About me and what I do

My story

I’ve been working in communications since 2007, and fundraising since 2016, with charities in the arts, health, media, heritage and sports sectors as well as helping artists and owner-run businesses to improve their visibility online. Before that I worked for the Arts Council in Yorkshire, focussing on the creative industries and capital projects as well as promoting Grants for the Arts and assessing funding applications.

I’ve raised funds for all sorts of causes from animal sanctuaries and children’s playgrounds to cancer research and arts projects, raising £85,000 in 12 days for a capital programme, and supporting clients to achieve a 5-fold increase in Trusts fundraising in 18 months. I’ve worked on promoting everything from a comedy night to a major Half Marathon event, even selling a national tour of a theatre piece that hadn’t quite been written - without painting the Artistic Director into any corners…

I believe that everyone can ‘do’ communications and fundraising if they wish but there’s no one-size-fits-all, and not everyone has the time or desire to learn.

Whether we have an informal chat over a coffee to talk through solutions to a problem you face, or undertake a project to deliver Trusts and Foundations fundraising, marketing, PR or digital communications, I will use my skills to leave you with something to show for our time together, and feeling more free to focus on your work.

for charities and non-profits

Your non-profit is expert in what you do for your beneficiaries, but are you always able to articulate this to other people, including donors, partners and funders? I can help you define what you do, why you do it and why you are the best organisation to achieve impact for your beneficiaries, and communicate the value of your work to others.

I can research potential funders, identify likely supporters, and work with you to present your cause with passion, backed up by impact statistics and stories. I understand the challenges of working with a Board less familiar with fundraising, and can help you identify and plan to address challenges and barriers to securing grant funding.

Get in touch to talk about Trusts and Foundations fundraising for your cause.

For artists and creatives:

Artists are great at creating their art. Not every artist has the time, knowledge, skills or confidence to ‘sell’ their own work, or will feel comfortable doing so. If you’ve ever felt a little overwhelmed, not knowing where to start, and facing a ‘marketing mountain’ with a sense of losing time that could be spent on your creative practice, I can help.

I understand the arts world and the particular challenges that you can face in sharing your work, not least the tension between artistic integrity and feeling too commerical, or simply being too overloaded. I can help you overcome these barriers to feel authentic in communicating your creativity.

Let’s talk marketing for artists, strategic thinking, templates or coaching.

WHAT I DO

• Work with you to understand where you are at and where you want to be, and how you want to move forward

• Focus on the practical, to make a difference to your organisation

• Offer a range of tailored services, from advice and training to planning fundraising campaigns and hands-on bid-writing.