Highlights of 2024
Our Chairman, Jeremy Soames, looks back over the last 12 months and reflects on the achievements of the past year.
As we reflect on a year marked by significant growth and achievement for The Churchill Fellowship, I am particularly proud of how our expanded staff team has risen to meet our ambitious goals, delivering impactful programmes and welcoming new Fellows to our ever-growing community.
2024 saw numerous exciting and ambitious achievements for The Churchill Fellowship. We concluded our important work on Migration supported by the Linbury Trust, developed strong new programmes in Education and Health, and welcomed 134 new Fellows to our community at our Connect & Inspire event. Coming together in person is a vital part of our ethos and the Award Ceremony was another highlight of the year, showcasing the remarkable contributions our Fellows continue to make across the United Kingdom.
This year, we were also honoured to welcome three influential individuals who join Sir Simon Robertson as Churchill Fellowship Ambassadors: John Elkington, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson DBE, and Baroness Lola Young OBE. Their leadership in different areas of UK society is an inspiration for us all and we are delighted that they will be helping us to raise awareness about the impact of the work of the Fellowship Community.
A further highlight was the confirmation that His Majesty King Charles III has accepted the Patronage of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust. We thank His Majesty and his entire staff for his ongoing support, which means so very much to everyone involved with the work of the Fellowship.
"As we approach our 60th anniversary year, we will celebrate the achievements of more than 6,000 Fellows across six decades."
Looking ahead, we are preparing for a significant milestone in our organisation's history. As we approach our 60th anniversary year, we will celebrate the achievements of more than 6,000 Fellows across six decades. Our anniversary programme will include gatherings across the four nations of the UK, an Oral History project to capture the experiences of Fellows, staff, Trustees and Advisory Council members, and a partnership with the UK Philanthropy Archive at the University of Kent to preserve and protect materials spanning our rich 60-year history.
Crucially, our anniversary year will also be forward looking as we begin the next chapter for The Churchill Fellowship. That is why we are launching a £10m Anniversary Appeal for our new Activate Fund, which will support Fellows to turn their Fellowship learning and ideas into real change across the UK. More details about this programme will be announced during the year.
With the Activate Fund on the horizon and the organisation in the process of developing three new Fellowship programmes aimed at addressing the current challenges of society across the UK – under our Arts and Culture, Communities and Citizenship, and Economies and Enterprise themes – I am more confident than ever that The Churchill Fellowship is equipped to build on our successes and learnings and continue to create opportunities for committed individuals to tackle the most pressing challenges across the UK.
In closing, my gratitude goes out to everyone who makes our work possible: the Trustees, Advisory Council members, staff team, partners, supporters, and most importantly, the Fellows themselves, whose commitment to learning, development, and creating positive change in the UK is the very reason for the existence of this organisation I am so proud to serve. This is a unique point in the history of The Churchill Fellowship, a moment to reflect on all that has been achieved while also moving forward with purpose and vision.
May I take this opportunity to wish you a happy and healthy 2025.
Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed by any Fellow are those of the Fellow and not of the Churchill Fellowship or its partners, which have no responsibility or liability for any part of them.