Catherine is a Midas partner and has been fundraising for 9 years.  She is an expert in networking, raising money for special projects and running capital appeals.  She has raised millions of pounds for social welfare projects and regularly devises and runs networking opportunities such as receptions and dinners. She is energetic and passionate about her appeals. She is a trust and major donor fundraiser who also raises money from the Big Lottery and Landfill Tax sources.

Her current and recent clients include: Mount Vernon Cancer Treatment and Research Appeal, Reach Out Projects (Canal Boat Experiences for people with special needs), Noah's Ark Children's Hospice, Pasque Hospice and Chellington Residential Centre (a residential centre for young people). 

‘I decided to work with Midas for a capital campaign to build a new chemotherapy research unit as they offered an ideal combination of extensive local knowledge in Hertfordshire, with an affordable pricing structure. The decision definitely paid off when we received news of a grant for over £400,000 from a trust initiated through Catherine Farrell's networking skills and contacts.’ 

Daniel Fletcher, Head of Fundraising Development, Enhance Herts.

Lesley is a Midas partner and has been fundraising for 13 years.  She is an expert in major donor work, networking, fundraising from trusts and events.  She is a lateral thinker, very strategic and is very clear thinking and speaking.  She has raised millions of pounds mainly project and revenue monies – for her arts, social welfare, health and human rights clients – and regularly contributes to the strategic development of organisations through driving forward healthy fundraising.

Lesley is a hands-on fundraiser as well as a strategist and has invaluable experience in major donor fundraising as well as in successfully approaching charitable trusts and foundations.  She particularly enjoys raising core funding for charities and over the last five years has had some considerable success in raising multi year funding for the salaries of chief executives.

She has sat on the Board of Wysing Arts Centre, a visual arts centre in Cambridgeshire, for 7 years, chairing the charity from 2003-2006 and has a keen interest in the recruitment and maintenance of strong and effective trustee boards. 

‘Lesley became involved with Breakthrough at a crucial moment in the early development of a £12m fundraising appeal.   I was seeking support around structuring the appeal and recruiting a high profile Chairman and fundraising board.  The refreshing thing about working with Lesley was that a good deal of our time was spent practically moving real-world opportunities forward rather than getting hung-up on models and theories. In my opinion, Midas provides a very reasonably priced service and Lesley is always determined to give the charity as much value-for-money out of each session as possible.’

Alastair Graham, Head of Trust & Major Donor Fundraising, Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

Fabienne Poulet

Fabienne is a Midas partner who specialises in statutory funding for UK and international projects especially from the European Commission, UK government sources and the Lottery.  She had a career in sales before becoming a freelance fundraising consultant in 1994 and has worked as a fundraiser and trainer for a range of environmental, health and overseas NGOs since then. Fabienne’s main area of expertise is statutory funding – namely grants from the UK government, the European Commission and occasionally other European governments.

In addition she has a wide-ranging knowledge of grant-making trusts and companies with an interest in international development, health and the environment. Fabienne will bring to your applications and bids great attention to detail, insight into the way statutory donors think and advanced writing skills, and will also deliver strategic and fundraising planning, project development and evaluation.  

She is a trustee of the Council for National Parks, which works to protect and promote the national parks of England and Wales. Recent and current clients include: Orbis International, City Roads, Healthprom, Ataxia UK, Plantlife International, Kith and Kids, ADD, Tourism Concern, OxHA and SolarAid.  

‘We continue to be thoroughly impressed with the inventiveness and quality of Fabienne’s work and are delighted with the fantastic results she has achieved on behalf of Kith & Kids. In an increasingly competitive funding climate, Fabienne’s expertise has been vital to help our strategic development and the diversification of our income streams, creating a more secure base for Kith & Kids’ future.’ Marjolein de Vries, Director of Kith and Kids.

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Fabienne Poulet

 

Martin Shaw

Martin is a Midas partner and has worked with Midas in various capacities since 1995. He specialises in fundraising appeals and has a particular interest in raising money from the corporate sector, events, and the Internet.  He has been a fundraising and management consultant for over twelve years, and has raised significant sums of money from sources such as the European Commission, the corporate sector and the Lottery. He has held a number of senior posts in the not for profit sector and local authorities, including General Manager of the Variety Club of Great Britain and Chief Executive of a national voluntary youth organisation for seven years.  Prior to his consultancy, Martin was a professional youth and community worker for over 25 years. He is now the Chair of Trustees of Haringey Chicken Shed - an inclusive theatre company for children and young people. He has a particular interest and considerable experience in working with faith and interfaith groups to whom he has delivered training and consultancy in recent years.  He is currently writing a book on fundraising in the faith community. Recent and current clients include: Drama Workhouse, Kith and Kids, Noah's Ark Children's Hospice, Kisharon, Toy Box, Brent Community Housing, Meadow House Hospice and the Islamic Institute of Banking and Insurance. ‘Martin Shaw has been supporting Kisharon for the past 6 years.  He oversaw the appointment of our Head of Fundraising and provided invaluable advice on the formation of a strategic fundraising plan, which was critical as our targets doubled within a 2-year period.  Martin’s management experience and vast fundraising knowledge enable him to liaise equally effectively with the Chairman of our Fundraising Team and also with the team members themselves, providing practical guidance which time and again has translated into increased income’.  David Goodman, C.E.O of Kisharon.

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Martin Shaw

David joined Midas in 1999, and specialises in capital appeals, trust fundraising and BIG Lottery bids.

He worked in the City of London before spending eight years in the Appeals Division of the NSPCC. He joined the then Community Fund in 1995 as Senior Grants Officer for the Eastern Region and was part of a team that designed the assessment process. David handled the distribution of over £100m and managed over 800 separate grants. He is an experienced capital fundraiser and is often used by charities to front building appeals.  As well as a hands-on fundraiser he is also a strategist and an experienced networker.  He is a friendly and relaxed team player who has raised millions of pounds for his clients since he joined Midas. 

David’s current clients include the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Research Foundation, the Seckford Foundation, Allergy UK, ADAPT, the Suffolk Punch Trust and St. Elizabeth’s Centre for Epilepsy. 

‘David Hanley has been working with considerable success for us for the last 6 years.  One of the keys to this productive relationship is that he cares about our work as much as we do.’ 

Graham Watson, Director/Bursar.  The Seckford Foundation

Nancy joined Midas in 2003 after working for 15 years as a fundraiser on both capital and revenue appeals for charities such as Great Ormond Street Hospital and Refuge.  She has experience of a variety of fundraising disciplines including corporate sponsorship, events and community fundraising, but now focuses mainly on major trusts and foundations, statutory funding and the Big Lottery Fund. She is a highly effective fundraiser specialising in raising multi year funding for salaries and projects.  Her writing skills and her project development are excellent and she regularly exceeds targets.

She is at her best working with unpopular causes such as domestic violence, adoption and complementary health (she is a practising aromatherapist), but she has also worked on large high profile capital appeals such as the St Joseph's Hospice Centenary Capital Appeal.  Recent and current clients have included Childlink Adoption Society, Bonny Downs Community Association and the Complementary Health Trust.   

"I know that the results of your hard work have been very much appreciated by all at Childlink.  It has raised morale and enabled us to look to the future with great confidence.... Selecting you (Nancy O'Brien) and Midas in 2005 was one of the best decisions we had made at Childlink for some time". 

 Caroline Hesslegrave, CEO at Childlink Adoption Society

Philip joined Midas in 1998 having worked in the voluntary sector for 25 years with Index on Censorship/Writers & Scholars Educational Trust and OneWorld Online. He has raised funds from trusts, companies, the European Commission, Scandinavia, USA, the National Lottery, fundraising events and by direct mail. He specialises in lottery bids, approaching charitable trusts and in drafting business plans. He has a real passion for overseas and domestic causes supporting human rights, refugees and asylum seekers. 

Recent clients include: Christian Action Housing (Enfield), Detention Advice Service, Newham Bengali Community Trust, Prisoners of Conscience Appeal Fund, Refugees Arrival Project, Music in Detention, Media Diversity Institute and The Forgiveness Project.  He is particularly effective raising core funding for small charities or unpopular causes in which he believes.   

As well as having an interest in human rights, he is an arts and culture enthusiast and is a trustee of the Stephen Spender Memorial Trust and Modern Poetry in Translation – both are about 20^th & 21^st Century literature.  He is an extremely effective bid writer and a deep thinker and will add not just capacity but also intelligence to your charity’s fundraising.

‘Philip assisted us to raise significant sums of money to ensure the continuation of the Enfield Temporary Accommodation Play project, health advice and play and development opportunities to families who are homeless and living in temporary accommodation.  Philip has a relaxed and participative style of working, taking time to get to know the project or organisation he’s working with, ensuring deadlines are met and targets achieved’.

Ian Martin, Christian Action (Enfield) Housing Association Ltd

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Philip Spender

 

Avan Wadia

 

Avan Wadia has over fifteen years experience as a senior manager in the voluntary sector and as a fundraiser, and has a particular interest in women, prisons and human rights.  She is a specialist in monitoring and evaluation, both as a practitioner and as a trainer.  This gives added value to her ability to write applications to a high standard and to understand the motivations of a range of funders.  Avan can help you to think through the aims and objectives of a project, identify outcomes and outputs and express these to a broad range of donors.  Avan has strong management skills and is a good communicator.  Her style is relaxed and professional and it enables people to feel involved and valued.  She specialises in fundraising from charitable trusts, the Big Lottery and statutory sources.  Her fundraising experience has been mainly working with small, hard to fund charities.  Recent clients include Parents for Children, Computer Aid International and Emmaus.  Avan is also a trustee of a small charity called Birth Companions, which provides birth support to pregnant women and those giving birth in Holloway prison.    ‘Avan Wadia did a fantastic job, and was both astute and honest. She was an asset to have around and was excellent at prioritising what needed to happen to get us back on the road’.   Nicola Carruthers, Thrive.

 

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Avan Wadia

 

Ian Kerr

 

Ian is Midas’s founder and now works part time as a consultant for the partnership.  He has huge experience of fundraising for over 300 charities across three decades.  He is a fundraiser who will inspire confidence, deliver big targets and pass on an amazing breadth of knowledge to his clients.  Ian has a thorough understanding of the fundraising process and is entirely cognisant with why donors give to causes.  He understands establishment networks and has specialised on how to unlock donations from the great and the good.

He is an ideas person who has raised millions for unpopular causes, capital appeals and social welfare causes.  Ian will be able to help your charity if you are looking for support to plan and execute a large capital appeal, recruit an appeal board or seek ambitious lead gifts for your work.  He also undertakes mentoring work.  He has worked with a range of homeless, human rights, overseas, animal and disability charities over thirty years, and recent work includes capital appeal mentoring for Inspire, regional fundraising with Dogs for the Disabled, and a big gift strategy for Health Unlimited. 

‘We felt the contribution you have made to act as a conduit for contacts has been incredibly useful and one which we look to replicate again in the future, for other projects.’

Catriona McPhee-Smith, Inspire

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Ian Kerr