Christian international development charity Feed the Minds has announced a number of new appointments designed to strengthen the ecumenical organisation's senior management team.

Josephine Carlsson has been appointed as the charity's Director. She boasts a strong track record within the NGO sector, joining Feed the Minds from the YMCA where she held the position of Director of Communications and PR.

She has also worked for the International Save the Children Alliance, a leading Swedish international development agency and has held a number of consultancy posts.

Ms Carlsson is supported in her role by Chairman David Goodbourn, who was appointed earlier in year.

A former general secretary of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI), David is a Reader of the Kirk in the Church of Scotland and retains the role of president of Luther King House a theological education centre in Manchester.

Two additional 2007 appointments further strengthen the team; programme director Katy Newell-Jones and fundraising and communications director Adnan Laeeq.

Ms Newell-Jones has over 15 years experience working within the field of international development. She has particular expertise in developing, managing and evaluating partnership projects with indigenous NGOs, has a PhD in Ecology from Lancaster University and holds a fellowship at Oxford University.

Mr Laeeq has worked within the NGO sector since 2000 both in the UK and Pakistan. Previous roles have included a period as deputy national co-ordinator at the Society for the Protection of Rights of the Child in Islamabad and time with Southampton-based charity Tools for Self Reliance.

Commenting on the new team, Ms Carlsson said; "The new senior management team at Feed the Minds draws from a wide range of experiences within education, communications and academia.

"Our aim is to build on the excellent work undertaken by the charity to date, focusing on education within Africa and Asia and providing project support both practical and financial to our indigenous partners.

"Closer to home we will be undertaking a strategic review to ensure that we are supporting our partners in the best way possible and enabling them to empower their communities through learning and education".