Impetus Trust, a UK-based charity tackling issues such as poverty and educational under-achievement, has appointed former UBS manager Joanna Walker to the newly-created role of director of philanthropy and partnerships.

Walker joins Impetus after four years with UBS Wealth Management in both London and Dubai. She had previously spent five years with overseas development organisation The Brooke, as head of major gifts and international fundraising.

“We have ambitious plans for our portfolio of charities and social enterprises over the next few years,” Daniela Barone Soares, chief executive of Impetus Trust, said in a statement.

“We are planning to expand it substantially, in line with our objective of helping many more poor people in the UK to gain the education, skills and jobs they need to escape economic disadvantage,” she said.

Impetus Trust describes itself as an organisation that seeks to “break the cycle of poverty by investing in ambitious charities and social enterprises that fight economic disadvantage”.

To view a recent editorial about philanthropy in the UK, click here.