We are delighted to announce the appointment of Jason Dunsford to Chief Executive of Gloucestershire Gateway Trust from 1st October 2025.
Jason has been with the Trust for nine years where his roles have included Head of Education and Skills, Project Manager for the GEM Project, and most recently Deputy Chief Executive.
Jason said: “I’m incredibly proud to be stepping into the role of CEO at Gloucestershire Gateway Trust. My connection to GGT and our community runs deep—from playing for Matson youth team and getting changed at The Redwell Centre, to my first job after university with the White City Community Project, to supporting the planning process and initial recruitment at the special Gloucester Services and finally joining the charity to show what partnerships can achieve through the exceptional GEM Project. I’ve had the privilege of knowing and learning from Mark throughout my career, and I have limitless admiration for his visionary leadership. I’m committed to ensuring that the values and vision he has built remain at the heart of everything we do as we move into this exciting new chapter.”
As part of a planned succession, Mark Gale, who set up Gloucestershire Gateway Trust in 2007 to lead the development of Gloucester Services, will take up the role of Founder. Mark will work part-time but will stay actively and closely involved with a number of the Trust’s projects and partners.
Mark said: “The 18 years since I cofounded the Trust and the vision for Gloucester Services have been an amazing journey. Against the odds, together with our wonderful partners, our Trust has delivered so much more than we ever promised or hoped for including millions of pounds for local community organisations, hundreds of local jobs and opportunities for local businesses to grow.
Our Trust has never been stronger and it is ready for the next stage of its journey helping residents to be more in control of their communities and their destinies. With these foundations in place it is the right time to pass the mantle of leadership onto the next generation.
I have absolute confidence in Jason and our GGT leadership team. I am certain they will continue our Trust’s important work of helping to develop welcoming communities with families and young people at their heart.”
Chair of Gloucestershire Gateway Trust Stephen Pallister said of Mark’s retirement as chief executive and the new appointments:
“On behalf of the GGT Board of Trustees, staff and everyone involved with GGT, we cannot thank Mark enough for everything that he and the team, along with partners and residents, have achieved in the communities we work alongside under his inspirational leadership. What a truly amazing Chief Executive of GGT he has been since we first began our GGT journey in 2007.
Mark has always brought a passion, enthusiasm, welcoming personality and collaborative approach to every facet of his work. I cannot myself think of a kinder and nicer man to have worked with all these years.
Mark has built innovative cross-sector partnerships that have enabled the creation of fantastic community assets including Gloucester Services, and more recently, the Blackbridge Community and Sports Hub. He has championed the community ownership of services, demonstrated so amazingly in the Gloucestershire County Council youth services and children and family centres’ contracts which GGT is now delivering so well.
It truly is the end of an era in Mark stepping down as Chief Executive.
We are delighted though that Mark is very much going to remain involved with GGT. He will continue to have an active role in the newly created position of Founder, and he will get involved in a number of our projects. We would not want or ask for anything different!
Jason now takes over from Mark in the position of Chief Executive. Jason has already played an important role for us. He has a long history of involvement with our partners. He led the GEM Project to be the exemplar of its kind that it was. More recently he has played a pivotal role with the youth services and children and family centres’ contracts .
I am sure that Jason will enable us to continue with the very best of all that we have achieved so far alongside in due course taking us forward into new areas. That spirit and willingness to go into new areas has been the essence of GGT as a body and which Mark has so encapsulated.
I have no doubt too that Jason will strive to maintain and develop our values as an organisation.
In an era when so many communities in our society face the enormous challenges they do, through Mark, GGT has been a beacon of empowerment for the communities it works for. The work he has led for us in GGT has been to facilitate and enable community-led transformation. It has not been through top-down government dictate or simply throwing money at projects. It has been real social entrepreneurship. Mark has been the community alter ego of a Richard Branson in the business world. But entrepreneurship which encourages, nurtures, facilitates community development through mutual respect and collaboration. What better model.”