Celebrating a year of impact: Highlights from our 2026 AGM
Our 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM) took place on Thursday 30 July, bringing together colleagues, partners, patients, and members of our local communities at the Royal College of Nursing and online via our YouTube livestream.
The event was an opportunity to pause and celebrate everything we achieved together over the past financial year. It has been a year of innovation, collaboration, and meaningful impact, with our teams, volunteers, and partners working together to improve the health and wellbeing of communities across London and Hertfordshire.
Strategic vision and moving forward
Our Chair-in-Common, Mark Friend, welcomed attendees to the AGM and reflected on our achievements from the past year, including our prospective Advanced Foundation Trust (AFT) status and the launch of the new issue of Community Matters magazine.
Our Chief Executive Officer, Professor James Benson, built on this vision by outlining our ambitious Healthy Neighbourhoods, Thriving Communities 2025–2030 strategy and what it means for the future of CLCH. He also spoke about the wider NHS 10-Year Health Plan, the NHS Modernisation Bill, and how becoming an AFT will help shape the future of care for our patients and staff.
Community-led innovation in action
The AGM also showcased two local programmes that are making a real difference in our communities. One of these was the Merton Vocational Rehabilitation Service, presented by Campbell Flack, Head of Clinical Services for Wandsworth Place.
This neighbourhood-based pilot brings together healthcare, council and community services to provide joined-up support for adults with musculoskeletal conditions. By working in partnership, the service is helping people return to work sooner while improving their health and wellbeing.
The second programme was the Asthma Community Coaches initiative, presented by Tashia Pillay, Early Years Speech and Language Therapy Lead, and Dr Ali Siddiqi.
The award-winning programme is helping to tackle health inequalities in Brent by training nearly 100 trusted local people, including parents and community workers, to become Asthma Community Coaches. They support families of children with asthma by giving them the knowledge and confidence to better recognise and manage the condition.
Since launching in May 2025, the initiative has contributed to a 28% reduction in asthma-related hospital admissions and a 29% reduction in asthma-related emergency department attendances among children with asthma in Brent.
Delivering safe, high-quality and supportive care
During the Q&A, our executive leaders answered questions about how we are continuing to deliver safe, high-quality care, support our workforce and drive positive change across the Trust.
Charlie Sheldon, Chief Nursing Officer, explained how the Quality Impact Assessment (QIA) process helps ensure that patient safety, potential risks and performance are carefully assessed before any changes are made to staffing or the way care is delivered.
Jane Smith, Deputy Director of People, highlighted the work underway to better support neurodivergent colleagues and create a more inclusive workplace. Laura Churchill, Chief Strategy Officer, outlined our role as an Integrator across London and Hertfordshire, bringing partner organisations together to deliver more joined-up care through shared values. Jenny Greenfields, Chief Finance Officer and Director of Corporate Services, outlined the steps we are taking to improve working environments for staff across our sites during periods of hot weather.
Reflecting on the AGM, Mark Friend said: “This year’s AGM was an opportunity to celebrate everything we’ve achieved together over the past year, while looking ahead to the exciting opportunities before us. As we continue our journey towards becoming an Advanced Foundation Trust, I’m proud of the passion, expertise and commitment shown by our colleagues and partners, who are helping us build healthier communities through stronger collaboration and neighbourhood-based care.”
Professor James Benson said: “This has been a year of remarkable progress, made possible by the dedication, compassion and expertise of our colleagues and the strength of our partnerships. I’m immensely proud of what we’ve achieved together and grateful to everyone who has played a part. As we look ahead, I’m excited by the opportunities before us to continue improving care, tackling health inequalities and helping our communities thrive. I recognise that this will mean that we all need to consider how we change and step into leading openly and by example, recognising that we can do more to deliver better outcomes for our residents.”
Thank you to everyone who joined us at this year’s AGM and to all our colleagues, volunteers, partners and patients for your dedication, collaboration and compassion. Together, we are improving care, strengthening our communities, and shaping the future of community healthcare across London and Hertfordshire.
Watch our 2025/26 highlights video and celebrate the year’s achievements.
Click here to watch key moments from the AGM.
Click here to read the latest issue of our Community Matters magazine and discover the incredible achievements of our staff, services and partners over the past year.
