Diane Stevens has been appointed general secretary at the Rainy Day Trust, the charity of the hardware, housewares and home improvement industry.
Ms Stevens comes from within the hardware industry: she was marketing co-ordinator and subsequently marketing manager at Eliza Tinsley, the chain and rope supplier, from 1988 to 2006. She left when the company was placed in administration, but the new owners then re-recruited her in the same role, and she was with them for a further three years. Since February 2010 she has been working as office co-ordinator for a community interests business dealing with not-for-profit clients like charities and arts organisations.

"I am delighted to be joining the Rainy Day Trust, and I'm looking forward to the challenge of raising the awareness and profile of our industry charity," she said. "I hope that I can play a small part in helping to raise more funds to offer some comfort and support to those within the Industry less fortunate than ourselves."

As general secretary, Ms Stevens will be responsible for raising awareness of the Trust and its work; improving communication with members and beneficiaries; and crucially, recruiting new corporate members and increasing revenue.

"We have already started a membership recruitment process, and we were delighted to welcome high-profile new members like B&Q and Henkel Consumer Adhesives," said RDT president Colin Petty. "But the trustees have been increasingly concerned about the low level of awareness in the industry of the Trust and its work, and we have spent some time drafting plans to address these issues. What we needed was the right person to turn the plans into results - and we're confident we have found her."

Ms Stevens starts in her new role on January 4, and will be based at the BHETA office in Birmingham. Companies or individuals who would like to know more about the Trust and its work should contact the Rainy Day Trust, Federation House, 10 Vyse Street, Birmingham B18 6LT; phone 0121 237 1130; or visit www.rainydaytrust.org.uk