Chair of the trustee board for the Honiton Community Complex, Barry Simmonds, has announced that he is standing down after five years in the position.

Serena Sexton will take over the role with immediate effect. 

Barry will remain on the board but wishes to step back from a leadership position to recuperate from two eye operations. 

The rotation in board leadership comes at a time when the charity is developing a new business model to support the growing costs of managing The Beehive.

Serena Sexton said: "We are very appreciative of Barry's leadership over the last five years.

"No trustees receive financial remuneration for their time and efforts and on behalf of the charity I'd like to say that we are extremely grateful for his many hours of hard work and commitment.†

Barry also commented: "Serena is an excellent leader who will bring new energy and fresh perspectives to the position as Chair of the Board.

"Her experience working with government and non-governmental organisations will be extremely valuable to the charity at this time."

Serena is a retired prison governor, who has held several management positions in the prison service, including governor of both Dartmoor and Dorchester Prisons.

Previously she was a senior probation officer and sat on the management committee of a housing association for ex-offenders.

More recently she chaired the Patient Participation Group and the Health and Care Committee at Honiton Surgery and acted as a care navigator for Hospiscare. 

She is currently a presiding justice in the criminal court and a magistrate in the family court. 

She has been volunteering behind the bar at The Beehive for a number of years and joined the board in 2018.