The team at Rockinghorse may be small but our achievements are anything but.
You may well know that Rockinghorse Children’s Charity has been around since 1967, making a difference to the lives of literally thousands of children throughout Sussex every year.
But what you may not know is that we achieve all this with a really small team, currently there are just seven of us, and what we lack in size we more than make up for in determination and hard work!
So, we thought you might like to meet the team, find out what our role is within the charity and what we love about our jobs. So, going clockwise from the bottom right of the above picture, we’ll start with Amanda:
Amanda Hetherington – Fundraising Manager
“Amongst other things I look after the fundraising for schools and the local community. This means I get to help people organise their own charity events across Sussex and I’m regularly out and about helping to raise the profile of Rockinghorse.
“I love working here because it gives me the opportunity to build up great relationships with our local community in Sussex. I also love being part of an organisation that makes a real difference to sick babies and young people.”
Janella Merritt – Head of Fundraising
“My role involves working with our corporate supporters to see how we can link with them to help raise money. I spend lots of my time talking to local Sussex businesses, big or small, to spread the word about the difference their support can make to such a small charity.
“My favourite part of the job is meeting so many people and letting them know all the wonderful work that’s happening right on their doorstep. Often, they are amazed at what such a small team has achieved which makes it something I’m proud to be a part of.”
Rhian Walsh – Finance and Operations Director
“As the person in charge of the financial side of the charity I am responsible for everything to do with money coming in and going out along with keeping track of all our donations and organising the yearly accounts.
“Rockinghorse is a great place to work because we get to see directly where the fundraising income generated goes and the impact it has on so many lives. We have such wonderful and loyal supporters and volunteers as well as a talented and passionate team who make coming to work a joy.
Alex Marshall – PR and Communications Manager
“My job is to be the voice of the charity, letting the local community know what we do and how they can help support us. This involves regularly updating our website, sending news out to local newspapers, radio and TV and updating our social media channels every day.
“Working for such a small, but incredibly well-loved organisation is fantastic as I get to share such great news about how we make such a difference to children and their families.”
Lucy Pond – Challenge Fundraising Manager
“We have some wonderful supporters who take on amazing challenges to raise money for us and it’s my job to support them every step of the way. Whether they’re abseiling from the i360, running the London marathon or walking the South Downs Way dragging a tyre behind them, I help them set up their fundraising and offer any other support they might need on their journey, including cheering them on, on race day!
“I also run Aidan’s Christmas Dinner project for the charity which provides hampers and Christmas dinners to families spending time in hospital with their children over the festive period.
“I really love helping people achieve their fundraising and physical goals. It’s great to meet our supporters and build relationships with them. I love listening to their individual stories and motivations to take on often gruelling physical challenges to fundraise for Rockinghorse.
Sarah Phillips – Office Manager and Funding Liaison
“With such a small team it’s really important that the day to day running of the office goes smoothly. Along with being the office manager I also look after our individual donors and manage our project funding processes.
“Working here is so much fun. No two days are the same and it’s wonderful to be able to make such a difference to children and their families. My favourite part of my job is going out to visit projects we’ve funded and hear directly from those who have benefitted.”
Sharon Gearing – Trusts Fundraising Manager
“I look after trust applications, legacies and in memory donations. A big part of my job is helping trusts understand the impact that our fundraising has on local children so they can really see how their support makes a difference.
“One of the things I love about working here is I get to make a positive difference to the lives of so many local children and families. Knowing we are providing equipment and support at times when people really need it is an amazing feeling. I grew up in Brighton and had regular appointments at The Alex myself, so be able to give something back is really special”.
So, hopefully this gives you a bit of an insight in to how the team works and all the different things we get involved in from day to day. And remember, none of the work we do would be possible without your ongoing support, so a big thank you from all of us to all of you!
