Leading figure in West Midlands and Warwickshire charitable sector is awarded OBE
A leading figure in the charitable sector in the West Midlands and Warwickshire, who has overseen around £60 million of investment benefitting local communities, has been awarded the OBE.
Tina Costello, the Chief Executive of the Heart of England Community Foundation – a regional grant-making organisation – received the award in the King’s Birthday Honours List for her services to Charity and Voluntary Organisations.
Tina, who is originally from Birmingham and now lives in Coventry and became the chief executive of the Foundation in 2013, said: “It is an incredible honour to be awarded an OBE for my service to charities and the voluntary sector across West Midlands and Warwickshire.
“Every day continues to be a genuine privilege to work for the benefit of communities in the region where I grew up and still live and I am overwhelmed at receiving such prestigious recognition for leading a charity that I love and truly believe in.
“I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the Community Foundation for the opportunities it has given me, to the donors I have had the pleasure of working with, the many colleagues I have shared my journey with and trustees who have supported my leadership. But most of all, a special thank you to the voluntary and community sector I'm proud to work alongside, and to champion every day.”
Tina joined the Heart of England Community Foundation in 2006 as deputy director for grant making before moving into the role as chief executive seven years later, having previously served as head of awards for all across the West Midlands at the Big Lottery Fund, which became the National Lottery Community Fund.
In her 11 years as chief executive, Tina has transformed the Heart of England Community Foundation – expanding it from a charity that served Coventry and Warwickshire to a truly regional organisation that supports good causes in every corner of the West Midlands and Warwickshire.
The Foundation now has a portfolio of multi-million pound partnerships and funds with local authorities, businesses of all sizes and sectors, private individuals and family philanthropists – all with the aim of supporting good causes, charities, not-for-profit organisations and local communities across the region.
Described by colleagues as authentic, committed and inspirational, Tina’s passion for supporting grassroots organisations where just a small amount of funding can make a real difference has driven her and the foundation to develop and grow.
In her time as chief executive, the Heart of England Community Foundation’s endowment - which is made up of many gifts and donations - has increased from £2 million to over £20 million.
This money serves as a permanent legacy for communities to draw down funds in years to come. Under Tina’s direction, the foundation has awarded over £40.6 million since 2013, through almost 10,000 grants and donations. The Foundation now regularly awards close to £3 million each year working with its supporters.
Over the course of her career, Tina, who is fervent advocate of the third sector, has overseen the investment of approximately £60 million to benefit local communities across the Midlands including close to £12 million from the underspend from the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games through the Inclusive Communities Fund in the last five months.
