Ann Limb

British educationalist, business leader and philanthropist

Ann Limb

Dame Ann Geraldine Limb DBE DL FRSA (born 13 February 1953) is a British educationalist, business leader, charity chair and philanthropist.[1][2] In September 2015, she became the first woman Chair of The Scout Association[2] since the organization was founded by Robert Baden Powell in 1907.[3] Limb also serves as the 789th High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire, the first Quaker to hold this office.[4]

## Early life and education[edit]

Limb was born in Moss Side, Manchester, the daughter of a butcher,[5] and studied at Marple Hall County Grammar School for Girls, now Marple Hall School, followed by the University of Liverpool.[1] She is a Fellow Commoner of Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge.[6][7]

## Career[edit]

### Career in further education[edit]

From 1976 until 2001, Limb had a career in further education.[8] In December 1987, aged 34, she was appointed Principal of Milton Keynes College,[9] at the time the youngest ever FE College Principal. After a decade, she moved to Cambridge Regional College, serving as Principal there until 2000.[8] She then took up the post as Chief Executive University for Industry, Ufi.[10]

### Economic development and housing[edit]

From 2005 to 2011, Limb was the Chair of the Milton Keynes Partnership and a Ministerial appointee to the Board of Homes England. From 2011 to 2019, Limb was chair of the country's top performing LEP, South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP).[11][9]

Between 2017 and 2023, Limb served as the independent business Chair of the UK Innovation Corridor.[12]

### Arts and culture[edit]

Limb is Chair of IF: Milton Keynes International Festival,[13] a multi-arts festival that engages people with music and sound in unusual spaces and places. The biennial festival, founded in 2010, runs for 10 days in July across central Milton Keynes.

Limb was a member of the Council of Arts Council England South East Regional Council between 2014 and 2021 and led the bid for Milton Keynes to be European Capital of Culture in 2023.

### Philanthropic activity[edit]

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In 1998 Limb founded the Helena Kennedy Foundation, a social mobility charity supporting access to higher education.[14][15]

In July 2018, Limb made a major donation to Milton Keynes Gallery to enable the creation of the Limb Family Foyer in the newly extended gallery.[16]

In 2021 Limb set up the Limb Family Endowment Fund at the Stables Lane Dankworth Centre to engage the widest range of people in music and the arts, particularly giving access to the young, disabled, and people from economically and socially deprived backgrounds.

In 2022 Limb, together with Quakers from Milton Keynes, created the Woburn Sands (Hogsty End) Quaker Burial Ground. Limb made a significant donation to fund the standing stone hewn in Cumbrian slate designed and hand cut by Lida Lopes Cardozo Kindersley which features prominently in the Burial Ground. In February 2023, at his personal request, King Charles III made a private visit to Hogsty End Quaker Burial Ground to meet and thank the Quakers involved and to recognise the uniqueness of this heritage-led regeneration project.

As High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire 2023-4, Limb has set up with the help of the Milton Keynes Community Foundation, The Harmony Fund - a High Sheriff's Charitable Legacy Fund to take forward the work of The King's Foundation in Buckinghamshire.

### Charitable roles[edit]

In June 2021 Limb became a trustee of The King's Foundation and in September 2021 was appointed Vice Chair.[17]

In July 2022 Limb was appointed Chair of the Lloyds Bank Foundation.[18]

### Voluntary educational roles[edit]

Limb is a member of the WorldSkills UK's Skills taskforce for global Britain,[19] Chair of the City & Guilds Group's City and Guilds of London Institute,[20] Chair of the Lifelong Education Institute, part of Res Publica,[21] Chair of the Board of Governors of The Manchester College, and a board member of the LTE Group.[22]

## Other roles[edit]

From 2016 to 2020 Limb served as Chairman of the Executive Committee, and Deputy Chairman of the General Committee, of her London club, the Athenaeum. She subsequently became Chairman of the General Committee, a post she still holds.[23]

## Honours and awards[edit]

Already Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), Limb was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2022 Birthday Honours for services to young people and philanthropy.[24][25][26][27]

Her academic honours include: Fellow Chartered Institution for Further Education,[28] Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts FRSA,[29] Fellow of the City and Guilds of London Institute (FCGI),[30] Inaugural Fellow of Milton Keynes College,[31] and Honorary Doctorates from Anglia Ruskin University,[32][33] University of Bedfordshire,[34][35] Open University,[36] Manchester Metropolitan University,[37] University of Northampton,[38] Sheffield Hallam University,[39][40] and University of West London.[41] She is a fellow-commoner of Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge.[42]

In 2019, Limb was named in the Northern Power Women 2019 Power List as an inspiring role model and agent of change, rooted in the North of England.[42][43] In the same year she was also celebrated as #1 LGBTQ+ public sector role model on the 2019 "OUTstanding LGBT+ Role Model Lists", supported by Yahoo Finance and published annually by diversity charity INvolve.[44][45]

## Media appearances[edit]

Upon taking up her role as Chair of the Scouts in 2015, Limb was interviewed by Emma Barnett on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour.[46] She subsequently appeared as a guest on Radio 4's Great Lives nominating George Fox, founder of Quakerism.[47] In December 2023, Limb appeared on BBC2's popular quiz programme, hosted by Amol Rajan, the Christmas University Challenge as part of the University of Liverpool alumni team.[48]

## Personal life[edit]

Having entered into a civil partnership on 21 December 2006, Limb married her partner Dr. Margaret Cook, with whom she has shared her life since 1991, on 11 May 2019[49] and lives with her in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire.[50]

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b Burke, Jude (8 February 2016). "Ann Limb: Fighting her way to the top". FE Week. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
2. ^ a b "Leadership Team: Chair of the Board". The Scout Association. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
3. ^ "Boy Scouts movement begins". HISTORY. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
4. ^ "High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire Website". Retrieved 29 August 2023.
5. ^ McVeigh, Tracy (10 October 2015). "Scouts' first female leader vows to get more girls round the campfire". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
6. ^ "Fellow Commoners". Lucy Cavendish College. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
7. ^ "Dr Ann Limb CBE DL | Lucy Cavendish". www.lucy.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
8. ^ a b Burke, Jude (8 February 2016). "Ann Limb, chair, South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership". FE Week.
9. ^ a b Burke, Jude (8 February 2016). "Ann Limb, chair, South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership". FE Week. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
10. ^ "Dr Ann Limb OBE DL takes over as Chair of the ENTRUST BoardEntrust.org.uk". www.entrust.org.uk. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
11. ^ "Dr Ann Limb CBE DL: Chair of SEMLEP". South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
12. ^ "The UK Innovation Corridor". UK Innovation Corridor. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
13. ^ "The Team". International Festival Milton Keynes. 4 February 2021. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
14. ^ "History". Helena Kennedy Foundation. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
15. ^ "Ann Limb". Helena Kennedy Foundation. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
16. ^ "Thank You ← About ← MK Gallery". mkgallery.org. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
17. ^ "The Prince's Foundation's Trustees". Retrieved 29 August 2023.
18. ^ "The Lloyds Bank Foundation's Trustees". Retrieved 29 August 2023.
19. ^ "Skills taskforce for global Britain". Retrieved 29 August 2023.
20. ^ "City and Guilds of London Institute - Our People". Retrieved 29 August 2023.
21. ^ "Lifelong Education Institute - Advisory Board". Retrieved 29 August 2023.
22. ^ "LTE Group - Leadership & Governance". Retrieved 29 August 2023.
23. ^ Brown, David (5 June 2023). "Old Guard of the Athenaeum Club challenge woke Chairwoman". The Times. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
24. ^ "No. 63714". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 June 2022. p. B9.
25. ^ Wace, Charlotte (1 June 2022). "Birthday honours 'reflect Queen's personal qualities'". The Times. Retrieved 2 June 2022. "The list also recognises the first female and gay chairwoman of the Scouts, who is made a dame for services to young people and philanthropy. Ann Limb said it was of 'huge' importance that young people saw leaders from LGBTQ+ communities."
26. ^ Hennessey, Ted (2 June 2022). "First gay Scouts head hails importance of LGBTQ+ leaders after being made a dame". The Independent. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
27. ^ "Dame Commander Of The Order Of The British Empire (DBE): Dr Ann Geraldine Limb CBE". The Queen's Birthday Honours 2022: High Awards. 1 June 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
28. ^ "New Beginnings: An Exciting Future for the Chartered Institution for Further Education". Fe Charter. 30 October 2019. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
29. ^ "South East Area Council | Arts Council England". www.artscouncil.org.uk. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
30. ^ "Our people". City & Guilds. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
31. ^ "Milton Keynes College holds its inaugural higher education graduation ceremony". CitiBlog. 11 November 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
32. ^ "Dr Ann Limb". Anglia Ruskin University. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
33. ^ "Dr Ann Limb CBE DL | Lucy Cavendish". www.lucy.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
34. ^ "Milton Keynes students' graduation joy". University of Bedfordshire. 4 November 2014. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
35. ^ "Education and Sport Newsletter – Autumn 2014". Issuu. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
36. ^ "Milton Keynes' Ann Limb receives honorary doctorate". beMK. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
37. ^ "Honours for outstanding figures". Manchester Metropolitan University. 19 July 2011. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
38. ^ "University of Northampton - November 2022 - Our new Honorands". Retrieved 29 August 2023.
39. ^ "The Doctor will see you now – honorary awards for cast and crew of iconic BBC show | Media | Sheffield Hallam University". www4.shu.ac.uk.
40. ^ "Alumna named in the Northern Power Women 2019 list | Sheffield Hallam University". www.shu.ac.uk. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
41. ^ "Dr Ann Limb". Charity Futures. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
42. ^ a b "Dr Ann Limb named on Northern Power Women's 2019 Power List". Lucy Cavendish. 22 January 2019. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
43. ^ "Dr Ann Limb CBE DL". www.power-platform.com. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
44. ^ "The OUTstanding Top 30 LGBT+ Public Sector Leaders 2019". Yahoo Finance. 30 October 2019. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
45. ^ "2019 Top 30 LGBT+ Public Sector Executives". OUTstanding. INvolve. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
46. ^ "Woman's Hour - Ann Limb, the new chair of the Scout Association". www.bbc.co.uk. 22 October 2015. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
47. ^ "Great Lives - George Fox". www.bbc.co.uk. 24 May 2016. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
48. ^ "BBC Two - University Challenge, Christmas 2023, Episode 5". BBC. 22 December 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
49. ^ "Dr M.A. Cook and Dr A.G. Limb – Marriages Announcements". Telegraph Announcements.
50. ^ "Dr Ann G Limb CBE DL: Vice-President and Founder". Helena Kennedy Foundation. Retrieved 5 June 2022.

## External links[edit]

* Official website
* Patron of Educational Wealth Fund (2018)