John Lyon's charity Annual Report 2024 - Report - Page 34
There was, of course, so much that we didn’t know.
Since the strategy was launched, we have had multiple
new Prime Ministers, a Cost-of-Living Crisis and a full
change in Government. But in striving to move forward,
we have hung on to what we know: we know our Beneficial
Area well and have been able to draw upon our advantage
of 30 years’ experience of living and breathing and learning
from it and the people that live and work there. We also
have the advantage of being a ‘place-based’ funder, making
us, vitally, a ‘relational funder’, and we have exploited
this shamelessly; we have talked directly to, as much as
possible in person, our grantees, wider stakeholders, local
authorities, other funders, and all our partners across our
Beneficial Area, to hear directly from them about what it
looks and feels like, and what is still needed to go forward.
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JOHN LYON’S CHARITY ANNUAL REPORT 2024
There is still so much to do for the children and young
people in the Charity’s Beneficial Area, and beyond. But
having these key areas of focus; children and young people
and being ‘place-based’ in eight boroughs in northwest
London, advantages gained of being around long enough
to know our Beneficial Area and to have nurtured essential
relationships and partnerships has afforded us a wonderful
opportunity to try to do things differently where required.
We can all see that this work is bearing fruit and we have
already been able to implement changes to our wider grant
giving for the future. We are all enthused and excited by
the work that is ongoing and what it is teaching us.
Cathryn Pender, Grants Director
