November 2024 Newsletter

Hello Anna! Welcome to your monthly update from The Food Chain

On 24th October The Food Chain's Board of Trustees held our Annual General Meeting (AGM), which was a chance for members and friends of The Food Chain to vote on charity resolutions and meet our Trustees. It was lovely to see so many of you and to celebrate another year of the work we have done together.

The Food Chain's New CEO

At the AGM, the Board of Trustees took the opportunity to announce the very positive news that Anna Brewster has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer effective 1st November.

For the last 2 years the CEO responsibilities had been split across two director roles, which worked well until June this year when Richard Mills, Director of Income Generation, left the organisation for pastures new. Since his departure, Anna has stepped up, and with support from the Board has taken on his strategic responsibilities. In this time, she has proved that she has all of the right qualities to lead the organisation, and this decision recognises this and rewards Anna for all of her hard work. The Board are delighted that Anna has been recruited to the post of Chief Executive Officer and that we are able to bring back a leadership role to the charity.

This also means we are now recruiting for a Grants and Fundraising Manager - follow this link if you are interested in applying.

Annual Review 2023/24

The AGM saw the launch of our latest Annual Review, which highlights the work we've achieved together over the 2023/24 Financial Year.

2024 saw the Food Chain settle and find balance following a year of adapting to new changes. We moved out of Kings Cross, our base for over 10 years, and established a new home for Eating Together with our friends at Positive East. We introduced, reluctantly, a cap on our Grocery Delivery service in order to manage the strain on our resources. These measures were necessary in order to sustain The Food Chain, and as we approach our 37th anniversary on Christmas Day we are grateful to still have the opportunity to serve the community that needs us, and grateful to all those who have supported us to get here. The Annual Review is our opportunity to express that in print - you can download a PDF copy here to read all about that we've achieved together.

Some extracts from the review:

The Board of Trustees

The AGM is also our annual opportunity for members to vote to ratify the charity's Board of Trustees. Our trustees are all volunteers, and they donate their time and expertise year round to collectively guide The Food Chain's strategy and make sure we stay true to our mission. As the AGM was approaching Trustees Week (4-8 November) it was a great opportunity for us to express our gratitude for all that they do. You can read about our Board members here.

Become a monthly donor

Individual giving is a lifeline to The Food Chain. As little as £5 a month would make a huge difference in ensuring we can continue to provide our vital support - for every pound donated we spend 89p on charitable services. Setting up a payment is simple: just visit our donation page and select the “I’d like to give regularly” option to get started.

“Everything that was promised was delivered - the food, the advice, and the help contacting my clinic. I'm eating and drinking well thanks to you and I feel so much better for it. I was in a very dark place mentally and didn't think this was possible. I'm feeling on top of things... I'm now taking my medications every day.” 

Chris Buckley

Chair of Trustees