My journey in the not for profit sector started over 15 years ago with The Prince's Trust. After volunteering for them for three months I was fortunate to land my first role helping young people. Six wonderful years later I joined Mencap heading up a national young people programme called Inspire Me. It was designed to build skills and confidence in 14 to 25 year olds with learning disabilities. Between 2011 and 2014, we reached over 25,000 young people. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLz5Xk2ylB4 This project was funded by The Co-operative Group, as their charity partner they raised over £7 million in one year! My life personally took a twist and it was time for a change. That started with me cycling Land’s End to John O’Groats with eight friends for Motor Neurone Disease (MND), we raised over £100,000, which at the time was the biggest individual donation to MND Wales. The next step was to follow my dream and work abroad, I secured a role as International Manager for Seeds of Hope an education NGO in Peru. This was a phenomenal experience and one I will never forget! I then took a year travelling round the world the long way home visiting Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, New Zealand, Australia, Nepal and India. It was time to head back to Wales. While at Mencap I had started the transition from project management to new business development and I knew I wanted to continue on this path. I secured a role heading up Corporate Giving and Partnerships for the National Arts Centre for Wales, Wales Millennium Centre. I led the corporate engagement strategy; implementing prospect profiling, stewardship supporter journeys and unique cultivation events. This led to 85% of corporates renewing their commitment to arts and culture year after year. Then as we all know Covid hit. I was furloughed and then made redundant. Anyone that knows me they will know I like a challenge, so I packed my hiking kit and tent and trekked over 300 miles into the Arctic Circle along the Kungsleden in Sweden for 27 days! Refreshed, energised and feeling empowered I secured a new role within eight days of being back! Which leads me to now, three months in as a Fundraising and Partnerships Manager for Motivation. Motivation currently has no corporate giving programme – this is all about to change!