Elisabeth Sheppard joined Gilgal as Interim CEO in April 2025

I am excited to step into the role of Interim CEO at Gilgal, bringing over 13 years of experience in health and social care. As a registered social worker, my career has focused on supporting individuals and communities. I am dedicated to addressing inequalities, ending violence against women, and creating safe and empowering spaces for women to thrive. 

For the past five years, I have worked at senior and board levels within the charity sector, leading strategic growth, service innovation, and partnerships. My background includes frontline practice, policy development, quality assurance, and leadership in complex environments. I look forward to collaborating with those who use our service, colleagues, partners, and stakeholders to ensure Gilgal continues to have a lasting impact and drive meaningful change. 

As we move forward together, I’ll be focusing on strengthening our foundations through the Women’s Aid National Quality Standards accreditation process, reviewing our governance and quality assurance frameworks, and embedding a culture of reflection across our incredible team to ensure best practice. At the heart of everything we do will be co-production – ensuring the voices and lived experiences of the women we support shape our services. We’ll also be exploring what feminism means to us as an organisation, deepening our understanding and values.  

I’m committed to increasing collaboration with our partners and building on our Cairn Consortium with Jericho and Bethel, harnessing our collective strengths to create even greater impact.  

Looking ahead, I’m excited about growth: securing an additional new refuge to increase our capacity and support even more women and children; forging new corporate sponsorships; launching and maintaining our new website; and raising Gilgal’s profile to ensure we’re reaching those who need us most. 

Find out more about the Cairn Consortium: three sisterhood charities consisting of Gilgal, Jericho, and Bethel.