Recent successes and work for John Harris and Rachel Walmsley include:

  • In 2023 winning £91,000 from a funder known to Stanley Grange – to complete the funding needed to refurbish two of the houses for adults with learning disabilities
  • 2023: Working with Acorn Recovery projects access £140,000 so that people can move from substance abuse to being a volunteer working to support others and then become employed as Permitted Workers with a salary which doesn’t impact on their benefits
  • Again in 2023 helping Bierley Community Association in Bradford access £10,000 through a Council strategic grant – for support in developing the charity; as well as £29,000 over two years through Local Community Support grants for their work with older people
  • Raising £500,00 in just 7 months in 2022 for Together Dementia Support in Manchester! Tudor Trust, Reaching Communities, Social Prescribing Development Fund, Garfield Weston and others – this was following developing their 5 year strategy
  • Working with Abigail Housing in Bradford and Leeds – supporting refugees and asylum seekers – winning a £45,000 grant from Lloyds Bank Foundation
  • Working with ecoACTIVE in Hackney to raise £100,000 from the Tudor Foundation and the Ernest Cook Trust, the Green Mentor Scheme, the Portal Trust and others
  • Raising £650,000 over 4 years from 2019 to 2023 for Stanley Grange Community Association’s residential community for people with learning disabilities – from the Wolfson Foundation, Garfield Weston, the Gostling Foundation, Bernard Sunley, National Lottery and others
  • £60,000 Lottery grant (2020) for the Adhar project in Leicester supporting BAME people with mental health issues
  • £160,000 raised for the Manningham Advice project in Bradford – 2020 to 2023
  • Successful £300k Reaching Communities bid in 2018 for Rape and Sexual Assault Counselling Service
  • Supporting 3 Leeds older people’s charities raising over £1,000,000 in contracts over the next 5 years
  • Helping Otley Action for Older People develop their plans to redevelop their centre – and win the funds for this
  • Lloyds Bank Foundation grant of £180,000 in 2018 – over 3 years for a rape and sexual abuse charity in Huddersfield

 

  • John Harris MInst – John is a full member of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising and subscribes to their Code of Conduct
  • He is the author of the NVCO Guide to Good Management in the Voluntary Sector
  • He designed and co-delivered the Leeds University Post-Graduate Certificate in Management in the Voluntary and Public Sectors
  • John has the Certificate in Management and in Humanistic Psychology
  • Rachel Walmsley has worked as facilitator and development consultant for over 20 years
  • Rachel is a qualified business coach working through Solution Focussed Coaching
  • She is a certified change management consultant working across all sectors
  • Rachel has expertise in business and strategic planning and governance

In these tough economic times, particularly on public sector finances, many charities are finding it difficult to raise the funds they need to continue let alone develop and grow. Perhaps it’s time to review your fundraising strategy? We can work with you on this vital task.

We offer significant expertise in a range of services including: bid writing, applications to charitable trusts and foundations, to the Big Lottery and in training and coaching your staff so that you build up the strength and capacity of your own organisation. We are able to draw on specialist expertise as required to complement John and Rachel’s skills and experience.