Celebrating a Legacy, Welcoming a New Chapter at the Ideas Foundation

Published Reading Time: 3 minutes
Heather MacRae (photographed with students)
Heather MacRae (photographed with students)
Heather MacRae

After 25 years of inspiring leadership, Heather MacRae is stepping back from her role as CEO of the Ideas Foundation.

Heather has been a cornerstone of our mission to nurture creativity in young people from less advantaged backgrounds, and her legacy is profound.

With nearly 40 years of experience in education, Heather has shaped countless lives and programmes. She will continue to support IF as a consultant and is launching a new initiative called Coining Curiosity — a project that blends education, creativity, and exploration. Heather also plans to travel, embracing new experiences and perspectives.

Heather’s journey with the Ideas Foundation began 24 years ago at The Learning Trust, when Robin Wight shared his vision for a charity that would nurture creativity and drive diversity in Hackney. We had no funding, no staff, and no frameworks — just belief and ambition. Early support came from widening participation funds, gifted and talented initiatives, DfE enterprise pathfinders, regeneration grants, and EU funding. From those beginnings, we built programmes that impacted hundreds of students in Hackney and across Greater London.

One of our first students, Naomi Desalegne from Haggerston School, is now on our board — a full-circle moment that fills me with pride.

After leaving The Learning Trust, Heather joined the Edge Foundation as Development Director and later launched her own consultancy, Venture Thinking, focusing on space education. Heather returned to the Ideas Foundation 12 years ago during a funding crisis, and helped rebuild the Ideas Foundation. Since then the team have delivered impactful projects with Burberry, Canon, Disrupt Space, King Baudouin Foundation, UK Space Agency, Royal Academy of Engineering, Sun Space Art, Nike, the Platinum Jubilee Pageant, Careers & Enterprise Company, King’s Coronation, Procter & Gamble, BBC, Barclays — and many more.

Ted Smith, Chair:

Heather’s contribution to the Ideas Foundation has been nothing short of transformational. Her passion, creativity, and strategic insight have shaped the organisation and impacted tens of thousands of young lives. We are thrilled that Helen Poole will be taking the reins — her energy, experience, and commitment to our mission make her the perfect leader for the next chapter.

Ted Smith, Chair
Heather MacRae [photograph]
Heather MacRae, Consultant

Heather MacRae:

It’s been a privilege to work with so many talented young people, educators, and partners over the years. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved together and excited to see Helen lead the Foundation forward with creativity and purpose.

Welcoming our new Interim Executive Director

We’re equally excited to welcome Helen Poole as our new Interim Executive Director. Helen has been with IF since 2015, starting as a creative programme manager and rising through the ranks thanks to her outstanding leadership, relationship-building, and passion for education and outreach.

Helen will now take on executive responsibilities, reporting to our Chair, Ted Smith.

Helen Poole:

I feel privileged to take on the role of interim Executive Director following Heather's inspiring leadership over the past 25 years. I’m committed to honouring that legacy while helping the Ideas Foundation navigate this next chapter, continuing to deliver transformative opportunities for young people across the UK.

Helen Poole [photograph]
Helen Poole, Interim Executive Director

New challenges, new partnerships

As we face new challenges in the education and charity sectors, IF is looking to build new partnerships that will help us continue our mission and innovate in the face of change.

Please share:

Similar Posts