New Leadership
Welcoming Kevan Hodges as the New CEO of 21 Together!
We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Kevan Hodges as the new CEO of 21 Together, effective from March 2nd 2026.
This marks an exciting new chapter for our charity as we continue to grow and strengthen the support we provide to children and young people with Down’s syndrome and their families across Kent.
About Kevan
Kevan has spent thirty-five years working across the wider hospitality and global events sector, mixed with both volunteer and full-time roles in the charity sector. A varied career with senior leadership positions in hospitality retail, concert & sports venues, major events such as the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games, internationally with Emirates and for expo2020Dubai, and leading a unique & historical animal welfare charity in southwest England. Notably, he held a Lead Governor position at Young Epilepsy in Lingfield, which marked his first move into the not-for-profit sector twenty years ago. During & post the Covid-19 period, Kevan worked across the local community (alongside so very many others) visiting the most vulnerable. As CEO of Ferne Animal Sanctuary in Somerset (2022-2025), he led this amazing animal welfare charity through a period of change, restructuring, and future sustainability. And, for the past six years both voluntarily and as one of the part-timers, Kevan has been a part of the communications & activities team at an end-of-life home for people with dementia.
Interestingly, Kevan’s passion for the charity sector was ignited over two decades ago when he was rejected for a role with a UK-based charity for the homeless at the final stage. Wanting to make the transition from the private sector back then, and it was the feedback received at that final interview that spurred Kevan on to make the necessary tweaks to his leadership style and to 'learning' that enabled his future success.
“I always say how lucky I am to have had the career that I have enjoyed; working in this sector allows me to be a small part of, and witness, moments in life that have a deep positive impact on people, and those moments stay with me.”
What drew Kevan to 21 Together, and what is his vision for the future?
In Kevan’s own words: “Much of life, and in this case one's working life, is about connections, whether that be at home, socially or as part of a career. It is natural for everyone to wish for those connections to have a positive impact on our lives. At my own personal level, that means working in an environment where those around me are truly invested in the organisation's success; success that is largely derived from encouraging, supporting, and enabling others. Once I had read the story about how 21 Together was founded with four local mothers of children with Down's syndrome battling tirelessly to ensure their children got the services they deserved, I was determined to play a part in its future.”
Looking forwards, Kevan states: “If everyone involved with and connected to 21 Together, in any way and for any reason, can look at our charity in say 2030 or so, and say something like '21 Together leads the way in services for children and young adults with Down's syndrome, setting the benchmarks in teaching & outreach that other similar charities now follow; and it's so well run that it will be able to have this positive impact on very many people for decades to come'. Then I would be happy with that as a vision.”
A thank you to Alex
We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to Alexandra Davies for stepping into the role of Interim CEO during this transitional period.
Alex has done an incredible job steering the charity through this time with dedication, professionalism and care. We are truly grateful for her leadership and commitment.
She will now resume her role as Operations Manager, and we look forward to continuing to work alongside her in this capacity.
Looking Forward
When asked what excited Kevan most about joining 21 Together he enthused, “very many things stand out and ultimately all head in the same direction; that the young people we work with go on to live the fullest and most rewarding lives possible”.
With this new leadership, 21 Together is poised for continued growth and innovation.
Kevan’s core values of honesty, trust and respect - all delivered with compassion- steering our direction, we are confident that our charity will continue to:
Provide exceptional support to families
Create meaningful opportunities for children and young people
Strengthen partnerships across our community
Champion inclusion and raise expectations
This transition represents not just change, but opportunity — an opportunity to build on everything we have achieved and to shape an ambitious future for our charity.
Please join us in warmly welcoming Kevan Hodges to 21 Together.
Together, we look forward to a future filled with possibility, impact and positive change.
Stay tuned for further updates and upcoming events as we embark on this new journey with Kevan at the helm.