The social care charity Vibrance has announced Andrea Wiggins as its next chief executive. 

Wiggins, who took up her new role this week, succeeds Paul Allen, who is to retire after leading the charity since 2008. 

Wiggins spent the better part of last year as an interim executive consultant and before that spent eight months as chief executive of the support charity Involve Kent. 

She also had five years as chief executive of Aurora Nexus, which supports people with learning disabilities and/or autism. 

Wiggins said: “I’m thrilled to be joining such a wonderful organisation with such a proud and impactful history.  

“Vibrance is a complex organisation, but it’s not so big that I can’t get to know enough about people to ask the right questions at the right time.”

Anne Lyons, chair of Vibrance, said: “Andrea brings with her a wealth of experience, a proven track record of leadership, and a shared passion for the values that make Vibrance the pioneering, inclusive and successful organisation where we are all proud to work. 

“Having spent her entire career in social care, Andrea is uniquely positioned to guide our organisation into the next chapter of growth.

Allen, who will step down on 31 March, said it had been “the privilege of a lifetime” to lead the charity, which had an income of £15.3m in the year to the end of March 2023.