Stephen Hammersley, CBE, will be the new chief executive of the Pilgrims' Friend Society.

Hammersley will oversee the Christian organisation, with 16 locations, which provides a range of services for older people including sheltered housing, nursing, dementia care and home-leave accommodation for missionary families.

Stephen Hammersley said: "Caring well for older people is going to be one of the great opportunities and challenges that our society is going to face in coming years.

"Encouraging churches and Christians to lead the way in supporting older people and to shape the issues that affect them is at the heart of the vision of Pilgrims' Friend Society and I am delighted to be joining the Society to play my part in making that happen."

Previously chief executive of UK Community Foundations for 10 years, Stephen began his career as a mathematician and worked in the banking industry for 17 years.In 2000 he was appointed a director of Tearfund, with responsibility for its use of business as a tool of development, before his move to Community Foundations.  

Pilgrims' Friend Society chairman, Alan Copeman, said: "Stephen has a strong Christian commitment which he seeks to work out in practice through his work and voluntary service. This includes his support for the youth work in his evangelical church in Harpenden and his chairing of the Leprosy Mission International's Trading Company and the UK fund-raising committee for a Nepali hostel."

Outgoing chief executive, Peter Fullarton, said that the Society's vision is challenging and the needs of its beneficiaries are immense: "Stephen will bring fresh energy to the vision and will drive the strategy that has been developed with the Board to make Pilgrims' Friend Society the UK's premier 'Christians for Older People' organisation.He will carry the torch into the deepening darkness that is enveloping many older people in our society today."

Pilgrims' Friend Society shares its experience and knowledge with the aim of enabling others to promote the wellbeing of older people and with just under 600 people in its housing and care homes, a significant percentage of whom suffer from dementia, it is uniquely placed to draw on its practical experience.