When the volunteer-led team at Milton Creek Country Park in Sittingbourne set out to install a new container building for community use, they knew they needed support to navigate fundraising. The project was ambitious: transforming a former landfill site surrounded by industrial units into a welcoming, thriving green space for local people.

One volunteer, recently widowed and retired, stepped forward to help the group fundraise. With no previous experience of fundraising or governance, she soon found herself not only leading fundraising efforts but also invited by the council to become a trustee.

She heard about Funding for All’s mentoring programme through the Swale CVS newsletter and applied in January 2022. To support the scale of the project, she was paired with two specialist mentors: one focusing on Grants, Trusts and Community Fundraising, and another on Corporate Fundraising.

Building skills and confidence

In her first months, she took part in four of Funding for All’s fundraising webinars – covering topics including Gift Aid, Social Media Fundraising, and Community Fundraising – all areas she was completely new to.

This training quickly transformed her approach:

• Social Media Fundraising: Her improved online presence caught the attention of Visit Swale and Visit Kent, who now signpost visitors to the park.
• Community Fundraising: After learning about BOPP QR codes during this webinar, she introduced them across the park. Visitors now donate via QR codes both on-site and online.
• Gift Aid: She registered the organisation for Gift Aid for the first time and began collecting declarations for donations and donated goods, enabling the group to use both Gift Aid and the Small Donations Scheme (GASDS)

Support from her mentors

Her mentors spoke warmly about her commitment to learning:

“The Funding for All mentoring programme works at its best when you have a mentee who is engaged, ambitious for her cause, and open to embrace social media tech.”

Another mentor shared:

“She’s definitely going great guns, developing warm relationships with potential sponsors in her locality.”

For the mentee, the programme has been nothing short of transformational. She described Funding for All’s support as “lifechanging” and for the first time she feels confident that she is going to be able to make a difference for the park.

A remarkable fundraising achievement

With an initial target of £48,000, the organisation has now raised £90,000, almost doubling their goal!

Funding has come from:

• Grants and trusts
• Community fundraising
• Online and on-site donations
• Gift Aid
• Corporate donations

She credits her mentors with helping her shape successful grant applications, and reflected:

“There are many organisations that could benefit from Funding for All support to raise funds.”

Inspired by this story? Your organisation could achieve more with the right support behind you.
Discover how our Mentoring Programme for Kent & Medway’s voluntary sector can help develop your fundraising and make an even bigger.