After 8 years with the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Community Foundation (HIWCF), Chairman, and former High Sheriff of Hampshire, Mr Tom Floyd DL has announced his retirement from the charity at the end of July 2017.
Mr Floyd joined the Board of Trustees for the Community Foundation in 2009 working alongside Chairman Michael Campbell, MBE DL, and in 2010 took over chairmanship overseeing successful growth of the Foundations’ endowment funds from £4.3m in 2010 to £11.7m by mid-2017, a growth of £7.4 million.
The Community Foundation held an evening Summer Reception at Land Rover Ben Ainslie Racing (BAR) Headquarters in Portsmouth last month to celebrate over £7m of charitable giving across Hampshire and Isle of Wight. During the evening, Mr Floyd was presented with an engraved bowl as a leaving gift from fellow trustees, and in his departure speech he commented: “It’s been a pleasure to be part of the largest grant-making organisation in the area for the last 8 years. I am delighted that the Foundation has been able to provide such a huge amount of support locally to our smaller charities and voluntary groups who work on the front line providing incredible support to vulnerable and disadvantaged people. Hampshire and Isle of Wight are wonderful places to live and work, yet there are pockets of severe deprivation which are amongst the worst in the country and it is in these areas that we target our grant-making to help those most in need. I know I am leaving the Foundation in the best possible hands to ensure continued growth and support for the local community.
Mr Nigel Atkinson, HM Lord-Lieutenant of Hampshire and President HIWCF, said: “Since becoming Chairman Tom has done an outstanding job and we are all extremely grateful for what he has achieved for the Foundation. Under his leadership the endowment has nearly trebled in size, he has ensured exemplary governance and appointed new trustees who will serve us well over the coming years. He will be greatly missed by all the staff and trustees and we all would like to take this opportunity to wish him a long and happy retirement.”
The new Chairman from 1st August 2017 will be Jonathan Cheshire, who joined the Foundation as a Trustee in 2014 and has been successfully leading the Grants Committee for the last two years, working closely with Chief Executive Jakes Ferguson. Jonathan is an enthusiastic and committed exponent of social inclusion, lifelong learning, and economic development, with long experience of managing skills and employability services. Jonathan recently retired as CEO of Wheatsheaf Trust, and founded a number of charities for homeless people in London, which were responsible for many new ideas in housing management and funding. Jonathan is currently Chair of Southampton Solent University and is a keen sailor and oarsman, he rowed for England in 1969 and sailed across the Pacific in 1978.
If you would like to find out more about HIWCF and the work carried out across Hampshire and Isle of Wight, please look at www.hiwcf.com
HIWCF staff below celebrating Tom’s retirement:
