THE charities that run Poole’s Lighthouse and Bournemouth’s council-owned entertainment and leisure venues have both announced new chairs.

A former deputy head of Channel 4, MT Rainey, will take the helm of Poole Arts Trust, while former Westover Group boss Paul Collins becomes chair of BH Live.

MT Rainey becomes chair at Poole after a business career which saw her receive the OBE for services to advertising in 2015.

After eight years in the US as planning director of Chiat/Day, working with Apple and other early Silicon Valley companies, she founded advertising agency Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe and was its chief executive.

She also served as vice-chair of Creative Skills, the UK sector skills council for the creative industries, and is a trustee of the Booker Prize.

She said: “It’s a privilege to be asked to chair this very loved, respected and important organisation.

“I’ve been coming to Lighthouse since I first had a home here in Poole in 2004 – in fact, it was one of the reasons I came. For an arts venue outside of London, the quality and diversity of the programme is amazing.

“We have very loyal audiences, and while some elements of the programme bring in new audiences, I still think not enough people in this area know what a jewel in the crown they have on their doorstep and how many choices they have at Lighthouse on any night of the week. I’m hoping I can bring my specific expertise to bear on that particular challenge.”

She has been on the charity’s board of trustees since 2020 and has supported the team to develop a new website and brand refresh, with new signage and the tagline “Different every day”.

Paul Collins, who takes over the chair of BH Live from Martin Kimberley, worked in the motor industry for more than 50 years and was operational director for the Westover Group of car dealerships. He is a past president of Dorset Chamber and has been a board member at Poole Arts Trust.

He said: “Being physically active and engaged in culture is incredibly beneficial for everyone and our community as a whole. It makes our towns and surrounding areas more vibrant places to visit and live.

"Whether people are attending a concert, a conference, going to a fitness class or learning to swim, we bring people together to share a common experience and get a welcome feel-good endorphin boost. And it’s that sense of community and feeling good that is the driving force behind everything we do.”

He added: “Over the last year, people using local leisure centres and taking part in physical activity is improving community health and has generated a ‘social value’ of an estimated £10million. This shows the extent to which we are improving people’s health and reducing the demand for health and social care services.”

He said rising costs were having a “vast impact” on the organisation, its staff and customers. “In these times of significant financial pressures, running our services as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible without seriously impacting services or affordability continues to be a priority,” he added.