As we approach the final third of 2024, I’ve been reflecting on the significant changes that have taken place over past months. Top of the list and following consultation with hundreds of people (perhaps you were one of them), we announced the renaming of our charity from Livability to Shaftesbury. Driven by a vision of growth, we recognise our renowned Victorian founder, the seventh Earl of Shaftesbury, with our new name.

In our 180th year, the history and stories of one of our founding organisations – The Shaftesbury Society – revealed a huge potential for broader meaning and relevance, always motivated by doing more for the people we support. As Shaftesbury, telling the stories of our work over the centuries in relation to disability and disadvantage, will power our future.

During times of change, we can trust God for the future and live in His peace, and that is my prayer for everyone in our Shaftesbury family. I include you, as a much-valued supporter, in this prayer.

Sally Chivers, Chief Executive