Meet Jenna, Corporate Fundraising Coordinator at Charlie House!
Jenna joined Charlie House in what she calls a twist of fate. Like many, the impact of the pandemic led to her losing her job at a charity and social enterprise, which forced Jenna to say goodbye to a special era of her life. However, she found herself entering a new one shortly after leaving. “I kept an eye on the Charlie House website for any opportunities,” says Jenna, “And just 3 days after I finished up in my last job one came up – it was meant to be!”
During lockdown, Jenna started her journey with Charlie House as an Admin Assistant, ensuring the team stayed organised and helping the fundraising team to implement initiatives. When an opportunity came up to be a full-time member of the fundraising team, Jenna was first to put her hand up and got the job due to her brilliant work and enthusiasm.
Now you can find her looking after all of the amazing Charlie House corporate supporters, meeting with them to speak about our work, giving them important Charlie House updates and offering them support during fundraising initiatives.
Speaking of her role within our team, Jenna says, “Every day is completely different. It’s not unusual to be attending a photo call one minute and then changing into an elf costume for Santa’s Workshop the next!”
She adds, “Typically you’ll find me meeting with our supporters, sharing the story of Charlie House, helping teams to set up their own fundraisers, sharing our news and updates, preparing for and attending events with the team - and if there’s any time left, I’ll be catching up on emails and admin.”
As with most of our team, Jenna’s role at Charlie House has been impacted during the pandemic. Jenna tells us, “I’ve missed meeting people face to face and not being immersed in events. It’s also been really hard feeling the disappointment when initiatives have had to be cancelled because of changing guidelines, but I’ve seen the team at Charlie House turn things around time and time again.”
However, with all fingers crossed, the team at Charlie House is hoping to go full steam ahead this year. At the top of Jenna’s list is Venture, which is a corporate fundraising challenge inspired by the popular TV show The Apprentice. Charlie House is delighted that this event is making a return this year after two years of cancellation due to the pandemic.
Speaking about Venture, Jenna tells us, “I’m really excited to see Venture start later this month. Venture is a corporate team challenge where teams go head-to-head to raise as much money as they possibly can for Charlie House with a starting budget of £100. Teams can be creative with this one and organise events that appeal to them. Whether it’s a social fundraiser or a physical challenge, the opportunities are endless! I really can’t wait to see the ideas our corporates come up with – especially if there’s an element of competition!”
In 2022, Jenna is also looking forward to offering her support to many challenges and fundraising initiatives hosted by our corporate supporters - and she’s hopeful that she might even get to cheer them on in person.
Jenna stresses that Charlie House corporate partners make a huge difference to families in the North East of Scotland, saying, “Partnering with a charity can be so rewarding for both the business and the employees. Seeing your efforts make a difference to the lives of the families that need us is magical, and we can’t do it without our amazing partners.”
“Being part of something incredibly special for very deserving families is at the very core of what I love about working for Charlie House,” she says.
If you and your business would like to hear about becoming a corporate partner of Charlie House or would like to get involved in Venture 2022, please get in touch with Jenna at jenna@charliehouse.org.uk.
Fun Fact: Jenna has a very arty side and used to draw and paint a lot. This crafty queen once made a dress for meeting Prince Harry – quite the name drop! Now, how do we get him on board at Charlie House?
