Retail charity GroceryAid has announced three new trustees who have joined their board for 2020.

They include Mark McKenzie, group sales director at Nestle UK & Ireland, Dawood Pervez, managing director, at Bestway and Rhian Bartlett, Sainsbury’s director of fresh foods.

The charity is overseen by 16 trustees who are responsible for legal and statutory compliance and the development and growth of the charity.

Mr McKenzie has been with Nestle for 20 years, prior to which he trained with Marks and Spencer and John Lewis.

Speaking about his appointment, Mr McKenzie said: “I am delighted to work with GroceryAid as we continue to build the supporter base and raise funds across our industry, to enable us to help all colleagues who need the charity’s support.”

Mr Pervez was appointed to the role of managing director of Bestway in 2018 having been elected to the board of directors of Bestway Group in 2004.

In addition to driving progressive digital platforms to define the future of the sector, Mr Pervez set up the Group Export Division.

This helped establish trade links to over 20 countries and was awarded the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise for Export in 2012.

“Having been a member of GroceryAid’s Presidents Fundraising Committee I have seen first-hand the innovation to drive income growth from events like our Barcode Festival,” explained Mr Pervez. “We are still at the beginning of an ongoing journey and I look forward to helping develop these further.”

Ms Bartlett is a retailer with over 20 years’ experience. Rhian re-joined Sainsbury’s last year from Screwfix, where she was Customer and Digital Director.

Ms Bartlett said: “GroceryAid plays such an important part in the welfare of many grocery colleagues and I am delighted to be joining the charity. I look forward to being able to contribute to sustaining their growth at a time of great challenge for the industry.”

Ruston Smith, Chair of GroceryAid Trustees said: “These are important appointments for GroceryAid and further enhance the talent we have to draw on at the charity. It’s fantastic to have a team of Trustees of this calibre.”

GroceryAid has provided support to grocery employees more than ever before by the industry charity, with over 17,000 colleagues receiving help in the 12 months ending 31st March 2020.

The charity has recently added the following programmes to strengthen support for colleagues in need:

• GroceryAid Covid-19 Fund – offering enhanced mental health support, bereavement grants and crisis grants for people directly afflicted by the disease.
• Foodservice Wholesaler Fund – a ringfenced fund for staff from specialist foodservice wholesalers supplying exclusively into catering establishments.