The Bath-based international development charity Send a Cow has appointed Simon Barnes, former executive vice president of the American Bible Society, as its new chief executive.
He takes up his new post as the charity – which was set up by South West dairy farmers – announces ambitious plans to double the number of families it supports in Africa’s poorest communities.
Last year, Send a Cow celebrated 25 years and 1m lives transformed. It aims to transform a million more by 2017. 
Simon Barnes, pictured, joins Send a Cow having overseen impressive year on year growth of 18% in net revenues during his last five years with the American Bible Society. British-born, he was also previously director of external business client management for Geneva Global, an organisation dedicated to helping major international philanthropic clients.
Send a Cow has pioneered innovative farming practices that have enabled African families to grow enough food to eat and sell. Mr Barnes’s appointment coincides with the UN’s Year of Family Farming, which aims to raise awareness of the role smallholder farms can play in alleviating hunger and poverty.
Simon Barnes has spent the last year volunteering for Send a Cow and meeting some of the many African families whose lives has been transformed by its sustainable farming programmes.
He said: “I am delighted to have been asked to lead Send a Cow and to build on the success of our life-changing work in some of Africa’s poorest communities.
“People ask me, ‘why Send a Cow?’ I say that what has impressed me is that that we have a simple proposition: we teach people how to build their lives free from poverty. My goal is to drive the organisation to help many more families lift themselves out of poverty for good. In 25 years, Send a Cow transformed the lives of one million people in rural Africa. We will do the same again in just five. It’s an ambitious goal but one that I believe we can achieve.”
Mr Barnes, who is an ordained Anglican priest, formally takes up position as Send a Cow’s chief executive on April 17. He takes over from Martin Geake who has overseen the successful expansion of Send a Cow’s programmes across seven African countries.
Send a Cow works hand in hand with families in Africa, teaching them the skills they need to build lives free from poverty and hunger. By providing training, livestock, seeds and support, the charity helps create stronger communities for the future. In turn, families pass on young livestock, seeds or training to others. This ‘pass it on’ principle builds stronger communities and means the charity is able to help even more people develop skills and confidence to change their future.
For more information about the charity visit www.sendacow.org.uk
