Take the Trew path to effective fundraising

Take the Trew path to effective fundraising

A new year’s resolution in 1999 changed the course of Linda Trew’s life – and helped St Mary’s in Bloxham, Oxfordshire, begin a £1.5m project to develop church facilities.

Linda’s millennium resolution, with a subsequent fund-raising trek across the Andes to Machu Picchu, ultimately encouraged her to do more to help churches raise funds for necessary improvements. She is now an experienced fundraiser for CRE exhibitors Action Planning, a specialist consultancy for charities and other not-for-profit organisations. When it came to the challenge of advising St Mary’s, a Grade I listed church, she put together a plan for fundraising involving four phases – private, grant, congregational and public.

Despite the intervention of Covid-19 and rising costs, about £230,000 has already been raised with the possibility this total could rise to £300,000. A new heating system is already fully functional and money is in place to upgrade the AV equipment.

‘We’ve had a really good relationship with Linda and are pleased with what she’s done and the way she has done it,’ said Ian Myson, project co-lead at the church. ‘She’s been a valuable member of our team: helpful, proactive and happy to go the extra mile and do discretionary stuff that she wasn’t obliged to do. We weren’t in a position to raise anything from trusts without her. Her experience and expertise in which grant bodies to go for, which to prioritise and the sort of approach needed to succeed, was invaluable.’

Action Planning offer expert help to all churches with a comprehensive range of services, including governance, planning, fundraising, marketing, recruitment and training. Representatives of the company will talk on ‘Fundraising for capital projects for churches’ at 11am each day at CRE National 2022.

• Action Planning are on stand V8 at CRE National 2022

Main picture: Action Planning’s Linda Trew at CRE

Book your tickets to CRE National 2022 for as little as £3 (£8 on the door)

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