PRESS RELEASE
The British Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and King’s Trust International
Celebrate Landmark Anniversaries in Empowering Entrepreneurship
Athens, December 01, 2025 – The British Hellenic Chamber of Commerce (BHCC) and King’s Trust International (KTI) co-hosted a prestigious Dinner in Athens on 26 November 2025, at the Hotel Grande Bretagne, to mark their milestone anniversary years and accentuate the power of partnership and innovation.
Especially designed to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the BHCC and the 10th anniversary of KTI in Greece, the event was honoured by the presence of Matthew Lodge, His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Hellenic Republic, Pavlos De Grèce, Vice President of King’s Trust International, Will Straw, CEO of King’s Trust International, Anna Kalliani and Kenny Evangelou, BHCC Presidents, BHCC Board of Directors and distinguished Members, as well as prominent guests from the business and youth sectors. Keynote addresses emphasized the importance of collaboration and building strong partnerships to shape a brighter future for entrepreneurship in Greece and the UK.
Setting the tone for an inspiring evening, Anna Kalliani, President of the British Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, opened the event with a warm welcome to guests and noted: “As we celebrate 80 years of the British Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and a decade of impact by King’s Trust International, we honour a legacy built on strong institutions and a shared commitment to progress. The BHCC remains dedicated to fostering business relations between Greece and the United Kingdom, strengthening a partnership rooted in deep historical, cultural, educational and economic ties. In a world defined by uncertainty, our mission is to uphold values, encourage critical thinking and promote business with purpose. Above all, this milestone reflects the partnerships and collective determination that drive our future and shape the generations to come.”
In his remarks, Matthew Lodge, His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Hellenic Republic, addressed the audience, stating: “It is an honour to join you tonight at this remarkable celebration hosted by the British Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, marking its 80th anniversary, alongside King’s Trust International’s 10th anniversary. This evening is not only about milestones, it is about the shared vision of Greece and the United Kingdom in fostering entrepreneurship, innovation, and opportunity. For eight decades, the British Hellenic Chamber of Commerce has been a cornerstone of Greek-British trade and investment, building bridges that strengthen bilateral relations and create opportunities for businesses to thrive. Likewise, King’s Trust International, founded in 2015 by His Majesty King Charles III, has spent the past decade empowering young people across the globe, including here in Greece, through education, employment, and entrepreneurship.”
Pavlos De Grèce, Vice President of King’s Trust International, emphasized in his speech: “In 2025, we celebrate the tenth anniversary of King’s Trust International in Greece, and I am deeply proud that during this time I have witnessed its impact firsthand—seeing countless young people benefit from our programmes and take ownership of their future. Over the past decade, King’s Trust International has supported more than 100,000 young people. Since 2018, when our programmes in Greece first began and were limited only to Athens, we have expanded across the entire country. To date, 6,087 young people have engaged in our programmes, and 111 businesses have been created. This is one of many occasions on which Greeks have been honoured with awards from our organisation, and I am especially proud and delighted about this.”
A highlight of the evening was the presentation of KTI’s Regional Awards to outstanding young achievers and entrepreneurs, who have been supported by KTI’s FoundIt programme in Greece delivered in partnership with Bizrupt and 100 mentors. The awards were presented by Pavlos De Grèce, in recognition of the winners’ innovation, resilience, and commitment to positive change. Georgios, founder of a company that helps local businesses establish and enhance their media presence, was honoured with the Regional Young Achiever Award for Europe. The Regional Sustainability Award for Europe was presented to Constantina in recognition of her efforts to promote sustainable, locally centered design.
KTI also works with Corallia on the ‘StartAB’ entrepreneurship programme in Athens. In addition, the partnership with The Tipping Point across 20 schools delivers the ‘Achieve’ programme which helps prepare secondary school students for the world of employment. In addition, KTI works with Scouts of Greece to deliver a bespoke employability programme.
Subsequently, the floor was given to Will Straw, Chief Executive Officer of King’s Trust International, who mentioned: “We are proud to mark this milestone with the BHCC, celebrating our shared commitment to supporting young people in Greece, including by fostering cross-industry partnerships. In celebration of our tenth anniversary, we want to expand our reach and empower more young people to become job creators.”
Bringing the evening to a close, the British Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and King’s Trust International jointly honoured Evangelos Manoudakis, Volunteer Ambassador of KTI to Greece, for his outstanding contribution and unwavering dedication to King’s Trust and his steadfast cooperation with the BHCC.
The British Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and King’s Trust International extend their heartfelt thanks to the Chamber’s 80-Years Anniversary Partners and Event Sponsors for their valuable contribution to the success of the evening:
BHCC 80-YEARS ANNIVERSARY PLATINUM PARTNERS 2025: AECOM, LAMDA Development
GOLD SPONSORS: CrediaBank, Lampsa Hellenic Hotels SA – Hotel Grande Bretagne
VIDEO DESIGN: NorroGroup Films
WINE SPONSOR: Hellenic Wineries
BHCC SUPPORTERS: Accounting Solutions, KLC Law Firm, PwC Greece
For more information on King’s Trust International please contact Nadiya Mannan at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Follow us on Twitter/ Instagram: @KingsTrustInt/ @KingsTrustInternational
Find us on Facebook: facebook.com/kingstrustinternational
For more information on the British Hellenic Chamber of Commerce you may contact Angela Xanthopoulou at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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NOTES TO EDITORS
About King’s Trust International
King’s Trust International, founded in 2015 by His Majesty King Charles III, is a bold force for global change tackling the urgent crisis in youth unemployment building on nearly five decades of proven impact in the UK. Now active in around 20 countries across the Commonwealth and beyond, it partners with local organisations to deliver transformative programmes and interventions in education, employability and entrepreneurship, helping young people unlock their potential and find meaningful work.
As it marks its 10th anniversary, the charity is proud to have supported well over 100,000 young people worldwide and is just getting started. This milestone year sees the launch of the ambitious ‘Generation Potential’ campaign, a bold new initiative to empower one million more young people globally over the next decade to shape a brighter future. For more information, visit kingstrustinternational.org.
In Greece, KTI works with Bizrupt, 100 Mentors, Corallia, The Tipping Point, and Scouts of Greece to deliver impactful education, employment and entrepreneurship programmes for young people aged 12 to 35.
About the British Hellenic Chamber of Commerce
Established by Royal Decree in 1945, the British Hellenic Chamber of Commerce (BHCC), is the only accredited, independent, non-profit organization dedicated to representing and promoting bilateral business interests between Greece and the UK. Over the decades, the Chamber has played a vital role in strengthening business ties between the two nations.
In 2025, the British Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, celebrates its 80th Anniversary since its founding in Greece. As one of the most influential bilateral chambers in Greece, the BHCC’s 80th year of operation marks a milestone -a chance to honour the Chamber’s legacy, long-standing achievements, and impact.
Being an International Member of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) in the UK, the British Hellenic Chamber of Commerce has a broad network of contacts to assist its members expand their business activities in the UK.
Photo Credits: Studio Kominis:https://studiokominis.com/ - https://www.instagram.com/nikolaskominis/
Kenny Evangelou - British President of the British Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, Anna Kalliani - Greek President of the British Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, Pavlos De Grèce - Vice President of King’s Trust International, Matthew Lodge - His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Hellenic Republic and Will Straw - CEO of King’s Trust International
Anna Kalliani - Greek President of the British Hellenic Chamber of Commerce at the event’s podium
Matthew Lodge - His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Hellenic Republic at the podium
Queen Anne-Marie and Anna Kalliani - Greek President of the British Hellenic Chamber of Commerce
Nikolaos De Grèce, Chrysi Vardinogianni, Pavlos De Grèce - Vice President of King’s Trust International, Anna Kalliani - Greek President of the British Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, Matthew Lodge - His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Hellenic Republic and Kenny Evangelou - British President of the British Hellenic Chamber of Commerce
Evangelos Manoudakis - Volunteer Ambassador of KTI to Greece, Will Straw - CEO of King’s Trust International, Pavlos De Grèce - Vice President of King’s Trust International and Anna Kalliani - Greek President of the British Hellenic Chamber of Commerce
George Karabelas - Secretary General of the British Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, Kosta Kanaroglou - British Vice President of the British Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, Manos Lorentzos - Greek Vice President of the British Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, Anna Kalliani - Greek President of the British Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, Pavlos De Grèce - Vice President of King’s Trust International, Spiros Doucas - Greek Vice President of the British Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, Nicholas Chatzitsolis - Treasurer of the British Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, Kenny Evangelou - British President of the British Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and Maria-Christina Griva – BoD Member of the British Hellenic Chamber of Commerce
Will Straw - CEO of King’s Trust International, Pavlos De Grèce - Vice President of King’s Trust International, Iona Rowland - Philanthropy Manager, King’s Trust International, Sheila Heffernan - International Programmes Manager Europe, King’s Trust International, Despina Tsiakalou - Senior Regional Manager Europe, King’s Trust International, Maria Makridaki - Mentor, FoundIt Programme, Dr Konstantinos Vassakis - Co-founder, Bizrupt, Constantina - Regional Sustainability Award Winner for Europe, Georgios - Regional Young Achiever Award Winner for Europe, Alexandra Karapidaki - Co-founder, Bizrupt, Yiorgos Nikoletakis - Co-founder and CEO, 100mentors and Νadiya Mannan - International Communications Manager, King's Trust International
A moment captured from the event
Pavlos De Grèce - Vice President of King’s Trust International at the podium
Pavlos De Grèce - Vice President of King’s Trust International with the winner of the Regional Young Achiever Award for Europe
Pavlos De Grèce - Vice President of King’s Trust International with the winner of the Regional Sustainability Award for Europe
Pavlos De Grèce - Vice President of King’s Trust International with the winners
Will Straw - CEO of King’s Trust International, Evangelos Manoudakis - Volunteer Ambassador of KTI to Greece, George Karabelas - Secretary General of the British Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, Anna Kalliani - Greek President of the British Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and Kenny Evangelou - British President of the British Hellenic Chamber of Commerce
Pavlos De Grèce - Vice President of King’s Trust International and Anna Kalliani - Greek President of the British Hellenic Chamber of Commerce
