The WCIT Charity has said a fond farewell to Dr Stefan Fafinski DL who, during his seven-year tenure, oversaw grants totalling £1.5 million, the creation of an annual PhD bursary and the formation of AI4C, a learning exchange for charities engaging with AI. His stewardship of the Charity has created a model of intelligent philanthropy that is pragmatic, data-driven and personal.
Taking over the reins as the new Chair of Trustees is Deputy Master Gary Moore. Gary joined the WCIT in 1996, working initially on volunteering projects which, among other things, led to the founding of Lifelites – a national charity that provides educational technology to childrens’ hospices – and which is still supported by the WCIT Charity. Gary later became a Trustee of the WCIT Charity and chaired its grants committee for several years. He joined the WCIT Court in 2011 and was Master in 2024/25.
Gary’s experience will stand him in good stead to lead the WCIT Charity. As a former software engineer and project manager with BT, then as a networking specialist in the financial tech sector, he has firsthand knowledge of how technology can make businesses stronger. But it was a later role that firmly rooted Gary in the real-world difficulties that tech can also present, and this is perhaps what gives him his drive and determination to steer the WCIT Charity towards even greater impact. For the last seven years, Gary was CEO one of the UK’s leading IT and disability charities, AbilityNet, whose mission is to make digital services accessible to all, and to deliver accessibility assistance to disabled people – something very much aligned to the WCIT Charity’s mission.
Commenting on his new appointment, Gary said: “Dr Stefan Fafinski has been an exceptional leader of the WCIT Charity, guiding it through key challenges. I hope to be able to offer continued clear direction and momentum for the charity as we step into the next phase of our journey. With its strong foundations and generous donors, I am sure that the charity will continue to grow its impact in the coming years.”
