We are all better off when we have a strong and vibrant community and voluntary sector in London. But we cannot take it for granted, we need to come together to provide resources and support so the sector does not just survive, but thrives for the long term. It’s in this context that I am delighted to share our annual report for April 2023 to March 2024.
I have been honoured to Chair The London Community Foundation for nearly five years. In that time, I have seen the valuable role we play in times of crisis, such as during the pandemic and more recently during the cost-of-living crisis. I have also developed a deep understanding of the vital long-term role The London Community Foundation plays in supporting, strengthening and advocating for the grass-roots community and voluntary sector in London. This year we continued this work, engaging with our donors to encourage them to give core funding to strengthen organisations, and multi-year funding so they can be more sustainable for the long-term. I have been inspired by how many have adopted this way of giving and the impact it has had on the organisations they support.
This year we further strengthened our relationship with the Mayor of London and the Mayor’s Office for Police and Crime (MOPAC), supporting them to achieve their long-term mission to tackle violence against women and girls in London. As part of our partnership, we deployed emergency funding for women-led organisations to respond to the cost-of-living crisis, distributed capital funding to develop local refuges and launched a new round of funding for specialist community organisations tackling violence against women and girls. We are really committed to working in this space and to take part in channelling more funds to this important area of need.
It has long been our ambition to create funds that provide our donors and friends with opportunities to come together to make a collective impact in areas that really matter to London.Russell Prior, Chair of Trustees
This year also saw us grow our thematic funds - our Youth Futures Fund and new Women’s Fund for London. It has long been our ambition to create funds that provide our donors and friends with opportunities to come together to make a collective impact in areas that really matter to London. We are proud to now be able to channel more funds towards helping women and young people in our city and I would like to say a special thanks to those donors who have supported these so far.
It has also been a time of organisational change as we said goodbye to Kate Markey in April, our Chief Executive of six years. Kate made an incredible impact during her time at The London Community Foundation. Among her many achievements was leading us through the pandemic, deploying £22m in emergency funding to London’s community organisations. Her commitment to our communities and the vital work of community organisations was unstinting. I would like to say a special thank you to her for all she did while she was working with us.
I would also like to recognise The London Community Foundation team and Board of Trustees and thank them for all their hard work during this last financial year. Under the leadership of our new CEO, Paul Buchanan, that dedicated work has continued throughout 2024 and there is much to look forward to when we come to reflect on the current financial year.
For now, I encourage you to take some time to read through the annual report. May you find it as encouraging and inspiring as I did. In response, if you or your company are interested in joining us to strengthen the community and voluntary sector, please get in touch. With your help, we can see London’s community organisations thriving and not just surviving. Together we can take significant strides towards a fair and more equitable London.
Russell Prior, Chair