Bharat Mehta, chief executive of Trust for London, has decided to step down from his role at the Trust in 2021.
Mehta has been at the Trust for 23 years, after being originally appointed as the clerk to trustees of predecessor organisation, the City Parochial Foundation.
Mehta said: “It will be a wrench to leave an organisation that I love but I feel it is the right time in order to enable a smooth transition from both, governance and management perspectives.
“The Trust will embark on the process to develop its next five years strategy and funding priorities for the period January 2023 to December 2027 during spring/summer 2021 and it is important that the new chief executive has a role in shaping the future.
“It has been an amazing journey, shared with truly gifted trustees, colleagues and friends, and together, the Trust has had some significant successes in tackling poverty and inequality in London.”
The trustees are currently undertaking a recruitment process to replace Mehta and details of this will be on the Trust for London’s website this month.
Jeff Hayes, chair of Trust for London, said: “He is passionate about people who are disadvantaged and has made it his personal ambition to use his position to influence, persuade and lobby key stakeholders to challenge the root causes of inequality and poverty.
“His passion has also helped shaped how the Trust for London has responded to the changing environment in London, and over his term he has doubled the level of grant funding made available to those organisations supporting disadvantaged Londoners.
“He has also encouraged the Trust to take on areas of poverty and inequality that are not always popular, whilst at the same time persuaded other foundations to work in collaboration to find long term solutions to the growing problems in London. The board of trustees is hugely appreciative of Bharat’s contribution during his term at the Trust and whilst sorry to see him step down, we wish him and his family sincere good wishes for whatever they do in the future.”
