Institute of Fundraising Awards recognises fundraiser behind furlough support group

Howard Lake | 4 January 2021 | News

• Tagged with:
• Awards
• Chartered Institute of Fundraising
• COVID-19
• furlough

The fundraiser who created the popular ‘Furloughed Fundraisers’ Facebook group was awarded the Special Contribution Award at the Chartered Institute of Fundraising Chilterns Awards in December.
Nikki Wrench set up the Facebook group at the start of the pandemic to provide support to the fundraisers who suddenly found themselves on furlough. Members of the group have had access to training and resources to help keep them motivated and educated while not working. The group now has over 2,000 members. 
“When I found out that my role was being furloughed, I went through a whole host of emotions,” Nikki told UK Fundraising. “I was upset, I was angry, I felt undervalued and like all of the work, time, effort and passion that I’d put in during my employment had meant nothing.
“I knew that if I was feeling like this, then many more people would be too, so I decided to set up a Facebook group for Furloughed Fundraisers; a safe place for people to chat about how they were feeling and, maybe, swap their skills so that they could volunteer for another charity who may possibly need the support.” 
SEE ALSO: Sailing through the fog of furlough together: the story of the Furloughed Fundraisers Chat group (16 October 2020)

The Awards also recognised the success of other regional fundraisers, including: 

• Young Fundraiser of the Year: Henry Letts on behalf of Pace Child and Family Therapy Services
• Rising Star: Kirsty Wood, Philanthropy Officer at Child Bereavement UK
• Fundraiser in the Community: Peter and Ellie Marland on behalf of Helen & Douglas House
• Fundraising Team of the Year: Homestart Hertfordshire (income under £500k) and Child Bereavement UK (income over £500k)
• Fundraiser of the Year: Nathan Swift, Regional Community Fundraiser, Ronald MacDonald House Charities. 

The Chartered Institute of Fundraising Chilterns said on its website:
“After a difficult year for so many, it was wonderful to come together (albeit virtually) to applaud the fantastic fundraisers living and working in the Chilterns who make the world a better place.”

About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale. He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.