A round up of 2024 by Alison Wyman (CEO)

3 April 2025

Our CEO’s brief round up of 2024 highlights a significant increase in support and exciting developments…

Our purpose as a charity is to support actors and stage management to thrive and we are focused on helping more people. So, at the end of 2024 we were delighted to find that we had helped over 500 people, some of whom received more than one type of support. This was more than in 2023 and included 167 people supported with regular financial assistance as well as 390 people provided with one-off grants. 68 people were supported through wellbeing initiatives, which is an area of support that is growing. Feedback from those we supported reflected the difference this help had made, including comments such as “I truly appreciate your support, you can’t imagine how much it means to me.” As well as: “Thank you so much, that’s amazing. Your compassionate grant will really help with our money worries because of my heart failure.”

2024 was an exciting time to be a part of the charity and myself and the staff team all feel honoured that we get to be a part of helping those who bring so much meaning and inspiration to others. There were many achievements to celebrate during the year, including: the King confirming he would retain the Patronage, the talented and esteemed Ruth Jones and Christopher Eccleston becoming our first two Ambassadors, delivering a new Winter Grants programme, increasing the diversity of the people we are helping, adding 40% more new members than in 2023, and of course establishing a new and highly skilled Board of Trustees who launched our ‘Acting for Impact’ strategy.

It is a privilege to be able to build on the rich legacy of the past 140 years and 2025 looks to be as exciting as 2024! We will be commissioning research to provide a credible evidence base to guide our decision-making with where we can have the greatest impact, providing more opportunities for social connections within the community, continuing to enhance the charity’s governance and developing a fundraising capability.

I remain ever so grateful to members for their support. I am also grateful to my colleagues and to the Board for their passion and dedication with taking this charity forward for the ultimate benefit of those we exist to support. This charity is first and foremost about the beneficiaries, and they will remain the core focus of those of us who are privileged to lead and support this wonderful charity.