Tell us about your job working in fundraising? What’s your typical day/week?
I love my job! There is so much variety. I am the fundraiser covering Plymouth, Ivybridge and Tavistock in Devon. We have inspirational supporters in this area.
Several towns and villages have Friends Groups – teams of dedicated supporters who organise their own fundraising events for CHSW and raise awareness in their local community. Some of these volunteers have been supporting the charity for 30 years (and their knowledge of CHSW and fundraising experience is vast). I support these groups and keep them informed about what we are doing at Little Harbour.
There is no typical day in this job! But my day could involve going to a school to give a talk, judging a scarecrow competition, attending a business networking breakfast, running an Open Gardens, approaching restaurants about The Big South West Cream Tea, supporting a marathon runner with their fundraising, meeting a troop of scouts, attending a concert, doing a cheque presentation to thank a community group like the Lions for their donation, organising for 250 motorcyclists to ride to Little Harbour dressed as Santa!
What do you enjoy most about working at CHSW and/or in fundraising?
I am in awe of the work our Care Team does at Little Harbour. They are incredible people who work with families facing the most challenging circumstances. To ensure CHSW can always be there for our families, we need to raise money – it’s that simple. I get real satisfaction from knowing that the work I do every day helps bring in the vital funds we need to provide outstanding care to families living with life-limiting conditions. And every little bit adds up – we are grateful for every penny donated.
Helping at our events is one of the best parts of the job – dozens of runners take part in the Plymouth Half Marathon and raise funds for us; cheering them over the line is inspiring. We also have our Rainbow Run and our Santa Run at the Eden Project, both are brilliant. Working with such an amazing team and knowing that the money we raise is going to such a great cause, means this role gets top marks for job satisfaction!
What motivated you to apply to your role?
I did not know anyone working at CHSW when I saw the job advertised online and applied. I had been donating to my local CHSW charity shop for a decade and knew CHSW had an excellent reputation locally. The job seemed like the perfect opportunity to have an inspiring role in the immediate area where I live.
How did you become an Area Fundraiser? What job were you doing before?
I last worked as a fundraiser for a charity 17 years ago, though I have more recently volunteered for local charities including one that also supports families facing challenging circumstances. The rest of my career has been in journalism. There is no one pathway that leads to being an Area Fundraiser. But a background in journalism has proved useful as communication is important in this role – talking to people and telling them about our beautiful hospices and the families we support is the most vital part of this job.
What would you say are the skills you need to do your job? Have you learnt any new skills since being in post?
Key skills are: communication, energy, flexibility, a love of team work, empathy, enthusiasm, initiative. My IT skills have also improved!
If you could do another job within CHSW for the day, what would it be?
I would love to spend time with Richard, our amazing Music Therapist at Little Harbour. I’ve heard from siblings who visit the hospice how much fun they have with him, and I’ve heard from members of the Care Team about how children who may not be able to communicate easily respond to his sessions, and express the joy he brings them.
How does it feel to be a part of the CHSW family?
No question - this is a great family to be part of! The commitment and enthusiasm of our family of volunteers who run their own fundraising events and turn up whatever the weather to help us with ours is unbeatable and SO inspiring.
The staff are friendly, welcoming, positive and very supportive. We are all motivated by our wish to continue to support the families we care for; we work hard to achieve this, our standards are high; but there’s plenty of laughter and creativity too.
Tell us anything else you love about your role/CHSW...
I’m a Devonian and am ashamed to admit I had not often crossed the Tamar before joining CHSW, but as some of our fundraising events are in Cornwall, I am now getting to know the Duchy pretty well, which is a real bonus!