THIS IS AN OLD BLOG, BUT STILL RELEVANT. INTEGRITY BOTH PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY IS IMPORTANT TO ME.
NB;
The charity I lead changed its name to BACKUP North West in October 2018.
As CEO of Bolton Young Persons Housing Scheme I am responsible for fundraising, income generation and bid writing for a service that accommodates and supports 10 young people at any one time. That means sustaining jobs for several staff teams, ensuring we are always legally compliant and developing strong relationships with stakeholders.
Last October we launched our Guardians scheme – an opportunity for individuals and companies to sponsor us for £500 a year and in doing so become “friends” of the organisation. But, before and after that scheme launch we have undertaken all kinds of approaches to our fundraising. In the last couple of years that’s shifted slightly and for the first time we have had external groups and individuals organising events and selecting us as the recipient charity without us having to organise or facilitate activities.
I have found this overwhelming, the generosity and lengths that some people are prepared to go to because they can, because they want to, because they believe in what BYPHS is doing for young people.
Team Eagley Bank, a group of committed neighbours and friends raised £4k for us in 2015, individuals and associates through the Best of Bolton and Unique Ladies Networking have been fabulous sources of support. Fidgets Play Centre raised funds, took part in our sleep out and organised and paid for a residents Christmas party! Gaynor and David Ramsden and Suzy and Ronnie Orr who manage/own those networks have gone further and signed up as Guardians along with 27 others. They and others also contribute and support every campaign we run – donating “hugs in mugs”, “snug as bugs” and whatever else we need.
As a charity our unrestricted fundraising income was at its highest last year in the region of £26,000. Some may consider this small fry but in 2012/13 my first year as BYPHS CEO it was less than £1,000. Those who slept out all night, those who rode exercise bikes all day, walked, ran, swam, baked, sponsored and most recently the youngest ever Ironman. Lisa Forshaw and friends raised money at the La Piazza ladies lunch, Joanne Geddes and her friends also raised money at the Royal Ascot Ladies Day. The teams at Bolton Post Office gave us a surprise collection last year that nearly had me in tears, now Keoghs, Russell and Russell and Nationwide are just some who are offering help. So many people and groups have contributed to this that I cannot mention you all.
I used to support a large national charity by direct debit until one 12 month period brought me 18 letters asking for just £2 a month more, just £4 a month more all of which included a free pen!! I cancelled the direct debit. I have done some popular coffee mornings for another national charity and this year I simply have too much on personally; but I have had no less than 7 phone calls asking if I could do it another time, make a donation or reconsider. My sister recently had a letter from another very large national reminding her of her fabulous donation just 12 months before and suggesting that should she want to repeat that generosity she could apply a mathematical formula to apply an uplift and aim for a higher amount this time, or words to that effect! Inflation!! She was quite rightly fumers!! I mean how dare they?
So why am I telling you all this? I read last week that hairdressers are more trusted than Charity CEOs!! Holy Jamoly don’t let me near your hair with scissors but you can rely on me to be responsible with the charity and all that entails.
I have been blessed with good fortune, I have an amazing staff team who work their magic every day with a group of amazing young people. That gives me endless anecdotes and statistical data which is my armour to promote the organisation. I meet incredible like minded people who fortunately want to help us in all kinds of ways; big and small. This hasn’t happened by osmosis. Without even realising it I have developed an ethos for fundraising, a strategic approach that absolutely does not do or include the hard sell. My personality seems to have influenced the underlying principles for BYPHS fundraising. I am now in a position to recruit a part time fundraiser and was thinking about the job description and what qualities they will need. They need to read this blog!!
· BYPHS will not use any donations or sponsorship income for running costs. It will be for young people directly either through our crisis fund, our welfare fund or our social/educational activities fund. (if this ever changes we will tell you.)
· We will never use “chuggers.” I cannot be doing with being stopped in the street by charity representatives. Last time one knocked on my front door the dog seized the opportunity to finish my tea!! I know they have a job to do but I detest it.
· At BYPHS we really believe in making friends first. I don’t want to take people’s money and bugger off, I want you to want to raise money for us and come and find out where it went and what impact it had. See it for yourselves, don’t just rely on me to tell you.
I don’t want to find out people are discussing BYPHS and saying those cheeky gits have written to me 5 times asking for money, if people are talking about us it needs to be for the right reasons. To promote us, recommend us, refer to us and in doing so help the youngest citizens in our community be safe and prevent future homelessness. At the recent GM Chamber of Commerce Dinner I listened to Andy Burnham – GM Mayor say “for some people to succeed in life others do not have to sleep on the cold hard streets. Support your local homeless services.”
I do not want to be an ambassador of a charitable organisation that arrives at meetings and people think “oh no; don’t make eye contact”, “what does she want now?” and so on. I want you to be able to look into the whites of my eyes and trust me, trust the BYPHS brand and feel comfortable in the knowledge that whatever you choose to give and when, is fine with me. Whether that be a cheque, a tin of beans, toiletries and tampax, your time, your knowledge or just your best wishes - I do not mind. I’m grateful for it all especially the friendships and the continued eye contact.
Maura x