January is over, which marks the first month in my new role as Fundraising Manager here at Bassetlaw Food Bank! And while I’m new to fundraising I’m not all that new to the charity. I started volunteering one morning a week in January 2020 and continued to do so until this opportunity presented itself. Knowing what I know about the charity and the service it provides I was keen to apply for the role and fortunately I was successful in being offered the job.
I have learnt a lot this month, from how the charity operates from a legal and administrative perspective to the process of writing applications for grants. I have even written a few grant applications myself now. I’ve always enjoyed writing, I had a blog for a while, I’ve written for this blog before, and I regularly write poetry, too. Because of this I have found that this element of fundraising plays to my strengths. Going into February I am keen to explore the possibility of fundraising events, and the ways in which we can be more present in the greater community. We regularly pitch up at Retford market on Fridays, so you can find us there too. We’re always up for a chat and you might even find a little treat for yourself or a loved one.
It has also been great to meet lots more of the volunteers, too. From my own volunteering days, I knew a handful of others, but because I would do a set morning it meant that there were many people that I had never encountered. It’s been good to finally put faces to the names I have heard so much about!
If you have any fundraising ideas you would like to discuss, drop me an email at laura.kennedy@bassetlawfoodbank.org! Thanks for reading and enjoy your day.
