Cristina Huddleston

Cristina (Cris) Huddleston joined Community360, a Colchester-based charity with over 50 years of service to communities across Essex, as Chief Operating Officer before being appointed interim Chief Executive in November 2024. She was confirmed as substantive CEO in March 2025.

She inherited an organisation under severe pressure: financial instability, governance challenges, and existential uncertainty. Within twelve months, she has transformed Community360's trajectory. Cris stabilised the finances, securing £1.21m in confirmed income for 2026/27 with a further £770k expected, negotiating a £250,000 social finance facility to bridge cashflow, and building a forward pipeline of over £1.33m in pending bids. She established an Investment Committee, introduced a single priority-led income pipeline, and created the Research, Engagement and Insight function, embedding evidence and community intelligence at the heart of delivery.

Alongside this, she oversaw an essential rebrand of Community360 and the launch of an innovative, accessibility-first website designed to ensure every member of the community can access the charity's services and information regardless of their needs or circumstances.

Under her leadership, Community360's frontline services have continued without interruption: more than 30,000 social trips, 1,800 hospital discharge journeys, and over 2,300 social prescribing referrals in 2024/25. Cris Huddlestone deserves this award because she has done something rare: saved an organisation, modernised it, and set it on a new course without losing sight of the people it exists to serve.