As we reach the end of another productive year, it’s a pleasure to reflect on the significant progress and milestones achieved by BEST Foundation in 2025. Our community of professionals continues to grow in strength, expertise, and influence, and this year stands as one of our most dynamic to date.
This year marked the continuation of the first full cycle of our Development Pathway programme. Supporting estate planners through a structured and progressive learning journey has long been a goal of the Foundation, and it has been inspiring to see the enthusiasm with which members have embraced this initiative. The feedback has been encouraging, reaffirming the importance of providing clearly defined routes for professional growth. Applications are now open for our next cohort that will be kicking off in February 2026.
Our third annual conference at Edgbaston Stadium served as another outstanding milestone, bringing together professionals, partners, and thought leaders from across the profession. The exchange of ideas, the quality of presentations, and the valuable networking all highlighted the strength and unity of our community.
We also continued our positive relationship with the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG). This ongoing collaboration remains central to our mission of promoting high professional standards and ensuring estate planners are supported with accurate, practical, and up-to-date guidance. We are proud to contribute to conversations that help shape the future of the profession. This commitment to thought leadership was further reflected in our Future of Estate Planning fact-find series. These insights continue to spark important discussions around the trends, challenges, and opportunities that lie ahead. We remain dedicated to helping members navigate change with confidence, clarity, and foresight.
In response to our growing and diverse membership, we launched two new membership tiers this year. These new Affiliate and Associate membership tiers, allow us to widen access to our resources and ensuring members can choose the level of engagement and support that best suits their professional needs. These new tiers mark an important step in enhancing the inclusivity and reach of our community.
Finally, we were proud to launch the Foundation Series, our first ever technical training programme delivered in partnership with Helen Forster at HTF Legal. This landmark initiative represents a major investment in the professional advancement of estate planners and reflects our ongoing commitment to raising standards, deepening expertise, and supporting continuous learning within the profession.
Looking ahead, we remain guided by a clear vision: to support estate planners at every stage of their career, to champion best practice, and to help shape a confident, informed, and future-ready profession. With the momentum built this year, we are well positioned to expand our impact even further.
Thank you to our members, partners, and Advisory Board for your continued trust and support. Your engagement is what enables the BEST Foundation to thrive. Wishing you a successful end to the year and an exciting start to the next.
