Staff Team

Ruth has been Chief Executive of Spirit of 2012 since 2019. Previously she was Spirit’s Director of Policy and Impact and has worked with the Trust since inception. Ruth left a career in the civil service to help set the charity up in 2013 and leads Spirit’s team to deliver a diverse programme of grant funded projects with a strong focus on measuring and sharing the social impact of our work. Ruth is committed to providing opportunities for young people and outside work she is Chair of a Multi Academy Trust that includes 10 schools across Norfolk, Suffolk and Peterborough. She was awarded an OBE in the 2025 New Years Honours List in recognition of her role as Spirit’s Chief Executive and her services to sport, to the arts and volunteering. “Spirit uses events, like Glasgow 2014, Hull 2017 and the Centenary of Women’s Suffrage, as catalysts for social change – building on the way events bring people together and foster connection, pride, hope and optimism. I am passionate about the power of sport, arts and culture, and volunteering to improve wellbeing and really change lives both for communities and individuals.”

Amy has worked at Spirit of 2012 since February 2017 to lead our impact and learning work. She joined Spirit from social mobility charity Future First, where she was Head of Innovation and Development, and now sits on the Board of Trustees. Amy started her career as a History teacher through the Teach First programme before working as a Research Assistant at the BBC. “The thing I enjoy most about working at Spirit of 2012 is that we are genuinely curious about understanding what works, and we get to use what we learn to help fund the things that make a difference in people’s lives.”

Alex joined Spirit in September 2020. Previously, he worked for graduate recruitment start-up Debut as a content marketer and Imperial War Museums as a communications intern. In between, he is a freelance journalist who writes for outlets including VICE, Noisey, London In Stereo, Journo Resources and Huck Magazine. In his current role, Alex supports the planning and delivery of internal and external communications, as well as managing Spirit’s social media channels and website. He is an avid supporter of the arts and believes strongly in their ability to positively affect wellbeing.

Gaetano has worked at Spirit of 2012 since June 2019, first as a Communications Intern, then as a Grant & Learning Officer before adding policy to his remit. “I feel very lucky to have started my career at Spirit of 2012, and to be a part of such a passionate and supportive team. Working at Spirit has instilled in me a curiosity to explore different approaches to funding and to really dig into what works, with a portfolio of truly inspiring projects.”

Katie joined Spirit of 2012 in September 2022, having previously worked as Grants Manager at the Churchill Fellowship. Since beginning her career working across research funding programmes at the Arts and Humanities Research Council, she has gained varied experience with research and higher education organisations, and within the cultural and charity sectors. Katie has enjoyed volunteering for many years, from international festivals to small community events. She is interested in how participation can increase wellbeing and community cohesion, and eager to learn more about this through the projects that Spirit funds. “I’m so pleased to have joined the Spirit team and support the incredible work that our grantees are doing. I find Spirit’s approach to learning from the outcomes of the projects we fund refreshing and believe that this work will have a meaningful impact for the future.”