
David Orr CBE, chair of the Canal & River Trust, said: “I am delighted to welcome Ranjit to the Canal & River Trust. He has a wealth of experience across charities, regulatory and governing bodies, and healthcare, and has been dedicated to working with, and for the benefit of, local communities. We are excited that he will bring this knowledge and passion to the waterways.
“Ranjit joins our Board at an important time for the Canal & River Trust. We are working across the charity to grow our links with the community, and we continue to increase income from the charitable and commercial sources that are so important in helping to keep our 250-year-old canal network navigable and alive for today’s communities and for future generations.
“I would also like to thank Nigel Annett CBE, who is stepping down from the Board, for the commitment he has given, and the value he has added, to our charity in his eight years as a trustee.”
The charity’s Trustees are unpaid voluntary roles and lead the Trust’s decision-making on policy and strategy. They have legal oversight of the Trust’s wide range of statutory duties and provide direction to the Trust’s chief executive and his team.
Find out more about Canal & River Trust at: Canal & River Trust | Making life better by water (canalrivertrust.org.uk)
