The Trustee's Report and Financial Statement for the year ended 2006 can be downloaded at the bottom of this page.

 

Chairman's Statement

 

I am pleased to be able to report another year of energetic progress.

 

The reports which follow set out our many achievements this year, building on the firm foundations established over the last few years. We are broadly on track with our five-year strategy; we accomplished substantially all that we set out to do in 2006 and we are set fair for 2007. We have made good inroads in our relationships with Government, and with the Cabinet Office have been recognised as a ‘National Strategic Partner’. Most importantly, we have continued to make substantial funds available, through our partner churches, for many projects in England’s least advantaged communities.

 

We have over time moved from a position of dispensing funds, important as that is, to being an organisation that also supports those it funds, by advising and training, by equipping and supporting in practical ways. We have been encouraged by the responses to ‘Faithful Cities’, the report of the ‘Commission on Urban Life and Faith’, published in the Spring of 2006, and in particular are delighted by the strong support given to the ‘new’ CUF (as we sometimes refer to ourselves) in that report.

 

Our major challenge for 2007, building on the solid achievements of 2006, is to continue to build our supporter base, ensuring that we develop long-term relationships with all our supporters. Our fundraising targets are challenging. The single focus of our organisation is on this – to secure our future and, in turn, the futures of those we support.

 

On behalf of my fellow Trustees, a few words about our committed and able staff team: they work tremendously hard, and I want to thank them all for their first class contribution. We have seen some changes in our senior team. Paul Read, who for the last over two years has ably led our Finance function through a period of change, left us to join a larger grant-giving charity in a similar role; we are pleased to welcome Lucy Palfreyman as his replacement. David Grubb, who has given much of himself in leading our Fundraising team, has moved on: Minu Chowdhury-Westlake has extended her current Communications role to take in Fundraising. We have recognised Tim Bissett’s able contribution by naming him Deputy Chief Executive. Together with Fran Beckett, our Chief Executive, I believe we have one of the best senior teams in the sector, working with fine, committed Trustees to whom I want to give special thanks.

Chairman of the Board of Trustees