Navigating NHS Charity Management with Mete Redif
Meet Mete Redif!
Engagement and Communications Manager at Royal Free Charity (North Mid)
Welcome to the Locum's Nest Best Practice series, where we dive into the journeys and insights of some awesome NHS colleagues.
For our third blog of the series, we had the pleasure of chatting with Mete Redif, Engagement and Communications Manager at Royal Free Charity (North Mid).
Q. Can you tell me a bit about your role as a charity manager within the NHS?
My role as a Charitable manager is to oversee the charitable function of the NHS trust I'm working for. NHS charities work on the premise of varying objectives depending on what's been set by their governance, but it's also about going above and beyond what the NHS is able to do for its patients, staff, volunteers and communities. In a particularly smaller charity. I was a team of one, so I would manage everything from small-scale fundraising activity, donor liaison, receiving of monetary donations and gifts all the way up to working with colleagues across the trust to support projects that would impact patients and staff, R&D, and the local community.
Q. Can you walk us through a typical day?
Each day brings a different blend of responsibilities. For example, mornings kick off with a huddle with the Communications team, where we assess what’s happening in the trust and its surrounding community. This serves as our compass, shaping some of our activities based on the day's landscape. For instance, if an A&E department faces strain, we swiftly mobilise resources to ease the burden on staff in a non-operational way, as a tangible way to support those on the front lines. But our scope extends beyond that too. We're the gateway for local community initiatives, whether it's a knitting circle crafting hats for premature babies or individuals planning fundraising marathons. We sift through proposals from the local community, weighing their impact and feasibility, ensuring alignment with our charitable vision. This vetting process lays the groundwork for the Charity Steering Group's deliberations, a crucial step in greenlighting projects poised to make a difference.
A significant portion of our time is also devoted to internal collaboration. For example, colleagues seek our guidance on navigating the charity landscape, from pursuing accreditations to understanding our processes. We're the linchpin, bridging the gap between ambition and execution, ensuring that the spirit of giving thrives within our trust's walls. Working within a small NHS charity means lots of work to spread awareness within the trust itself that we are there as a charitable arm to support.
Amidst this flurry of activity, there's the constant communication i.e., crafting press releases, shaping narratives, and amplifying our message across digital platforms form the backbone of our outreach. We're also storytellers!
Our journey is marked by transformation. From a dormant bank account to a force for good, running evidence-based programmes, our charity has evolved, with a shared commitment to serve our local communities. And as our footprint expands, both within the trust and beyond, we're reminded that the true essence of our work lies in the relationships we cultivate and the impact we create.
Q. Can you tell us a bit about your journey into charity management and the NHS?
My journey into charity management at an NHS trust wasn't something I meticulously planned. For over a decade, I was teaching PE at state schools across London. But life has a funny way of nudging you towards unexpected paths. My first taste of community impact came during my time at a local school where I led efforts to upgrade facilities, starting with a much-needed AstroTurf pitch. Through fundraising campaigns and grant applications, we rallied support and secured the necessary funds, a testament to the power of community collaboration. From there, I took on other projects and It was these experiences, of rallying the community, securing funding, and witnessing impactful transformation, that ignited my passion for charity work. So when the opportunity to transition into charity management at North Mid arose, I went for it.
Transitioning from the education space to healthcare charity management was not without its challenges. I approached the role with fresh eyes, without the traditional fundraising lens. While this perspective led to innovative approaches, it also demanded a steep learning curve. Yet, this willingness to think outside the box proved invaluable in navigating the complexities of charity work.
My time at North Mid has affirmed the intrinsic connection between our staff, patients, and the broader community. Living within arm's reach of the hospital, our employees were not just colleagues but neighbours, deeply intertwined in the local community. This proximity underscores the importance of understanding and addressing the health inequalities in the region and helps inform our activities.
My journey at North Mid was marked by rapid growth and transformation, both for the charity and myself. From spearheading fundraising campaigns to facilitating community outreach, each day brought new lessons and opportunities for impact.
Reflecting on this journey, I'm reminded of the importance of adaptability and resilience in the face of change. While there's still much to learn and accomplish, I'm grateful for the opportunity to to be a catalyst for positive change in the lives of those we serve.
Q. What would you say have been your biggest challenges and what has helped you in overcoming them?
Change. Shifting perceptions and ingrained ways of working is no easy feat. When I first stepped into the role, I encountered colleagues who had been with the trust for years, so introducing different processes was met with resistance. Understandably, there were questions like, "Why change now? This is how we've always done it."
Navigating these conversations was tough. It required me to separate the resistance from the personal and recognise that their concerns stemmed from a desire to serve our patients better. It wasn't about making things difficult; it was about making them clearer, more accountable, and ultimately more effective. I’m here to help make things smoother, elevate the burden and help steward a project from idea to delivery. By establishing clearer guidelines and processes, we were able to unlock the potential for impactful projects that stretched our resources further than ever before. It was about fostering a culture of transparency and accountability, one that allowed us to scale up our efforts and make every penny count.
One powerful example of this was our approach to donor stewardship. By engaging donors and the community, sharing progress updates, and raising awareness of our charity's work, we inspired more people to get involved. It's about how you make everyone feel engaged in the process of the charity, from community members dropping off presents at Christmas for the Paediatric ward to a big donor who's been returning every year for the past 10 years. It’s a testament to the power of collaboration and community engagement.
So, while change may have been our biggest challenge, it also became our greatest opportunity for growth. By fostering a culture of collaboration and transparency, we've been able to navigate the complexities of charity management and make a meaningful impact in the lives of those we serve. And for me, that's what makes it all worthwhile.
Q. You seem to do all sorts of projects and initiatives, is there one that you remember as a highlight?
My highlight would be that we managed to fund a cell saver machine for our Obstetrics & Gynaecology division. It was the first major clinical project that the charity was able to support! This took around 12 to 14 months, to go from donor liaison to getting the machine on the ward. When we did the official unveiling, we had the donors and the entire team involved in charitable projects in any capacity come along, together with the clinical staff and team on the ward. I remember going back to my desk and thinking all these people who made this happen stood around this piece of equipment that was going to ultimately save a life and what a journey is all is and the impact it will have. It was quite empowering, especially since it required a slow process to build up and scale to such a big project.
Q. To conclude, what is your favourite part of your job?
Put simply, the impact of our projects and initiatives. For example, when you get to that endpoint of a project, and you're handing it over, seeing the item being purchased, your project being delivered or the event happening; there’s something about seeing first-hand all those hours, in impact. And that goes across all types of projects we lead. In the NHS world, I call it back shop and front shop. So, what we're doing in the back office in the back shop, is helping what we're doing in the front of the shop where staff are facing the patients.
And it has happened a few times when you kind of sit back and be like, okay, that is going to have an impact for about 10 years on hundreds and hundreds of people's lives. It’s humbling because I'm just doing my little bit in making this happen. But the impact and ripple effect of my work will be there for years to come.
Thank you very much to Mete for taking the time out to speak to us and share his journey and insights working within the world of NHS charity management.
Stay tuned for our next blog!
