Third Sector Awards 2026 shortlisting for Jo Kerr

Jo Kerr, our CEO, has been shortlisted in the Rising Chief Executive category at this year’s prestigious Third Sector Awards. This award is for the chief executive who has made an outstanding contribution to their organisation, or the wider sector, during their first two years in post.

 

Entries are judged by an independent panel of sector experts, chaired by last year’s winner of the awards’ Rising Star category Wes Cunliffe, compass facilitator at Calan Domestic Violence Services. The award winners will be announced at a lunch on Friday 11 September in London.

 

In her first 18 months in post Jo has led a transformation of Verture from our former Sniffer identity, clarifying our role as the UK’s only charity focused on climate adaptation and resilience, increasing our profile, and strengthening relationships with policy makers and sector leaders.

 

This comes at a critical time as the impacts of climate change and the need to build our climate resilience becoming more acute with the increased frequency of winter storms and summer heatwaves. The publication of the Climate Change Committee’s A Well Adapted UK report in May warned that the UK has been built for a climate which no longer exists.

 

Jo’s innovative co-creation development of our five year strategy Just Resilience, positions climate resilience as inseparable from social justice and is already influencing collaboration across sectors. She has expanded our national influence, including engagement with senior government stakeholders and contributed to growing recognition of climate resilience within bodies such as the Just Transition Commission.

 

Jo said: “It’s a real honour to have been shortlisted for this award, and a reflection of all that we have achieved as a team at Verture over the last year and a half. Climate resilience and adaptation are a vital part of how we respond to our changing climate, but there has historically been a low understanding of the work it entails or the necessity of it unlike measures such as net-zero. At Verture, we’re dedicated to changing this, and making sure that those most vulnerable to climate change are able to thrive in the future.”

 

Congratulations Jo, and best of luck for 11 September!