This week, we spoke with Kath Preston – our fundraising co-ordinator here at The Principle Trust Children’s Charity. Kath’s job entails working hard to raise funds for the charity, whether it be through events out and about or grant funding.
I first asked Kath to explain a little bit about herself.
In her free time Kath enjoys cooking, travelling (close to home or far away) and spending time with her grandchildren.
Kath also loves getting out in the fresh air- particularly walking in the hills and riding her road bike. She commented that she finds a special comfort in her bike rides especially if she has her grandchildren with her. “During lockdown walking and riding our bikes was a joy and it gave us a real purpose to our day. We used to go walking one day and bike the next, just to get out in the fresh air. We called it our Golden Hour!”
Kath’s an enthusiastic member of the team, and valuable both in motivation and talent – “I’m keen and active but I’m aware of my age… I’ll do anything not to act it”. Kath’s a big extrovert, and loves connecting with other people, which is shown time and time again during the role of a fundraising co-ordinator.
Kath explains how she always tries to be charitable – how the want to help people has always been present. I asked if working at a Children’s charity influenced that in anyway. Kath’s response was “you can’t control everything, especially people, but surely you’ve got to do what you can”.
We discussed how it is working at the Trust, and what it means to be in a team, working hard for the same cause. “Identifying the differences between you and others in your team is incredibly valuable. If you can bring all those skill sets to the table, you have something powerful, and you can make a real difference”. This led us on to what Kath was doing before the Trust.
“I worked for a huge corporate business which was very different to our charity, but equally valuable in learning and growing yourself.” Kath described sometimes being a manager and working under a big scheme was occasionally lonely, but she was lucky to have a great team… “You do a better job when you know someone has your back”. Similarly, we acknowledged it’s important to be able to pick yourself up during this special line of work, growing as an individual with a ‘keep going mentality’ is important.
Kath used to work in Partnerships and Business Development often travelling to London for 9:30 sharp! A big part of the role was pitching for new businesses and beneficials, something great in its challenges but also in its rewards. Kath explains how she appreciates and works well under this sort of buzz and challenge and how she sees the similarities when applying for grants. A big part of the job is being given challenges and obstacles and being driven enough to overcome them.
However, one thing she has learnt is patience. A big difference is the lack of immediate results when applying for charity grants. Results aren’t always immediate but being thorough and having the confidence to keep trying and discover new solutions is what’s important.
I asked Kath if there were any key moments or memories that hold a special place since working at the Trust. “Joining the team is absolutely up there, they are so inspiring and selfless and also our team day cleaning the caravans ready for the new season was fabulous.” Going to Blackpool and seeing the holiday homes in person was a simple but pure one, “seeing the locations where families come to have a holiday up close and realising that it’s all about those disadvantaged families. That’s why we do what we do.”
Of course, the biggest motivator is the children themselves. Kath explains how she wants future generations to grow and realise not everyone is as fortunate and she wants people to know the Trust has a part in educating and making things better for families who need the support.
“If we can send these children on holidays with their families, they can bond and grow which will ultimately strengthen their family unit” and hopefully we can help “break a cycle” for good. Of course, they also get to create some ‘Happy Memories’ too… something which is so important for children and for us to look back on as adults.
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