Forum 2007 – Ali Bull
The Fundraiser’s Story, Ali Bull, Lambourne End Outdoor Centre
Ali Bull, Fundraiser for Lambourne End Outdoor Centre, talked of the “rollercoaster ride that is fundraising”. She encouraged the Forum delegates that there was much to learn from each other’s experiences.
Ali accepted the fundraising job at the Centre coming from a corporate background and was staggered by the amount of preparation work required before one can actually start applying for grants and donations and beginning the actual fundraising process. The first step was to set up administration systems – feedback information, mailing and contacts lists to ensure she was organised before even beginning to fundraise.
It was remarked that core costs are hard to get fundraising for – donors want to see their money going towards the service the charity/organisation provides. In a bid to build a more sustainable organisation Ali tried to rely less on grants and tried to generate alternative income streams for Lambourne End. She did this through:
- Promoting the centre better
- Thinking of ways to earn more income – hiring out rooms, increasing shop sales
- Partnership with corporate groups – volunteering days
These strategies help to subsidise the work of the Outdoor Centre.
Ali recognises that “progress can feel frustratingly slow” but if you are feeling deflated and de-motivated – get in touch with the service that your charity/organisation is offering and get involved with the service-users to “remember why we are here and why we do what we do”.
Small organisations often have no budget to access training, few experts to ask for advice and no knowledge whether best practice is being used. This is where Ali commended The FSI for offering professional advice, words of support and free training.
Through The FSI, Ali encouraged the delegates to look to each other for support, to provide a better service for the stakeholders.
Lambourne End Outdoor Centre is a working farm that aims to provide high quality personal development experiences, primarily (but not exclusively) for people from east and north London, Essex and Hertfordshire which in turn will influence the development of their communities. The Centre is being developed to be a thriving inclusive resource which is particularly welcoming to young people.
www.lambourne-end.org.uk
