Our CEO, Nick Mayo, has retired after more than a decade with Genesis Trust. He has shared his reflections on the charity’s evolution over the past ten years.

Nick reflects that his time was framed in three phases: 2017–2020 focused on strategy, structures and systems; 2020–2023 addressed pandemic impacts while prioritising essential ‘Good Help’; and 2023–2026 concentrated on securing long-term infrastructure and legacy.

Nick joined as a trustee in early 2014 which, in retrospect, was a wonderful way of absorbing Genesis’ core ethos, which he has always said is ‘caught’ rather than ‘taught’ and requires time to understand, or indeed “get”, fully.

In early 2016, Nick became deputy CEO before succeeding Paul Solly as CEO nine months later. Nick believes a key CEO responsibility is to champion and preserve the organisation’s heart and character, of which an extremely important aspect is honouring people, which he believes was a major factor in the success of the transition.

Under his leadership, Genesis’ collection of projects became more coherent for client journeys. Nick wanted the focus for frontline staff and volunteers to be on clients and so moved administrative and operational tasks to a back-office setting. He helped professionalise Genesis’ systems, appointed its first finance manager, and built a structured fundraising team.

In early 2018 Nick led a new strategy launch with refreshed branding and the strapline ‘New Beginnings, Better Futures’. This incorporated the principle of ‘Good Help,’ empowering people to help themselves, a framework that continues to guide our work.

This rebrand was followed by St Swithun’s Church gifting the Gateway Centre on Snow Hill to Genesis in 2018, which provided a permanent home for Lifeline and Life Skills. This eventually grew into Genesis Life Projects.

Nick recalled how the COVID-19 pandemic brought challenges but also lessons. Core services continued with adaptations, such as appointment systems at Lifeline which have remained. The Furniture Project was relaunched in 2021 as an online Furniture Shop via eBay to generate income. The Soup Run ended, replaced by Life Connect, a part of Genesis Life Projects, to emphasise community and connection.

In 2024, following a flood at the Gateway Centre, a major upgrade project began including roof replacement, new windows, doors and accessibility improvements. Genesis Life Projects was temporarily relocated, enabling our client focused ethos to continue. Nick was pleased that the sale of the West Avenue site, previously home to the Furniture Project, was able to fund most of the refurbishment. As of last week (Feb ‘26), our staff welcomed clients back into Gateway, which will now be fit for generations to come.

Alongside this change, Genesis integrated Keynsham and Somer Valley foodbanks into Bath Foodbank. ‘Bath, Keynsham & Somer Valley Foodbank’ created a more joined up service for our clients whilst enabling a cost-effective format amid rising regulatory and volunteer pressures.

A highlight for Nick was the Thanksgiving Service at Bath Abbey in October 2022, celebrating God’s provision and Genesis’ on-going support for homeless and vulnerable people locally.

Nick said, “it has been an honour to be Genesis Trust’s CEO. I’d like to honour and thank everyone who has been involved in every way for their commitment, time, attitudes, faith and care for the purposes and DNA of Genesis. Without you there is no Genesis and I pray that Genesis will go from strength to strength.”