First Steps ED, a national eating disorder Charity providing help and support to individuals of all ages, genders and backgrounds including their families, has appointed Daniel Magson as its new Chief Executive Officer, who came into post on 18 November 2024.

He takes over from his previous role as Interim Chief Operating Officer for the charity which he has held since August 2024.

Daniel will continue to build on the successes of the charity, working with the Board of Trustees to define the organisational strategy and future direction for First Steps ED.

“It is now estimated that between 1.25 and 3.4 million people in the UK are affected by an eating disorder, and I am one of those people. My lived experience of bulimia lasted 10 years and still shapes who I am today. It is with that experience that I want to ensure those impacted by eating disorders are at the heart of our strategy. After working with First Steps ED for over three months, I am confident that we, as a charity, provide quality-assured services to support people, and I’m excited to continue expanding that reach. The charity has the most incredible workforce of staff and volunteers who deliver our services with top skills and unwavering passion. It is an honour to serve the community and the charity, and I look forward to leading us as we aim to help more people and expand our offerings.” – Daniel Magson, Chief Executive Officer

Daniel’s experience includes over 10 years in the charity sector as a fundraiser and communicator. Most recently, he served as Director of Engagement, Marketing and Income Generation for Bowel Research UK and has held a senior role at the MS International Federation whilst previously working for Independent Age, Missing People, Speech and Language UK and the Mayhew Animal Charity. He also served as Chair of Talk ED, which merged with First Steps in 2023. During his time there, he led lobbying campaigns to establish better safeguards for people impacted by eating disorders on social media and has been a spokesperson for those affected by these conditions

“We are thrilled to have Daniel joining us after a robust recruitment process. I know that Daniel will bring passion and drive to our organisation and will support the team on the next steps of our exciting journey”. – Karen Jackson, Chair of First Steps ED

For all media enquiries, please contact Megan Heappey on 0300 102 1685 or email meganheappey@firststepsed.co.uk