30 Years of Generosity in Essex
30th October 2025
Nick Alston, CBE DL, has been at the helm of several of the county’s most valued services. He was the first ever Police and Crime Commissioner for Essex, has been a key figure in local health provision and is also involved in the education sector.
Nick has steered ECF from strength to strength and has launched its landmark 30th anniversary year with an ambitious new strategy to be the voice of the voluntary sector. In November, he will step down as Chair of ECF and hand over chairmanship of the organisation to his fellow trustee, Atul Manek who joined ECF as a Trustee in 2022.
Nick has been hailed as an exceptional leader and is proud that ECF now manages more than 200 funds and has given grants totalling £60 million to voluntary and community groups in Essex.
“When I was asked to chair the board of trustees for ECF it was a daunting prospect, but it has been an absolutely joyous time,” said Nick. “We have been through challenging times, but throughout it all I’ve had the pleasure of dealing with wonderful people, the fundholders, our passionate board members, the staff at ECF and the groups we have supported.
“We have been able to build up an investment of £55 million, so that we can continue to give support to those who need it. This has involved some very grown up, serious and deeply responsible work, but all the time it comes round to why we are doing this, why we are seeking more funds, to help communities across the county, because the need is still so great.
“It has been a humbling experience to visit many of the charities ECF has supported, especially in the year when I was also High Sheriff of Essex, and I was able to visit 120 charities and see the whole thing in the round. It is remarkable to spend time with these organisations and see the work they do in economically deprived areas where people are struggling. I am also privileged to see things from the fundholders’ point of view, as my wife Pippa and I have our own named family fund with ECF.
“I am pleased to have broadened the horizons of ECF’s board, which has been modernised with open recruitment, reflecting a wider diversity and gaining the insights of different age groups. The blend is right and I am delighted that Atul is taking over.
“He is a man of vision, integrity and deep social purpose. His generosity, through his own family fund and his leadership as an ECF trustee, has helped shape where we are today. I know he will guide the Foundation with purpose and care and, with great rigour, will make sure that we have everything in place to take ECF forward.
“It’s remarkable to think it was 30 years ago that our visionary founders, Ian and Angela Marks, began rallying people to help bring to life what was, at the time, an ambitious new idea, the creation of Essex Community Foundation.
“That’s three decades of families creating legacies, of businesses stepping up, of communities placing their trust in the Foundation. Trustees, past and present, have asked big questions, listened to those closest to the issues and responded with care.
“If the last six years have been about building momentum, the next will be about bold expansion. I am excited to see the beginning of a year-long anniversary celebration for ECF. Our 30th anniversary won’t be a retrospective, it will be a key milestone in this important journey that started three decades ago. Our theme is simple – 30 Years of Generosity.
“It has been a great honour to serve the Foundation, to work alongside such passionate trustees, talented staff, inspiring partners and committed supporters. I am an Essex boy through and through and I am looking forward to spending more free time in the county I love, with more walking and sailing. I am also looking forward to being an ambassador for ECF and spreading the word about its work.
“ECF has achieved so much and, in the words of our founder, Ian Marks, ‘There is still much more to do.’ As I hand over to Atul Manek I truly believe the best is yet to come.
Jenny Tolhurst, Lord Lieutenant of Essex and Patron of Essex Community Foundation paid tribute to Nick’s work at an event held at Braxted Park to launch the Foundation’s 30th anniversary year. She said: “As chair of ECF’s trustees Nick has left a lasting and deeply positive legacy, both for the Foundation and for the wider community it serves.
“His passion for Essex, generosity of spirit and unwavering commitment have shaped the Foundation’s development and enabled it to respond with strength and agility during times of real challenge.
“He has helped guide the organisation through change, championed innovation and always kept people and community at the heart of everything. Nick has shown integrity, compassion and a profound belief in the power of community.
“On behalf of Essex Community Foundation, the people of Essex and personally, as His Majesty’s representative in the county, I offer him deepest thanks and heartfelt gratitude for the part he has played.”