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3Atul Manek%u201cI feel immensely proud to be elected chair during our 30th anniversary year and at the beginning of our six-year strategy.%u201cThis an exciting time for the Foundation to step up and make a lasting impact on the community as a catalyst for change. Working with ECF has helped me to understand how vital the voluntary sector is and how it is critical to the wellbeing of our society. As Chair, I am looking forward to continuing and expanding our support for the sector.%u201dFrom our ChairNick Alston cbe dl Chair of TrusteesIt is a great pleasure to introduce our 2025 Annual Review. This is my seventh and final year as Chair of Trustees, and it has been an enormous privilege. I am so proud to have worked alongside such passionate trustees, talented staff, inspiring partners and committed supporters. People have always been at the heart of Essex Community Foundation, those who give, who care, and who step forward time and again to help build a fairer, kinder and more connected county. On behalf of all trustees, thank you for your support, energy and belief in what we do.Our year began with the launch of our bold 2030 Strategy, created with input from a wide range of partners. It has already brought fresh energy, growth and momentum, while challenging us to respond to the realities of a world increasingly shaped by economic uncertainty and growing inequalities. We%u2019ve been listening more closely than ever to the voices of local people and organisations. Through our Community Listening Projects and county-wide Symposia, we%u2019ve gathered first-hand insight into the needs, priorities and aspirations of communities across Essex. This work has informed our research showing that the voluntary sector in our county contributes over %u00a31 billion to the economy, employs 17,500 people and mobilises 95,000 volunteers.As a result, a new strand of our work is to champion the voice of civil society. This year we brought together 15 countywide voluntary and community support organisations as the Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation Roundtable. Together we issued a joint statement urging recognition of the sector%u2019s role in this process. We are proud that Community Foundations are increasingly recognised nationally as leaders in this space, with representatives, including our CEO, Caroline Taylor, joining the Prime Minister, civil society leaders and senior ministers at the launch of the new Civil Society Covenant in July.At the same time, our core purpose remains unchanged: inspiring philanthropy and supporting grassroots organisations. Today we manage an endowment of %u00a354.5 million, steward more than 200 charitable funds, and have awarded over %u00a360 million in grants since we were founded in 1996. The use of our Foundation Hub at our premises in Chelmsford has increased by 200% providing groups we support with meeting or desk space free of charge.As we look ahead to our 30th anniversary in 2026, we celebrate %u201830 Years of Generosity%u2019 %u2013 honouring those who built this Foundation, sharing stories of impact, and inviting new philanthropists and partners to join us.I warmly welcome Atul Manek as our next Chair of Trustees. Atul joined ECF as a Trustee in 2022. I know the Foundation will continue to thrive with his leadership and generosity. Thank you to everyone who has supported our journey %u2013 our best years are still to come.