23 March 2026

Introducing our new Philanthropy and Marketing Director

We’re delighted to welcome Kristen Pye as our new Philanthropy and Marketing Director and a member of our senior leadership team. In this blog, Kristen shares her background and what drives her passion for local philanthropy. 

There are so many reasons why I’m thrilled to have joined Somerset Community Foundation as Philanthropy and Marketing Director. 

I’m a proud incomer to these parts, having moved to the UK in 2014 from Canada. Since then, I have become well and truly rooted in the West Country, and some of the highlights of my career to date have been the opportunities I’ve had to mobilise philanthropy right here in Somerset – from investing in natural flood management in Williton, to supporting a nature-based social prescribing scheme at Steart Marshes. 

Over the past decade, I’ve worked for some fantastic charities with local communities at their heart. From brilliant arts institutions like Bristol’s Royal West of England Academy to campaigning charities like Trussell and Shelter, whose support for people facing hardship has only become more critical as life has grown tougher for so many. 

I’ll never forget the time I helped run a food bank session at the outset of the cost-of-living crisis. In an unassuming church hall in North London, I triaged a queue that seemed to stretch on endlessly, full of people from diverse walks of life, collecting emergency food parcels so their families could eat that night – a healthcare worker, still in her hospital uniform, who’d rushed over during her lunch break; a young mum and her baby, newly arrived as refugees from Ukraine.  

I felt an overwhelming sense of injustice that day, but also a powerful sense of the meaning of community. 

It’s this strong sense of both justice and community spirit that drives my passion for local philanthropy. We all want to live in thriving places – communities where young people have great opportunities to play, learn and grow, where our older neighbours are connected rather than isolated, and where arts and culture enrich everyday life. Our sense of place is one of the most important parts of our identity, and there is something profoundly rewarding about giving where you live. 

For that reason, I’m delighted to have joined the Somerset Community Foundation team, who’ve been connecting people in Somerset to opportunities to change the world on their doorstep for almost 25 years. And with the launch of our new 10-year strategy, we have set out an audacious goal to grow the long-term funds we manage, building a permanent and sustainable wellspring of support for Somerset that will serve the county for generations. 

That’s a brief that I am hugely inspired by, and one that will have an extraordinary impact for Somerset communities today and forever. 

Let’s talk 

If you’re interested in exploring how you can help build stronger communities here in Somerset, we’re here to make giving simple, effective and rewarding. 

• For individuals and families: Whether you’re thinking of setting up a charitable trust or just want advice on causes and places to support in Somerset, our team can help you. 

• For Somerset-rooted businesses: We can help you invest in the community you serve with measurable, meaningful impact. 

• For professional advisers: We can support you and your clients with expert knowledge of the local charitable landscape and help manage your clients’ giving and legacies through tax-efficient funds. 

Email me at kristen.pye@somersetcf.org.uk or connect with me on LinkedIn. I’d love to hear from you.