New chairman of trustees for Wiltshire Community Foundation

The Wiltshire Community Foundation is delighted to announce the appointment of Ashley Truluck CB CBE as chairman of trustees.

The former Major General will bring extensive experience, both in the military and the commercial world, to the foundation, which last year gave out £1.2 million to charities, community groups and individuals across Swindon and Wiltshire.

He said: “I am passionate about community projects - so I wouldn’t have taken on the role unless I was convinced that it was a worthy cause.

“The foundation does a fantastic job – providing philanthropists and other donors with a safe and efficient route for dispensing financial support to communities in need. Equally importantly, it provides ongoing research into areas of need in Wiltshire, and free advice and guidance to people setting up and running community projects. I am really looking forward to working with the trustees and chief executive Rosemary Macdonald.”

Mr Truluck, 71, grew up near Amesbury and has subsequently worked and lived near Swindon and Salisbury.

After a distinguished military career where he specialised in managing national and international change and equipment programmes for MOD and NATO; he carried these skills over into Public Service - managing the merger of London law courts and spending six years with the Department of Communities and Local Government managing the introduction of new command and control systems to the Emergency Services. Switching to commercial work, he acted as a strategic advisor for IBM and managing consultant of a leisure industry tour company.

He has undertaken many voluntary roles, including  local regional chairman of the Gurkha Welfare Trust and chairman of the Society for Army Historical Research.

He lives with his wife Jenny in Broad Chalke, near Salisbury. They have two grown-up children and one grandson. He is active in the village and was instrumental in the formation of the Community Hub, which saved the church, village store and post office from closure.

He said: “With a surname like Truluck, I have been blessed with true luck in life. I hope I can bring just a little of that luck to my time with the Wiltshire Community Foundation in order to put people who care, in touch with communities that matter - and so help make Wiltshire an even happier, safer and more equitable place to live and work in.”

Chief executive Rosemary Macdonald said: “I am delighted to have Ashley working with us and know he will bring new ideas, drive and passion. He joins us at an exciting time when we have six new trustees on board.

 “We have a wonderful track record of identifying and tackling need at a local level and I am really looking forward to seeing how this new energy will drive us forward to do even more for communities in Wiltshire.”