Livability gives disabled and disadvantaged people real choice about how they live their lives. Formed by the merger of John Grooms and the Shaftesbury Society, in 2007, the charity runs a wide range of services for disabled adults and children across England and Wales.
Read the testimonial
Interim Director of Fundraising & Marketing
Simon was personally recommended for this role at Livability in summer 2011. He covered the post part-time for six months before handing over to the new permanent Director in January 2012. It was a difficult time for the charity with income hit by the recesssion and the recent departure of the long-standing postholder. The team of 18 staff was demoralised and lacking strategic direction. Simon’s role involved steadying the ship, by taking overall responsibility for fundraising and marketing, through line management, leadership and coordination, working with the Director’s Management Team and liaising with trustees through Board meetings and sub-committees.
Achievements included
- Successfully led and motivated the Fundraising & Marketing team to take a more strategic and integrated approach to its work
- Reviewed and revised the fundraising and marketing budgets
- Created a new and inspiring fundraising case for support for unrestricted activities, winning enthusiastic support for it from senior managers and trustees
- Represented the department at DMT and Board level and communicated relevant information and decisions in a timely manner
- Reviewed and redeveloped the Individual Giving, Events, Community, Capital Appeal and Major Donor programmes in order to maximise sustainable net income.
Simon continues to work with Livability as a mentor to the new Director of Fundraising & Communications and provides consultancy support to particular areas of the business when required.
What Livability said
I have been working with Simon for six months. He has an excellent and clear approach to leading and supporting a diverse team of fundraising and marketing personnel. He has helped us to build and develop our case for fundraising support in order to maximise our return on investment and improve our income. He is well able to develop a considered and sustainable fundraising strategy, and implement the strategy in a timely and inclusive manner. Simon has fitted in well with our senior management team and trustees where he has played an important part in making decisions and managing our future.
Mike Smith, OBE
Chief Executive, Livability