What is ours to do?
Asif Afridi, Barrow Cadbury Trust Chief Executive, sets out how we are approaching our regular strategic review.
This month, we are beginning a regular, five-year strategic review of our work.
It comes at a challenging time for many charities. Against a background of economic insecurity, rising inequalities and social division, we know that sometimes this work feels harder than ever and that real, deep change can take time. Many are looking to foundations to meet this moment by speeding up the flow of resources and engaging more directly with those most affected by inequality and injustice.
This raises important questions for us as a Trust committed to social justice. How can we best contribute to a landscape that looks very different from five years ago? Are we making the most of the strengths and the resources we have at our disposal? Where can we have the greatest impact alongside others? And what needs to change in the way we work if we are to respond effectively to the realities of today?
As we renew our commitment to our mission, our goal is to ensure we are focused on where we can make the biggest impact in the years ahead.
The question that will guide this work is simple: what is ours to do?
Our mission
Our founders, Barrow and Geraldine Cadbury, took a long-term view when they first established the Trust, more than 100 years ago. They recognised that the causes of poverty and inequality run deep and that lasting progress relies on the efforts of many people working together, with patience and persistence, on issues that may take generations to shift.
The Trust’s mission today reflects that long-term commitment: to use all of our assets, especially our money, to work with others to bring about structural change for a more just and equal society.
Across our work, we remain committed to addressing the structural causes of inequality and social injustice.
What we’ll be reviewing
A strategic review means thinking carefully about where the Trust is uniquely placed to make a difference in line with our mission. We know we can’t do everything, and we know there are other funders and organisations with different strengths, and often much deeper pockets than ours.
Over the coming year, we’ll be taking a fresh look at the work we fund across our main programme areas: criminal justice, migration and economic justice. We’ll also be looking at how we work with partners, how we approach grant-making, and the role of our wider social investment activity.
This isn’t just a review of programmes. It’s also a chance to think about how we operate, how we collaborate and learn with others, and how we can best support efforts to tackle inequality in the current context.
Alongside this, we’ll be drawing on learning from recent work, including our criminal justice programme and Economic Justice Brum. We’ll also be taking a deeper look at areas such as migration and social investment to understand what our experience so far tells us about where we should focus in future.
We want to hear from you
This strategy process will only be as good as the conversations we have. It will require us to listen well – including listening to voices we might not regularly hear.
Between now and September, we’ll be talking to current and former funded partners, and a wider range of stakeholders through roundtables, a survey and ongoing conversations. We want to know what we’re doing well, where we could do more, and where we should perhaps do things differently.
We will be reaching out directly to many of our existing funded partners—and encourage you to contact us if you have any questions or thoughts you would like to share.
We are also keen to hear from those who may not have worked with us recently, or at all, but who have a view on what is most needed at this moment from funders like us.
Our survey is now open. We’d be very grateful if you could spare a few minutes to share your thoughts.
We also recognise that these conversations don’t happen on a level playing field. Funders often ask organisations for feedback while holding resources that are important to them. We want to acknowledge that reality and we will do our best to create spaces where people feel able to be open, honest and candid.
What happens next?
This engagement phase will run until Autumn.
We’ll then spend Winter developing and testing different strategic options, including sharing emerging ideas with some of those who contributed to the process. Our aim is to publish a new strategy around the middle of 2027.
A final word
I know that whenever a funder talks about reviewing its strategy, people can understandably wonder what it means for existing priorities and partnerships, as well as the flow of money to the sector.
So let me offer some reassurance.
We’re committed to continuing our work throughout this process. The fact that we work on a long-term basis with many of our partners means that funds are largely committed for the year ahead, although we remain open to enquiries through Economic Justice Brum. We are not pressing pause while we undertake the review.
We’re also committed to being open about what we’re learning and how decisions are being made. If changes emerge from the process, we’ll communicate them clearly and create opportunities for people to give feedback along the way.
At the end of the day, this review is about making sure we are using the resources and influence we have in the best way we can. We welcome practical and critical feedback. We know we don’t have all the answers, which is exactly why we’re starting by listening.
Let us know what you think
We would really appreciate it if you could take our survey to let us know what you think.