MEET the woman about to take over the helm at a much-loved nature reserve.

A new CEO has been appointed for St Nicks in York. Ellie Stead will join the environmental charity on Tuesday, April 19.

Ellie brings extensive commercial, community and fundraising experience from her diverse career at technology provider TSYS and, more recently, from her interim role as Director of Yorkshire Air Museum.

Ellie said: "I’m honoured and delighted to be joining St Nicks and truly look forward to working with such a dynamic and talented team.

“This is an exciting time to be creating sustainable paths for ourselves as individuals and for organisations in and around York, so I absolutely relish the opportunity to develop existing and new partnerships across the many and varied areas of St Nick’s operations.”

As the ‘Green Heart of York,’ St Nicks offers a range of environmental activities and services to communities across the city from its base at a former landfill site turned Local Nature Reserve.

Speaking on behalf of the charity, chairman of the Board of Trustees, Stuart Leslie welcomed the news, saying: “With Ellie at the helm, alongside our committed and hard-working team of staff, I am certain this new chapter for St Nicks will firmly establish the charity as a flourishing hub of green inspiration for York, where people value wildlife, the environment and each other equally to sustain a rich and healthy life for all.”

St Nicks in Tang Hall in York was born out of a successful campaign to transform a former landfill site into an urban nature park.

The whole site was capped with a thick layer of clay and replanting started in 1994. Ten years on, St Nicks was granted Local Nature Reserve status. It has since received several Community Green Flag Awards to recognise its importance as a wildlife habitat and local amenity.

To find out more about events at St Nicks, visit stnicks.org.uk/events, call 01904 411821/ 07912 432819.