A volunteering charity based in St Albans has welcomed a new chief executive.

Alan McCormick joins Mission Direct following their recent move to The Ziggurat, in Grosvenor Road, after 10 years based in Luton.

Mr McCormick is taking the reins of the organisation after four years working as the Managing Director of Lockheed Martin’s business in Ampthill.

He has 25 years’ experience in the defence industry, providing the UK Armed Forces with high tech equipment.

A practising Christian he says he is proud to have served the men and women who put themselves in harm’s way to protect our country.

Mr McCormick said he is  now relishing the opportunity to invest his time and energy in leading Mission Direct.

He said: "I applied for the post because I was inspired by the opportunity to work with a team whose goal is to transform the lives of the world’s poorest by taking volunteers on relays of mission trips to build schools, clinics and homes."

During his introductory three months, Mr McCormick has travelled to visit three Mission Direct projects. These include two projects serving orphans and disabled children in Uganda and a third working with slum families in Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh.

He will take over the leadership of Mission Direct in May, from the founder Nigel Hyde, who has been leading the charity since 2004.