CharityComms

An amazing amount. We are a small charity supporting bereaved children and young people as well as their parents and carers in Cornwall. I’m responsible for all fundraising, evaluation and monitoring, profile raising, managing the website and the newsletter, helping with teaching, some work with bereaved children and families, and anything else that no-one else wants to do. My passion for our work has plenty of outlets!

I was a nurse manager in the NHS, and have had a very varied career trajectory and many major life events and experiences. I needed to change direction as I was getting burned out, and this work was something in which I had long had an interest. All my skills and experiences have equipped me uniquely for the work I do.

I do spend much time in front of the computer – but every day is different. I could be attending a charity fundraising event, showing round a potential volunteer, mentoring a student, writing the newsletter, or - most often - completing long grant forms. I travel to different parts of Cornwall; one day I might give a teaching session, another day it could be a presentation to a local community group.

A lot of life experience, empathy with those who are bereaved, and understanding about how grief affects families. You should be a good communicator, able to work across a variety of media, and have some fundraising skills. The rest you transfer in from what you've done before and learn along the way.

You need to be very enthusiastic and committed to your cause; it takes you beyond the call of duty. You have to be able to take knock-backs when it comes to funding. Persistence and perseverance is important, as well as a sense of humour to balance the sadness which could otherwise overwhelm you.

Negotiating with the county council to get them to put bereavement support for children on the county agenda.

The knowledge that what we do can make such a difference; some of that is measurable immediately but some has significance years down the line. The miracle of healing and restoration that is possible for families. Being able to respond quickly, creatively and flexibly to service demands and new challenges.

Think carefully about how committed you are to the cause. If you're in it for the money, this won't be the place for you.

This job is so unique that it’s hard to imagine there being anything else I'd want to do! But I would like the opportunity to have more input at a national level to influence the future of bereavement support without losing the local flavours of each organisation. One size never fits all!