Simon Blake OBE

Chief Executive Officer

Simon brings to Stonewall a wealth of leadership experience in the charity and social justice space. He was Chief Executive at Mental Health First Aid England, a role he held from October 2018, where he was instrumental in setting the organisation’s strategic vision to improve the mental health of the nation through training and awareness.

Prior to this, Simon was Chief Executive of the National Union of Students, Chief Executive of the young people’s sexual health charity Brook, and held a number of senior roles in education and health organisations including the Sex Education Forum. He is Chair of the Support After Suicide Partnership and a Non-Executive Director of the Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. Simon is an ambassador for the Dying Matters Campaign, organised by Hospice UK, to change the way we talk about grieving. 

Simon is also no stranger to the ongoing campaign for LGBTQ+ equality. Over 20 years ago, whilst at the National Children’s Bureau, he worked with Stonewall and others on the repeal of Section 28 and equalising the age of consent. Simon was Chair of Diversity Role Models from 2012 – 2015 and joined the Stonewall board as Deputy Chair in 2015 before retiring in 2021. This was the blog Simon wrote on his last day as Deputy Chair. Simon joins at a critical and exciting point in Stonewall’s history, as we prepare for the outcome of the UK General Election.