P3 CEO Mark Simms to receive OBE
P3 CEO Mark Simms has been awarded the OBE (Officers of the Order of the British Empire) for ‘services to charity’ by His Majesty The King Charles III as part of his 2024 Birthday Honours list.
The Honour recognises Mark’s 27-year involvement with the charity and social enterprise sector where he began working in the late 1990’s in Nottinghamshire, working alongside people with mental ill-health, before moving to P3 where his career started in a Wolverhampton hostel for people experiencing homelessness.
Mark is a passionate advocate for social justice and human rights, his leadership expanding P3 services to meet the needs of some of the UK’s most excluded populations. Today the charity operates 79 services across 53 local authority regions.
A frontline responder to the Grenfell tragedy, he saw the charity step-up to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the community distributing over £20m in aid to survivors and their families. In the pandemic his leadership once again saw the organisation mobilise and support hundreds of people to exit the streets and access somewhere safe to stay.
Most recently, Mark has overseen the Charity’s response to both the housing crisis and fuel poverty, working strategically to support the people and communities most affected by the rising cost-of-living.
Mark stated:
“I am humbled to be recognised with this Honour. Every day it is my huge privilege to lead a truly amazing organisation. It is through the great tenacity and brilliance of my colleagues that P3 makes such a difference at a local level for people and places.
“The charity and social enterprise sector form a vital part of the fabric of life in the UK, meeting people at their point of need. P3 plays an important role here, as our vision is for a world where social exclusion and poverty no longer exists. Both regionally and nationally we have a decisive part to play, supporting and learning daily from the people who access our services.
“On receiving this news, my wish would be for this recognition to be shared with the wider team and trustees at P3 whose efforts have made this Honour a reality. It is their passion, skill and determination which makes everything we do possible.”
As well as his role at P3 Charity, Mark serves as a Board Member for the Charity Commission of England and Wales. Here he oversees its governance, while working to ensure the sector inspires trust and strengthens UK society. He has also served on the boards of numerous charities, including Homeless Link, New Leaf and The Big Issue Invest, as well as acting in an advisory capacity to the CEO of Big Society Capital.
CLICK HERE to read the official announcement.
CLICK HERE to read the full Honours List published today in The London Gazette.
