26 November 2025
Community First AGM 2025
We recently came together for our 2025 AGM – an opportunity not just to reflect on the past year, but to look ahead with clarity and ambition. This year’s meeting celebrated our impact and our shared commitment to building a strong and resilient voluntary sector across Hampshire.
View the event’s full presentation here
Leading the day’s discussions were our Chair of Trustees, Sara Tiller; Chief Executive, Tim Houghton; and Chief Operating Officer, Alex Barrett, who explored three key areas of our work. The topics covered were:
- Funding – including how passive funds can be raised through systems like EasyFundraising
- Volunteers – including how roles can be easily promoted through Volunteer First
- Empowering our Membership – including Community First Member feedback directly on what they need from their Membership
We shared our strategic priorities for the year ahead, which include:
- Strengthening VCSE infrastructure across Hampshire
- Driving collaboration and partnerships, ensuring we complement rather than duplicate efforts
- Growing diverse and sustainable income streams
- Investing in innovative new services that respond to local needs
- Strengthening governance across our organisation
- Expanding support for volunteers, community transport users, and vulnerable individuals
These priorities guide everything we do and reflect our ambition in the sector.
We also recognised that the pressures on charities and community organisations are increasing, demand is rising, costs are higher and there’s fewer people volunteering. When it comes to fundraising, local authority budgets are tighter, and competition for corporate giving is more challenging than ever. In response, we remain agile and resilient, championing the voice of the voluntary and community sector both locally and regionally.
While these challenges are real, the AGM was also a chance to celebrate the incredible impact we have had over the past year. Thank you to our amazing teams and partners who make these results possible:
For additional engagement, presentations included the use of Slido for attendees to provide real-time replies to questions. You can view all of the questions and responses here.
Thank you to everyone who joined us! It was a privilege to once again host such a variety of organisations from all across Hampshire.
To stay up to date with all things Community First, please follow us on socials and we’re always just an email away for any questions – support@cfirst.org.uk