Author: aspirenn

Thurs 27th February, 2pm-3pm – The Ron Manning Day Centre, Higham Ferrers.

Thurs 27th February, 7pm-8pm – online

About These Sessions

Gain practical advice on:

• Preparing a fundraising strategy
• The importance of having a tailor-made approach depending on what or who you’re going to approach for funds.
• A skills checklist to ensure that your strategy will be more effective.
• The Do’s and Don’ts of carrying out a fundraising plan.
• How to set fundraising targets.

This is the ideal starting point in how to plan your fundraising, especially if you have not done any fundraising in the past, or would like to refresh your approach.

About the Presenter: Jimmy James BSocSc FCMI

Jimmy James is Principal of Minerva Fundraising Consultancy, which he set up in 1997. He has over 20 years experience as a successful fundraiser working with charities and not-for-profit organisations. Jimmy James is a Trustee of Serve.

He is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising and holds its Diploma in Fundraising. In 2004 he became one of the first people in the UK to pass the Certified Fundraising Executive examination with CFRE International. Jimmy has held a number of non-executive directorships in both the public and private sectors and will be providing an insight into how a professional fundraiser plans a strategy to attract funding for capital and revenue projects alike.

In Person – 18th March – 10am-12pm – Kettering Business Exchange.

Online – 18th March – 7pm-8pm

Thinking Like a Business –  E is for Enterprise: How VCSE organisations can become more entrepreneurial and financially resilient.

Would you like to reduce your dependency on grant funding? Do you have ideas for earning income whilst creating good social or environment impacts?

Whether you are a charity looking to get more business-savvy, an established social enterprise needing tips for growth or a newbie looking for a way to give your social or environmental campaign plans some financial resilience, this workshop is for you!

These sessions will enable local VCSE organisations to identify and make use of the entrepreneurial opportunities that will help them become more resilient and less dependent on traditional grant funding.

The workshops will be delivered both online and in person by Alison Holland, Chair of the North Northants Social Enterprise (NNSE) network and Sarah Damani, NNSE Network Coordinator. They will provide practical tips and activities to support your transition to more sustainable income sources including developing a ‘business plan on a page’ and identifying further resources and access to support.

In person event:

Length of workshop: 2 hours (including 30 mins welcome/network/connect activity) then 1 hour mix of presentation and activities, finishing with up to 30 mins optional additional networking. Location – The Business Exchange, Kettering

On line event:

Length of workshop: 1 hour.

Alison Holland has over 20 years experience running Brightwayz, an award-winning local social enterprise which promotes sustainable and active travel. Alison is Chair of the North Northants Social Enterprise network (NNSE) which she founded in 2020 and is a management partner of Aspire NN.

She strongly believes in ‘business for good’ and recognises the need for more community organisations and charities to be supported so they can become more commercially astute and resilient.

Sarah runs a franchise for Alchemy Virtual Assistants and manages the administration support provided to the North Northants Social Enterprise network/NNSE. She runs the free NNSE one-to-one regular funding advice sessions to support local organisations with their funding applications.

Sarah is also an SFEDI-accredited business advisor with extensive experience in guiding small to medium-sized enterprises across the South East Midlands through the process of identifying, accessing and successfully applying for grant funding. Her proven track record in helping businesses to grow and scale has made her a trusted resource for organisations seeking practical support and insight. . She now runs a franchise for Alchemy Virtual Assistance and manages the administration support provided to the North Northants Social Enterprise network/NNSE. She runs the free NNSE one-to-one regular funding advice sessions to support local organisations with their funding applications.

5th March 2025 – 11am – 12pm – Online – with Sean Silver

Groundwork UK administer the Tesco Stronger Starts on behalf of Tesco. It’s possibly one of the most accessible funding programmes. The programme fronts up as focussed on Schools, but applications are welcomed from any Not-for-Profit organisation/group, including Schools, Nurseries, Colleges, Clubs & Societies, Charities, Community Groups, Sports Clubs, Social Enterprises, Parish Town and County Councils, Health providers! This session will introduce the Funding programme and take you through making a successful application.

About the Presenter: Sean Silver

Sean is Volunteer Development Manager at Groundwork Northamptonshire, and has been working, supporting and volunteering in the VCSE sector in Northamptonshire for more than 35 years.

Thurs 13th March – In Person 10am -12pm

Thurs 13th March – Online 7pm – 8pm

The Implications of Artificial Intelligence for Fundraising

ChatGPT only launched in Nov 22 and now has over 180 million users worldwide – an example of the explosive rise of artificial intelligence (AI).  Just think of it, an ‘auto complete’ function, but an ‘auto complete’ function that is capable of passing university-level and professional exams.  Very soon, every charity will be using it in areas as diverse as service provision, fundraising and governance. Even if they don’t, the very widespread use of AI in systems that impact their work will.  Whether we like it or not, even with concern over the speed of its growth and influence, AI is here to stay and will fundamentally change the charity sector. Sooner than you think.

While larger charities have already begun to embrace this technology, it’s likely the greatest impact is going to be on smaller charities . This session by Jonathan Badger will provide a simple introduction to AI, look at some of the problems and risks associated with it (i.e. ethics and governance), discuss the likely impact it will have on charities now and in the future, and provide questions to ask yourself about how your charity should respond to this extraordinary opportunity.

Sessions presented by: Jonathan Badger.

19th March – 1,30pm – 3.30pm Online

About This Session

This session is designed to provide valuable insights and practical guidance for voluntary and community sector groups and organisations looking to secure a small grant from their local parish or town council.

About the Presenter: Danny Moody

Danny Moody is the Chief Executive of the Northamptonshire County Association of Local Councils (Northants CALC), a position he has held since 2007. With over two decades of experience in local government, Danny is a seasoned expert in parish and town council administration.  

He has been a parish councillor since 2003 and has served in various roles, including committee member and council chair and is a member of various groups and organisations in the village where he lives.  His extensive knowledge and practical experience make him a sought-after speaker and trainer, particularly in areas such as leadership, governance, and community engagement.

12th March – 11am-12pm – Online

This session will introduce our funding programme and answer any questions. Our grants funding is a rolling process with a 6-week turnaround from application to decision and will be open for applications until early 2026 – all part of our Grow, Cook, Eat programme, supporting people and communities in North Northamptonshire to grow, cook and eat healthily.

Our pot of ‘Seed Funding’ is for community driven projects with a focus on growing, cooking and eating. Applicants are invited to apply for grants of up to £3,000, with all successful applicants being allocated a specialist member of the Groundwork Northamptonshire team to offer advice throughout. 

We will also hear from a Grow Cook Eat grant recipient about their project and how the funding and support has assisted them. 

Kimberley Lawson is the Operations Director at Groundwork Northamptonshire, a role she has held for 16 years. 

With a strong background in youth work and programme management, Kimberley has dedicated her career to creating sustainable communities and supporting individuals. She oversees the Grow Cook Eat project, now in its third year, which focuses on empowering people to engage with healthy, sustainable food practices. 

Kimberley’s passion for community development and making a positive impact on people’s lives is at the heart of her work, driving her commitment to fostering lasting change in Northamptonshire. 

10th March – 11am – 12pm – Online

The Clothworkers’ Foundation is a UK-wide funder that offers capital grants to not-for-profits that support communities facing disadvantage and marginalisation.

The funded projects focus on buildings, equipment, vehicles and digital infrastructure.

At this event, you’ll be able to find out more about:

•             The types of grants available

•             The application process

•             Application tips

11th March – 11am – 12pm and 7pm – 8pm – Online

An update from TNLCF on the Reaching Communities application process and a bit about our new missions. 

With Sarah Kent & Matt Cox.

4th March – 1.30om-3.30pm – Online

As the largest dedicated funder of the UK’s heritage, The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future as set out in our strategic plan, Heritage 2033.

Over the next ten years, we aim to invest £3.6billion raised for good causes by National Lottery players to bring about benefits for people, places and the natural environment.  

We help protect, transform and share the things from the past that people care about, from popular museums and historic places, our natural environment and fragile species, to the languages and cultural traditions that celebrate who we are.

We are passionate about heritage and committed to driving innovation and collaboration to make a positive difference to people’s lives today, while leaving a lasting legacy for future generations to enjoy.  .