Matt Dronfield

As a trustee of @BGEnergyTrust, I’ve joined four of our six partner roundtables in Swansea, York, Edinburgh, and Birmingham (snapshots below), hearing directly from people supporting their communities through some very difficult circumstances.

I’ve really valued the passion, commitment, and honesty around each table. People spoke openly about what’s working,where support is falling short, and what they wish funders understood:

• More people in full-time work needing help for the first time
• People unsure where to turn, or waiting until things become desperate
• Advice services dealing with increasingly complex problems while facing uncertainty about their own funding and capacity

Some of this mirrored our day-to-day work at @ToynbeeHall, where we see every day how closely money worries, housing, and health are connected. Other experiences, particularly from rural and island communities, challenged me to think beyond the services and circumstances I know best.

A recurring theme stayed with me: communities already hold the solutions. The barrier isn’t a lack of local insight; it’s the lack of flexible funding, time, and connective infrastructure to scale what works. We heard fantastic practical examples of building trust through faith groups and GPs, reaching people earlier, and giving local organizations the support to collaborate effectively.

Thank you to everyone who hosted us and contributed so openly. The final two roundtables are in London and Preston over the next couple of weeks - I can’t make those, but I look forward to hearing what comes from them.

I’m taking plenty from these conversations into my work with fellow trustees, supporting our new Chief Executive, Maff Potts, and the team as we consider the Trust’s role through what will be a challenging winter for many, and in the years ahead.

💬 If you or someone you know is struggling with energy bills this winter, please check what help is available: The British Gas Energy Trust offers grants to help eligible households with energy debt and funds free money and energy advice: lnkd.in/eKR5g7N6

Even if you don’t need support yourself, passing this on could help someone who does!

As London’s Christmas lights start going on, plenty of people are already worrying about how they’ll afford the next few weeks.

For some of the people we support at @ToynbeeHall, that means juggling two or three jobs and caring for family, yet still struggling to cover the bills.

I joined @BBCLondonNews this morning for #TalkMoneyWeek to discuss those pressures and the help available through @DebtFreeAdvice_, the free debt advice service led by @ToynbeeHall.

I also highlighted support from @BGEnergyTrust, where I’m a trustee, for people struggling with energy bills.

My message was simple: you don’t have to wait until you’ve missed a payment to ask for help. If everything is paid this month but you’re worried about next month, that’s a good time to talk.

Our advisers can help you understand your options, check what you’re entitled to and work out the next steps. It’s free and there’s no judgement.

You can get in touch at debtfreeadvice.com or call us on 0800 808 5700.

If someone you know is worrying about money, please pass this on.

Our teams at @ToynbeeHall work alongside people every day who simply don't have enough money to live on. That's who I'II be thinking about during tomorrow's Budget.

In this piece, my colleague Katie Taylor brings together what we see through our advice services and what Disabled peer researchers have told us needs to change.

One finding really stays with me: only 16% of respondents to our research said PIP covered all their additional costs.

I'm proud of how colleagues and peer researchers are using that experience to make the case for better support, more council housing and properly funded independent advice.

Thanks, Katie. Please give it a read ahead of tomorrow 👉 toynbeehall.org.uk/27/10/2026/wha…

128 years of free legal advice at @ToynbeeHall, and still going strong!

A proud moment in Parliament today, seeing Toynbee Hall featured in an exhibition celebrating 25 years of #ProBonoWeek.

Our Free Legal Advice Centre dates back to 1898, and in our latest Impact Report we helped 296 people with housing, employment, consumer rights and more.

A huge thank you to our brilliant pro bono partners, including A&O Shearman, Ashurst, Cleary Gottlieb and Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, and all the volunteers who make this possible.

Good to hear Andy Slaughter MP and Lord Willy Bach reinforce an important point: pro bono is vital, but it must never replace properly funded legal aid.

Lovely to catch up with Patrick Marples at South West London Law Centres and Mark Allen at RCJ Advice, both valued partners in our Debt Free Advice network.

128 years on, access to justice matters as much as ever. There’s still plenty of work to do!

A Saturday morning well spent with fellow governors, a cup of tea and a biscuit.

I joined our @ELATtrust Governor Conference as Chair of Governors at @HallMead School. With autumn settling in, it felt like a fitting time to take stock, celebrating what the Trust’s three-year strategy has achieved and looking ahead to the next.

Since Covid, I feel there have been fewer opportunities to get together in person with people in similar roles. I’ve missed that. The chance to compare notes, ask “How have you dealt with this?” and have a proper conversation makes such a difference.

How many problems are solved, or at least feel half the size, over a cup of tea and a biscuit?!

Sometimes you come away with an idea to try. Sometimes it’s just reassuring to know that someone else is working through the same thing.

We spent time reflecting on what we’re proud of at Hall Mead, where we want to do better, and the part our schools play in their wider communities. Having space to think about that together was really valuable.

A big thank you to everyone who organised the day, and to my fellow governors for giving their Saturday morning and so much more throughout the year. I’m proud to work alongside them and our brilliant school staff, all wanting the best for our young people.