Andy Beeforth OBE, DL

Andy is Chief Executive of Cumbria Community Foundation. He previously worked as a Researcher with the Forestry Commission, in Social Care and Community Transport, and immediately before joining the Foundation was Rural Community Officer and then Deputy Director with Voluntary Action Cumbria (now ACT).

He studied Environmental Science at the University of Bradford and has become a leading figure in philanthropy, leading the Foundation for over 25 years and making it a national leader in fundraising and grant-making. He has overseen appeals for major county emergencies, including the 2001 Foot and Mouth outbreak, the 2005 and 2015 floods, and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Following the Grenfell Tower fire, he helped establish the National Emergencies Trust, of which he remains a trustee; it raised and distributed £100m during Covid-19 to support vulnerable people. He is also a trustee of the Henry Smith Foundation, one of the UK’s largest endowed grant makers.

Andy is motivated by promoting philanthropy and connecting donors with Cumbria’s volunteers and community groups. He was awarded an OBE in 2010 for services to the voluntary sector and has served as a Parish Councillor and trustee on local and national charity boards supporting families affected by genetic illness and the arts.