About me
My name is Alex Richardson and I am a mental health nurse, this year will be my tenth in the NHS. Around seven months ago I also became the proud Founder and Operations Manager of Keep Talking Services, a telephone befriending service, pairing health and social care students with individuals in the community suffering from loneliness and often poor mental health.
How it begun
Working within the NHS, unless you are management level, funding and budgets does not come into your day-to-day role. It is something that is alien to me and something that I have never had to pay any real attention to.
Coming into the third sector at a management level, it became clear that this was something that was indeed going to be in my day-to-day role. Bringing in funding to allow us to continue to do what we do is vital and something that can be daunting at times.
I am not ashamed to say that one of our grant applications was rejected and they advised that I get mentoring from Funding for All.
The process
The process itself was exactly what it needed to be. Free of complex wordy questions. Clear and easy to read instructions. I filled out a form talking about my service and what we were hoping for and got a very prompt reply with an initial meeting.
I met with Kerry [Funding for All Project Manager] virtually and she was so welcoming. I didn’t feel like I was being screened or assessed. I immediately got the impression that Funding for All wanted to help me. We spoke for some time. Went through a few more details and Kerry said she already had a mentor in mind.
My mentor
My mentor was introduced through Kerry and I remember meeting them for the first time. I can, hand on heart, say that after minutes of speaking to one another I instantly felt like [mentor] got me and, most importantly, my service. [The mentor] had so much knowledge around the third sector, so hearing words like “your idea is great” and “I think you’re going to do so well” filled me with motivation and a new-found sense of confidence.
Fast forward to today and I found the very definition of a mentor. [Mentor] has literally not only been game changing, but life changing. I have come a long way since working with [mentor] and she honestly is to thank for this.
Would I recommend it?
Without question. It’s so much more than just funding. This organisation helps you grow and develop in so many aspects but most importantly it is more learning, which can never hurt.
You’re supported and most importantly, you are listened to and given advice from people who really know what they are on about.
I cannot think of a single negative of joining this organisation.
My top tips
- Funding for All offer you so many opportunities to attend conferences and meet some amazing people. TAKE IT ALL! Every session I have attended has been great! I have met funders, learnt about fundraising and also met some brilliant organisations along the way.
- Be open, honest and realistic with your mentor. If you have a concern speak to them. If there is something you want covered then let them know. I find the service to be incredibly flexible and person-centred to suit my chaotic and busy lifestyle.
Anything else to add?
If you want progression, want advice, then speak to Funding for All.
I previously met with the Chief Executive of our local NHS to talk about leadership and her best bit of advice was to get myself a mentor, someone who has experience and someone you can learn from… that’s exactly what I did! I have my mentor… NOW GO AND GET YOURS!
