Trekstock welcomes new chair of trustees to lead mission

After four years as the chair of Trekstock’s board, Rob Challis has stepped back. Rachel Roxburgh, who started her career at Cancer Research, steps into his shoes.Change is afoot at Trekstock. After four years of serving as our inspiring leader, Rob Challis has stepped down from his role of chair of the board as Rachel Roxburgh steps into his shoes. And despite what big shoes they are to fill (metaphorically), Rachel is the perfect woman for the job.

Rachel joined us as Vice Chair of the Board in October 2023. Having begun her career at Cancer Research UK, she headed up Race for Life in its infancy, helping establish it as a £60m brand. Now with over 20 years experience under her belt, she's held various roles as a CEO for youth-focused charities - making her expertly placed to drive Trekstock forward.  

Not only that, but Rachel is joining Trekstock at a particularly pivotal time. Later this year, we're launching a complete brand refresh to mark our 15th Birthday. We've worked with the brilliant team ODA Branding to create something we're really excited about and feels truly represents us. Having Rachel at the helm during this exciting transition means we'll be able to support as many young people with cancer as possible.

Rachel said:  

"I am truly honoured by the Board's confidence in entrusting me to lead Trekstock as Chair through its pivotal three-year growth plan. The rising incidence of cancer among young adults underscores the critical importance of our mission. I lost a dear friend at 23 to a cancer he could have survived if he had access to a support system like Trekstock. His story is a poignant reminder of the gaps we strive to fill. I am dedicated to guiding our efforts to meet this increasing challenge head-on, ensuring we make a lasting, positive impact on those we support and extending our reach to those in need of our services"

Rob has led Trekstock through some of the most turbulent times we've faced as an organisation (hello Covid-19 pandemic and it's impact on charities) and he's done so as a steady and stable force. Rob's used his expertise to help us navigate the rocky terrain of how businesses work with not-for-profits and mentored our founder Sophie Epstone as Trekstock has grown. We're thrilled he'll be staying on the board to keep sharing his skills with us.

He said:

"It's been an honour and a privilege to serve as the Chair of Trekstock's board for a number of years. I'm so proud of the progress we've made in supporting young people affected by cancer during my tenure. Though I'm stepping down from the Chair position, I'm thrilled to continue serving as a trustee and witnessing the positive impact Trekstock will undoubtedly have under Rachel's leadership."

Trekstock founder and CEO Sophie Epstone said:

"Rob has been an incredibly supportive chair during his tenure and we are immensely grateful for his contributions to the growth of Trekstock. He's played a key role in moving the charity forward through all weathers, and we look forward to welcoming Rachel Roxburgh as our new Chair of Trustees. We're confident that Rachel will continue to build on the great work we've begun and we're excited to see the impact she will have."

Watch this space as Trekstock goes from strength to strength alongside our mega team of talented trustees.