Tracey Bell Appointed CEO of Bradford District and Craven Mind

New leadership announced for local mental health charity

Bradford District and Craven Mind has confirmed the appointment of Tracey Bell as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective from July 2026. The charity, which provides mental health and wellbeing services across the district, will see a change in leadership following the departure of its current CEO, Helen Davey.

Background of Tracey Bell

Tracey Bell brings over 20 years of experience in executive and board-level roles within the charity sector. Her career has spanned areas including mental health, social housing, homelessness, and substance misuse. She has previously served as a board member at Connect Housing in Leeds for more than nine years, contributing to efforts to provide affordable housing in West Yorkshire.

More recently, Tracey held the position of Group Director at Richmond Fellowship, a national mental health charity that later merged to become Waythrough. Her latest role was Director of Quality and Operations at Mental Health Matters, a national charity delivering support services across England.

Vision and Priorities

Tracey Bell has expressed her intention to focus on strengthening the charity’s services and building meaningful relationships within the communities served. She emphasised the importance of delivering services that are equitable, culturally sensitive, and tailored to local needs.

Key areas of focus under her leadership include:

• Expanding capacity and access to mental health support for children and young people.
• Enhancing support for adults and older people with severe mental illness and complex needs.
• Reducing inequalities by improving access to services for ethnically and culturally diverse communities.
• Developing an inclusive and diverse workforce to extend the charity’s impact.

Transition and Acknowledgements

Helen Davey, who has led the charity for eight years, will step down in July to focus on personal pursuits. The Chair of Trustees, Hannah Workman, acknowledged Helen’s significant contribution to the organisation’s growth and direction.

Hannah Workman also commented on the appointment of Tracey Bell, highlighting her strong background in mental health and strategic leadership. She noted that Tracey will spend time familiarising herself with the charity, its staff, and stakeholders before fully taking up the role.

About Bradford District and Craven Mind

The organisation aims to ensure that no one in the Bradford District and Craven area faces mental health challenges alone. It offers a range of mental health and wellbeing services accessible to people at various stages of their mental health journey.

For those seeking support, the charity provides:

• Guide-Line: confidential emotional support via telephone on 08001 884 884 and online chat.
• First Response: support for individuals experiencing mental health distress, available on 0800 952 1181.

Further information about services and the charity’s strategy can be found on their official website.