Supporting a charity in promoting their services

Safe and Sound was established in 2002, with a mission to tackle child sexual exploitation by providing one-to-one support to victims and young people at risk in Derbyshire. In 2019, the organisation expanded their services to include all forms of exploitation. This vital work ensures individuals receive the support they need to move forwards in their lives.

Developing practical skills and growing in confidence

Lucy Orme is Fundraising and Marketing Officer for Safe and Sound, helping to raise awareness of the services provided by the organisation. She decided to join the SAIL programme for personal development and is already putting what she learned to good use.

“We were taught some really practical tools that I’ve been able to implement in my day-to-day activities. The learning has helped me to think differently when I’m planning fundraising activities and I’ve used the tools to develop a fundraising review, which feeds into our operational plan for next year."

In addition to the practical skills learned during the course, Lucy has found her confidence has grown when communicating with both internal and external contacts. “The course teaches you to decide which hat to wear when going into conversations, helping you think through what the outcomes might be and what could be gained from the discussions.”

Safe and Sound is supported by a variety of different people and Lucy found the Inclusive Leadership unit particularly helpful in working with such a diverse team.

“We have a wide range of people that work for our organisation, including a number of volunteers. The course has helped me to see the importance of this diversity and helped me to identify how I can support others. I’ve realised just how beneficial relationship building is in making sure everyone is involved and I’m much more aware of the words I use when having conversations. Diversity and inclusivity are important within our fundraising campaigns too, and I’m able to ensure this is incorporated in everything we do.”

Responding to changes and peer support

The SAIL programme also helped address the uncertainty that many organisations faced. Safe and Sound is no exception to this as Lucy explains. “We are an ever-changing organisation and it’s vital that we adapt to the changing needs of the young people we serve. The course has developed my knowledge of how to respond to these changing requirements and how to respond to changes in our events activity.”

The programme is delivered online through group learning, allowing participants to share their views and learn from one another’s experiences. Lucy found this provided some valuable learning opportunities.

“It was good to hear other points of view and to find out how participants had overcome challenges so that they could progress within their career. There was a good balance between learning and group discussion with plenty of time for reflection. It felt like a really supportive learning environment, and I’d definitely recommend the programme to others wanting to develop their leadership skills.”

Find out more about how the SAIL programme impacted participants and how they experienced great success due to the practical skills they were taught.

To discuss working in partnership with us, please contact our Business Enquiry Team on +44 (0)800 001 5500 or businessgateway@derby.ac.uk