We have some exciting news: as of April this year, Mindfulness Initiative Co-Directors Ruth and Jamie will be evolving into new roles within the team. Jamie will be stepping back as Director after eight years at the helm in order to focus on specific areas of the Mindfulness Initiative’s research, policy development and advocacy, and Ruth will become sole Director taking overall responsibility for the leadership and governance of the organisation. Over the last three impressive years as Deputy- and Co-Director, Ruth has steadily taken a lead on more of the Mindfulness Initiative’s activity, particularly within the health, education and workplace strands. She has also taken the lead on clerking the UK Mindfulness All-Party Parliamentary Group and is currently researching and writing a forthcoming publication on mindfulness in politics. Jamie will continue to work closely with Ruth to shape the charity’s strategy, nurture its extensive network and maintain its international reputation as the leader in its field.

Katie White OBE (Chair of Trustees) said: “The Mindful Initiative would not be where it is today if it wasn’t for Jamie. He has developed the organisation from its early days as a volunteer collective into a fully-fledged charity with remarkable reach; he has put his heart and soul into the Mindfulness Initiative and his imprint will remain integral to the organisation going forward. The board and I are hugely grateful for all of his personal efforts, commitment and leadership. After 8 years; the organisation is ready for an evolution. I am hugely excited that we have Ruth taking the helm and that Jamie will still be able to contribute his policy expertise. The MI will continue to synthesise and communicate the evidence base across sectors whilst supporting and encouraging policy makers to think and act with compassion, kindness and curiosity.”

Ruth Ormston said "I'm thrilled to be continuing to lead the next phase of the Mindfulness Initiative's important work on the transformational impact that evidence-based mindfulness and compassion training can have on the way we relate with ourselves, each other and the planet. During this next phase we will continue to grow the number of people who have access to these practices, whilst evolving our political liaison and thought-leadership so that mindfulness and compassion are placed at the core of policy and decision-making. This work is needed now more than ever, and I am so grateful to Jamie, our trustees, expert consultants and all of our supporters for building and growing the momentum behind our vision."

Over the last 7 years, alongside supporting the creation and ongoing capacity of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Mindfulness, the Mindfulness Initiative has:

• Launched and promoted the hugely influential Mindful Nation UK, the world's first public policy report about mindfulness.
• Worked with politicians and experts to successfully influence public policy in health, education and criminal justice. 
• Convened a private sector working group, which was later evolved into the Mindful Workplace Community, and co-created Building the Case for Mindfulness in the Workplace, a landmark resource racking up tens of thousands of downloads.
• Helped to introduce mindfulness into 10 other national parliaments, fostered a global network and held the first international gathering of politicians for mindfulness practice and inquiry, with the 40 participants from 14 countries hosted in Parliament and garnering front-page news coverage.
• Pursued an ambitious programme of research, thought leadership and policy development, bridging practical support and soaring vision for the field by publishing a string of influential documents, such as the Fieldbook for Mindfulness Innovators, Implementing Mindfulness in Schools: An Evidence-Based Guide, Mindfulness: Developing Agency in Urgent Times and, most recently, Reconnection: Meeting the Climate Crisis Inside Out.