Manchester’s major welfare charity, The Fed, is changing at the top.

After ten years as chairman, Mark Adlestone is stepping down, to be succeeded by its treasurer, Bernie Yaffe.

Mr Adlestone — who oversaw the merger between the “old Fed” and Heathlands Village in 2009 — was praised by CEO Mark Cunningham for his “outstanding and inspirational” leadership. “He has enabled the organisation to deliver the incredible changes we have seen over the past ten years.

“I am delighted at the opportunity to work even more closely with Bernie, who has been instrumental in the development of our services.”

Mr Yaffe spent his professional career with the Kellogg Company, serving latterly as vice-president of finance and business development for Europe. He chairs its UK pension fund.

He said that “with continued uncertainty over local authority funding and rapidly changing demographics, we need to do everything we can to ensure we are adapting to meet the diverse and changing needs of our community”.

His task would be made easier by The Fed’s “wonderfully supportive board of trustees, including Mark Adlestone, who will continue to bring his wealth of communal experience to the table”.