Paddy Sloan to step down as Chair of LEF

After five years with the foundation, our Chair, Paddy Sloan, will be stepping down from the board at the end of November this year.

Under Paddy’s leadership, we have made significant progress across all areas of our work, culminating in July this year with the launch of our new strategy that will take us through to 2030. Paddy has overseen a period of extensive change at the foundation: strengthening our board, expanding and developing our staff team, reshaping our grant programmes, embedding a new approach to our investments and launching a new brand and visual identity.

During her time as Chair, Paddy championed closer, more trusting relationships with our grant partners and strengthened our focus on law, social justice, and accountability to communities, all reflecting the foundation’s commitments to our work on power, culture, and inclusion. She was a strong supporter of our approach to collaboration which has seen the foundation take part in and lead significant pooled and aligned funding programmes over the past few years. She has also supported the foundation’s work to grow our role as an independent, ambitious funder that uses more than our money to create change.

We are enormously grateful to Paddy for her hard work, wisdom, and leadership in helping us reach this next exciting stage in our development.

Paddy said ​“It has been a pleasure and a privilege to Chair LEF, working with a skilled and committed Board of trustees and a strong staff team. I have learned a lot from colleagues and enjoyed a dynamic and progressive five years as the foundation refines its focus on supporting social justice. I am confident that I leave LEF well placed to deliver on that mission and wish all involved every success going forward.”

We will be working with not-for-profit recruitment specialists Charity People to recruit our next Chair. The search will begin in early November, with the aim of welcoming the new Chair at our board meeting in March 2026. In the meantime, Paddy will continue to support the foundation, and our board member James Wolffe KC will act as Interim Chair until the new Chair is appointed.

As we look ahead, the board and staff team are excited to build on the strong foundations laid under Paddy’s leadership, and to continue to evolve our role as a trusted partner working to strengthen the power of communities to use the law for justice.