Can you tell us a bit about your background and what attracted you to the role of Grants Administrator? Why HIWCF?
I have always had an interest in community and grassroots organisations and I have worked in various roles around this, including managing a community centre and working in the community funding team at Southern Co-Op which also have a grants programme. At Southern Co-Op we funded a lot of small groups and I found them incredibly interesting which led me to find the role at HIWCF. I really like the fact that HIWCF is geared around funding these smaller groups that make such a huge impact in their local communities. Grassroots and smaller organisations and charities do fantastic work, but they don’t always have the resources and time to fill in long National Lottery applications or similar-sized applications – they can be very daunting – I’ve seen them! Sometimes a small amount can go a long way, and a couple of thousand pounds can make a really big difference to a small group, so I’m excited to be part of that journey with those groups.
Tell us about your role, what does it entail and how much contact will you have with community groups?
As you can imagine, the role of a Grants Administrator is very varied and busy! I’ll be the person you have most contact with while applying for and enquiring about a grant and I also ensure that new grants are opened and closed, and that the website is up to date. I might also be chasing you for information if needed.
If community groups have a question, where can they find an answer?
I’m the first port of call for most community groups and you can contact me by phone (01962 798693) or email (grantsadmin@hiwcf.com), but we also have a wealth of information on our website including an FAQs page, application guidance page and a ‘top tips’ video. An exciting improvement will also be made to our website in the coming months with the addition of a helpful chatbot. We do often get calls about eligibility and we always encourage people to read the eligibility of each grant which is available on the website. In terms of keeping up to date with grants – the first place these will be published is on our website and social media. You can also sign up to our newsletter which is published every two months here.
What are you most looking forward to about your new role?
Helping those small and often over-looked community groups access funding to do amazing things!
