Rob Murray will take up the chair post at Voluntary Health Scotland (VHS)

A health organisation has named a new chairman.

Rob Murray, chief executive of Cancer Support Scotland, will lead the board of 13 trustees at Voluntary Health Scotland (VHS) with immediate effect. 

Murray said: “I am truly honoured to have been elected as chair of Voluntary Health Scotland and look forward to working with colleagues on the board and staff team to achieve our charity's vision of seeing a healthier, fairer Scotland served by a thriving voluntary health sector.

“The voluntary health sector is never more needed and VHS's role as its national intermediary is vital to ensuring the sector is able to share its experience and expertise to help influence and shape national and local policy and practice. Our first class team provides a platform for voices across the sector, gathers and disseminates evidence, and connects people and organisations across all sectors, facilitating knowledge exchange and collaboration on key issues like health inequalities and improving practice.

“I would like to express my deep gratitude to our outgoing chair Allyson McCollam for her unstinting commitment to VHS over the last 6 years”.

Chief executive Claire Stevens said: "Rob has proved himself to be a supportive and effective trustee throughout his time on the board, and I am very much looking forward to working with him in his new leadership role. We also welcome on board four new trustees, including David Main who takes on the role of treasurer. Although our staff team is small, we are privileged to have a really high calibre group of trustees and they play a crucial role in enabling the organisation to punch above its weight. "