Skills-based volunteering with Cranfield Trust
There are a variety of ways you can use your skills and experience to volunteer with Cranfield Trust and support small charities.
This Volunteers Week we spoke to Fiona Young, who has volunteered with Cranfield Trust since 2021 after relocating to the West Country. Fiona was introduced to the South West Regional Manager by Karen Evans, ICAEW Regional Executive for the West of England. With a background in finance and resources in both the grantmaking and charity services sector, prior to that as an Audit Manager specialising in charity audit and accounting, and with experience in social investment, Fiona brought with her more than average experience in the charity sector, which she has used to provide support to Cranfield Trust clients in their two largest service areas – consultancy and mentoring.
Consultancy projects
Fiona supported 3SG – B&NES 3rd Sector Group, a voluntary sector membership organisation based in Bath, with its financial management. The organisation came to Cranfield Trust for help to improve their financial processes around cash flow forecasting, budgeting and financial reporting. They had had a new Director and Treasurer in the last year and found the preparation of the most recent year end accounts challenging, and were looking for a way for their systems to integrate easily and accurately. It was important to make improvements to processes and procedures slowly and carefully as the organisation’s staff is small and part time, like many of the charities we support at Cranfield Trust.
3SG Director, Becky Brooks, reflected on the project:
“It has been transformative - and really helped us as a small team to get through a tricky period which was causing a lot of stress. As an organisation it makes us stronger and means that we can focus on what we need to deliver - supporting 230 local charities across Bath & North East Somerset. We are so thrilled to have been supported by Fiona. The time she has spent with us has been priceless - she has such a patient, measured approach; particularly useful when we have been overwhelmed with project delivery. Fiona's expertise has meant that we have been able to successfully navigate changing accountants, moving to a new accounting system and understanding future budgeting and forecasting, which will put us on a really firm footing going forward. From start to finish the Cranfield Trust has been so helpful and approachable. We cannot thank Fiona and the Cranfield Trust enough.”
Fiona reflected on her experience as a volunteer on this project:
“It was a privilege to be able to support Becky and 3SG as the organisation went through its transformation process. Working with 3SG at their own speed, navigating their busy times, enabled the organisation to develop new robust skillsets. The experience gained through different aspects of my career as a member of the ICAEW enabled me to offer suggestions and support 3SG as they developed stronger systems, processes and templates. We worked together over a number of months establishing what was needed and on a step-by-step basis began implementation. I gained a lot from working with Becky and her team and have a much better understanding of 3SG and the community of organisations they work with.”
Mentoring projects
Fiona is currently engaged on her fifth mentoring project with Cranfield Trust, working with the Communities and Development Manager of a London based charity supporting children to develop a life-long habit of reading for pleasure and benefit from the improved life chances this brings with it. Fiona’s previous mentees have included the Executive Director of a place-based social enterprise in Gloucestershire; the Office Manager of a heritage charity promoting inclusive access to the canal network in the Cotswolds; the CEO of a Charitable Foundation giving grants to community organisations in West London; and the Strategic Development Manager of a disability and mental health trust in the South West. The roles have been varied and Fiona has drawn on experiences from her own varied career to support individuals in their roles supporting some of the most vulnerable members of our communities.
Fiona explains the benefits of mentoring for the mentee, as well as what she gains from the process as a mentor:
“Every mentoring project is different and can change during the process of the project. With some mentees I have supported practical activities (for example discussing organisation structure, job descriptions, budgeting etc) which draw on my work experiences and support the mentee to find the right solution for their organisation. For others the process has involved walking alongside them as mentees work through specific development challenges. Mentoring can offer the opportunity to have dedicated time set aside to think about work and the organisation in a structured way – otherwise I have been told mentees would feel too busy to be able to do so – having time set aside in their diary ensures it happens. One of the things I love about mentoring is that it’s not about me – often I hear that following a mentoring session the mentee has had new insights and understanding which they didn’t have before.”
Other volunteering opportunities with Cranfield Trust
In addition to the traditional offerings above, Cranfield Trust also provides volunteers with the opportunity to support not for profit organisations as follows:
- Our On Call service, which matches organisations quickly with a volunteer with the right skills and experience to support on an immediate and single issue or query
- Our Peer to Peer Exchange programme, where a volunteer facilitates groups of half a dozen charity leaders who support each other, sharing challenges and discovering solutions to move their organisations forward
- Our two webinar series, Learning with Leaders and Essentials to Excellence, delivered by volunteers and pro bono by leaders in their field, on a range of topics relevant to charities navigating the challenges faced by the sector – upcoming topics include mentoring and coaching for charity CEOs, and leading successful hybrid and remote teams.
It’s not necessary to have a wealth of charity sector experience to be a Cranfield Trust volunteer – you can make a difference by sharing almost any business knowledge or skill in areas ranging from IT to PR. To find out more about some of the projects other volunteers have work on, see our case studies and discover how to become a volunteer.
Make 2025 the year you make a difference to a voluntary sector organisation close to home or on the other side of the UK!
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