You’d be forgiven for likening operations manager Stuart as the ‘caretaker’ of the business, since he’s the ever present go-to for pretty much anything really. Reliable and steady, Stuart imparts a feeling of calm in the most stressful of situations. His fair, methodical approach has won the hearts and popularity of the entire office and fundraising team here at Charity Link. If that wasn’t enough, Stuart comes complete with sidekick Lenny, his ever present and ridiculously cute dog. As well as finding solutions to the most random and wide ranging problems, Stuart brings a homeliness to the office which makes everyone feel that bit happier about coming to work. We hope you’ll enjoy our interview with him (and Lenny), fresh from a holiday in the Scottish Highlands.

Tell us a bit about your background Stuart?

So I’m originally from Falkirk in Scotland, which is a town between Glasgow and Edinburgh. Then as a child I spent 3 years in South Africa.

In 1990, my parents split up I moved down to England with my mum, where we spend the next few years moving around a lot. I’ve lived in Derby, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and then finally to Reading! It was pretty hard moving around a lot, but it also meant I learned some key skills which I still use both at work and at home.

For a start, I became pretty good at making new friends fast because I was basically always the new kid! I became really used to starting afresh and working my way up from the bottom.

In total I went to 11 different schools so getting along with people became a must. I had to be quick to adapt to new situations and surroundings which meant I had to focus and grasp new things quickly.

These skills have definitely helped in my working life. After college I felt ready to get going into the world and it was around then that I realised the skills I’d picked up growing up could be applied to work too.

I’ve always been the type of person who doesn’t fluster easily and I’m told a lot that I’m a calming energy. I generally like to be reliable and steady and I’m decisive without being rash. I think for those reasons people tend to look to me for support and guidance.

I find they listen to what I have to say which feels good because I like to help.

In my personal life I’ve been married to my wife Hayley for 17 years which has flown by and seems like several lifetimes worth!

We have 3 children together – 15 year old Olivia, 12 year old Finlay and our youngest boy Archie who’s 8. We also have our fur baby Lenny who is my right hand man at work and everyone seems to love seeing more than me!

They’re great kids but they definitely keep us on our toes! Archie is severely autistic which comes with plenty of daily challenges, including a love of climbing and breaking stuff. He literally has no fear which means we’re on constant watch!

We try to take it in our stride but my wife is amazing how she manages everything at home while I’m at work. Sometimes it definitely feels like I get the easier deal!

When we were first wed we moved to Scotland where we lived for a while until Hayley’s mum was diagnosed with Breast Cancer and she lost her grandparents all within 3 months of having our first baby. So we relocated back to Reading in 2009 so she could be closer to family.

For my ‘me-time’ I really enjoy a game of darts – I actually joined a Polish darts team which I go to every Tuesday and I can’t believe it but we actually won the league! I didn’t lose a single game until the last one of the season! I don’t know why but I just seem to have a knack for it!

I’m also a fan of a golf and love a game of that when I can... Then I’m a big football fan too – a Celtic supporter through and through!

In the past I’ve managed quite a few different football teams – I used to really enjoy working with the Grimsby Town youth development and Boston football Academy working with the youngsters - I even got paid for it! That would have been my first love for a career to be honest, I had such a great time doing that.  

Tell us about your role at Charity Link?   

I’m the Operations Manager and that basically means I wear many hats!

It’s a really hands on role which means I’m largely office based but I like it that way - work can definitely feel easier than home some days!

Every day at Charity Link brings new challenges to overcome – whether that’s finding new hotels to partner with for our fundraisers, managing new stock requests, installing new phone systems, helping with any head office events, sorting supplies and cleaning companies for the office or organising new vans for our van masters.

Generally I’m also there to react to the fundraisers and head office staff when they need anything supply or office based.

What’s your favourite part of the job?

My favourite part of the job is prepping the new fundraisers that are just starting out.

We provide daily support for all the fundraisers, but with the newcomers it’s our job to sort out their entire kit, which includes everything from their uniform to the tablet, ID badges and the campaign collateral.

I think it’s because we get to see them right at the beginning of their Charity Link journey and it feels good to be able to offer that calm support. I also like to try and spot who’s going to do well and watch their progress as the move into the role of professional fundraiser.  

What’s the hardest part of the job?

Things go wrong sometimes no matter how much thought and preparation you’ve put into it. That’s just how it is sometimes, but it never gets easier.  

I absolutely hate letting people down, especially when I completely understand their frustration.

At the end of the day I’m almost always able to find solutions and work arounds (which actually I enjoy) – but sometimes there’s just nothing you can do except sympathise and try to learn for the next time.

How do you overcome difficult days?

I always try to think

“What can I do here to make a difference?”

That’s like my mantra. I’ll often step back and take 5 minutes out to clear my head – just a small walk around or take a coffee.

This breathing space makes all the difference to me. It’s like my buffer that helps me prioritise and stops me from making any rash decisions!

What 3 qualities do you think a charity fundraiser needs to have to do the job well?

There is no doubt about it – fundraising jobs are a tough gig! I’m going to say for the qualities of a fundraiser you definitely need:

Resolute

Fundraisers have make a firm decision that they’re doing the job no matter what. Being a fundraiser and doing it well is never a half-hearted commitment – you have to give it your all, every day.

Resilient

There will be days where it will be raining, fundraisers land a venue where the footfall isn’t great, or there’s going to be days where nobody answers their door… Fundraisers have to understand that they might need to have 100 conversations just to get 99 no’s!

That can be pretty demoralising so it’s important that fundraisers deal with the no’s well. On the other hand they should celebrate the yes’s they get as a massive deal – because it really is a great achievement!

Socially intelligent

By that I mean having a good understanding of people – how you’re going to pitch to different people on different days.

Fundraising means being creative with the script and the approach. A good fundraiser knows to figure out what works and how to engage quickly with a potential donor. It’s a lot of trial and error.  

Being socially intelligent also means to be quick thinking. Successful fundraisers think on their feet and work off whatever scenario is in front of them to engage a person as positively and quickly as possible.

That could mean anything from commenting about someone having a cup of tea in their hand to remarking about a barking dog! It’s literally using any material they have in front of them to create conversation and ignite a spark of connection.

Read ‘Fundraising jobs – it’s not something you do, it’s who you are’

Describe the most frequently asked question you get in your job?

Oh that’s easy – it’s always ‘Can you help me?’ !

Head office can be anything from needing envelopes to fixing the coffee machine… Then fundraisers need all kinds of help too from new uniform to badge printing to a broken down van!

It’s almost like parenting except it’s for over 200 adults!

What’s your overall motivation for getting your job done each day?  

I find it really satisfying just helping people.

When I can get my job done well, it means others can do theirs well. And that’s it really – I love being in a role that feels like I’m making others’ lives that bit easier.

The overall theme of what we do here at Charity Link is another driver for me. I like that we’re all cogs turning the wheels towards the same end goal – which is to help our charities who go on to  help the people and animals that they do. 

If you could choose a new charity for us to fundraise for, which would you choose?

I would have to go with what I’m living with every day and support and Autism charity like the National Autism Society - Not just because they do amazing work at helping raise awareness and giving parents and carers the essential info they need, but because they’re making new discoveries and researching better treatments than ever.

If not that, then a bowel cancer charity like Bowel Cancer UK. I lost my best friend to bowel cancer within a year of him being diagnosed. He was 47 and left 2 young kids behind which is just terrible. We became the best of friends after watching a Celtic match in the champion’s league years ago in the pub. We were both Scottish, both supported Celtic and had both settled in Reading – it was a match made in heaven and I miss him a lot. So in honour of him, that would be my other choice. 

What’s your best memory of working with Charity Link?

Well, I’ve only been at Charity link since November 2021 so there’s not been masses of time to create memories! But I’d have to say a stand out for me was our Jubilee celebration in June. The whole head office team were able to enjoy the sunshine for a couple of hours with a glass of Pimms and lemonade, some great food and some fun games.

I thought it was a really feel good afternoon and everyone had a lot of fun – many of them only meeting in person for the first time since we’ve all been working from home so much.

Otherwise my team are great – although it has already changed thanks to people moving into other departments or moving on. Ashleigh, Matt and Millie are all great assets to the company and I enjoy working with them a lot.

What do you love most about working for Charity Link?

There are a LOT of good things about working here but I’d say it’s the scope of the job and the fact that everyone is just so nice!

Even when things are tough, there’s never any division – there’s no back stabbing or bad mouthing – everyone seems to be on the same side and we’re all happy to help each other out.

I also like how there’s plenty of scope for development and growth in your career if that’s your driver.

Basically it’s all positive vibes at Charity Link and I really like that.

We do things as a team and everyone is always happy to help. I even get to bring my dog Lenny to work! Although I have to say, I think people have forgotten about me because they only ever ask after Lenny these days!

Thanks to Stuart for fitting us in to your busy day! We hope you’ve enjoyed reading a bit more about our Operations manager.

If you’re interested in a career as a professional fundraiser, you’ll find a job that’s rewarding and challenging in equal measure. Our support network extends throughout the whole company with excellent fundraiser training and mentoring programme.