Chair’s Statement

This annual report covers a period in which the contrasts between the dispiriting and the uplifting couldn’t have been more intense. On the one hand, the impact of the pandemic on all of us and with such negative consequences for some of the most disadvantaged in our communities and the organisations which seek to support them. On the other, a response by frontline workers and many others which has been exceptional. In that second category, I include philanthropic funders which have stepped in to help, as the Foundation did with its COVID emergency funding announced in April. I also observe the resilience of the people in so many of the organisations we fund. That also applies to our own small team at Esmée whose members have worked immensely hard in the most challenging circumstances. They are to be applauded. And I’m glad to say that their efforts were recognised in the New Year Honours List when Caroline Mason, our inspirational Chief Executive, received a Damehood. That Esmée team also includes the trustees, to whom I’m very grateful for their continuing commitment and enthusiasm, not least in the context of the launch of our new strategy, about which more is said later in this report. I also want to acknowledge their agreement to contribute significantly to the endowment of an undergraduate scholarship for under-represented groups to study at the Courtauld Institute, in memory of my predecessor, James Hughes-Hallett. As we move into 2021, I’m also very pleased to welcome two new members to the trustee board, Professor Claire Alexander and Dr Wanda Wyporska. They will bring vital new perspectives as we implement our strategy, including our commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The year ahead promises to be no less demanding than its predecessor, even as we begin to see the removal of the restrictions which have hampered us over the last twelve months. As we continue the implementation of the new strategy, we shall continue to do all we can to respond flexibly to the needs of those who are engaged in delivering our impact goals. And we hope that we shall be permitted a modest smile in celebration of the Foundation’s 60th birthday in 2021.