Remembering Elizabeth Balgobin, our Trustee and friend

This week our wonderful Trustee and friend, Elizabeth Balgobin, sadly passed away. In her memory, the Trustees and team would like to mark the incredible impact she had on the National Emergencies Trust.

A passionate advocate for social justice striving for nothing short of excellence when it comes to equity, Elizabeth Balgobin has been a force to be reckoned with in the UK’s voluntary and community sector for more than 30 years.

Whether as Chief Executive at mental health charity, The Bowlby Centre, Head of Diversity and Inclusion at the Chartered Institute of Fundraising, a volunteer or leader at a diverse array of London VCS organisations or in her many roles at the National Emergencies Trust, whatever hat Elizabeth has worn, her strong value system always guided her actions.

We are privileged that Elizabeth chose to be part of the National Emergencies Trust’s journey for the last four years - formerly as a Co-optee to the Allocations Committee, and latterly as a Trustee. She was nothing short of instrumental in ensuring funds from the £99+ million Coronavirus Appeal were distributed efficiently and, above all, equitably for the benefit of those in great need. In the face of intense external scrutiny, she held steadfast in her commitment to taking a data-led approach to fund distribution - and ensuring equity by bringing lived experience to the forefront of decision-making.

Co-opted onto the Trust’s Allocations Committee in Spring 2020, Elizabeth helped to establish and shape the Trust’s Equity Scrutiny Group, for example. Launched on 1 May 2020, at the height of the Appeal, the Group’s role was (and remains) to critique the Board’s decision-making through the lens of Protected Characteristics - and to ultimately enhance outcomes for the diverse communities that the National Emergencies Trust serves. Latterly Elizabeth served as the ESG’s Deputy Chair and oversaw our ever-evolving EDI strategy.

Nottingham Trent University’s Independent Review of the Coronavirus Appeal proved that Elizabeth’s recommendations and resolve paid off. Her influence could be seen in the public comments made by Professor Rowena Hill, Nottingham Trent University, when the Review was published: “A stand-out success of the Coronavirus Appeal was the trust-based approach to funding through the Network of Giving. Community foundations, via UKCF, and latterly national charity partners were empowered to apply their lived and local expertise to direct funding in the most appropriate way.”

Indeed, Nottingham Trent estimated that the Coronavirus Appeal touched more than 13 million lives by funding more than 14,000 grassroots projects. We are confident that a significant number of families and communities who benefitted from appeal funding owe their experience directly to Elizabeth’s contributions.

After the Appeal, Elizabeth championed a transparent and progressive approach to the Trust’s work; from her invaluable efforts to develop an evaluation framework for future appeals as Chair of the Evaluation Working Group, to spearheading our EDI Strategy. Under her influence, we have prided ourselves in taking an ‘actions-not-words’ approach - and in our culture of continuous improvement.

Thanks to Elizabeth Balgobin, the National Emergencies Trust started its journey with the ‘right’ foundations: with equity and excellence at the centre. We are grateful that all future emergency appeals will build on what she started - and resolute, as Elizabeth always was, that we will never knowingly leave anyone behind.