Stephanie Peacock, MP for Barnsley South, has been named as the new Charities Minister with the official title of Minister for Sport, Media, Civil Society and Youth. Her new brief will also cover ceremonials, legislation & corporate, and gambling.

Prior to the election, she was Labour’s shadow sport, gambling and media minister.

Her website say’s she’s been an active member of the Labour Party for over twenty years now, and in fact served four years on the party’s Governing Body (the NEC or National Executive Committee, as well as another decade on the party’s policy making body, the National Policy Forum (NPF).

In that time, she also served as a member of the Opposition Whips Office, Shadow Cabinet Office Minister, Shadow Environment Minister and a Shadow Defence Minister.

And if that wasn’t enough of a resume, she was also the Parliamentary Chair of Hope not Hate, an anti-fascist campaign organisation, Chair of the Industrial Heritage All-Party Parliamentary Group and Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Veterans, plus a Patron of BIADS: a local Barnsley charity helping people with dementia.

“We’re delighted that Stephanie Peacock has been appointed as Minister for Civil Society, and we look forward to working closely with her to build a collaborative partnership between government and the voluntary sector in the future. Charities aren’t just a force for good, they’re also a force for change. The new government has set out an ambitious plan for a decade of renewal, and we believe charities and voluntary organisations will be a critical partner for them to achieve their missions. We’ve already had some incredibly productive meetings with the new team at DCMS to make sure the needs of charities are heard and that the limitless opportunities for charities to make an impact are understood. We look forward to more opportunities to work with Stephanie and the team to unlock the experience and understanding charities have to help solve some of society’s biggest issues.”

Sarah Elliot – CEO, NCVO