Exploring the partnership between TEF mentee Jordan Anderton and his mentor Lucy Squance.
Jordan’s dedication to fundraising and passion for CLIC Sargent shone through immediately in his application to TEF. We were excited to have him on board as a mentee and paired him with Lucy – an equally passionate force for good in the sector with impressive experience to share. One year on and one job promotion later, we ask the pair to reflect on how the partnership works for them.
Jordan Anderton, Fundraising Manager at Clic Sargent
At 15 years old and after his own cancer diagnosis, Jordan began fundraising for Teenage Cancer Trust. After volunteering for numerous charities, he decided that fundraising was the career for him. He now works for the incredible CLIC Sargent where every day is different, every day is rewarding and every day he makes a difference.
Why did you apply to join the TEF programme?
My ambition is to grow and develop within the third sector. What the foundation was offering was fantastic in terms of taking me to the next level of my career. Plus it came at the perfect time for me. I’ve been working for Clic Sargent for a couple of years now, I have my feet under the table and am now ready to push forward. This was the perfect opportunity to gain the experience of people who are higher up on the ladder.
Tell us a bit about your mentor and how you connect.
Lucy and I talk every month. One month we’ll talk over the phone and the next month we’ll meet in person. She’s an honest person who’s easy to talk to and she’s been really open about her own career – this is great because it means I can soak up some of her knowledge. I often compare my experiences with Lucy’s and observe how she has dealt with certain situations. I wanted to know how she got to where she is and what I need to do to get to where I want to be.
Since meeting Lucy, what is the main thing you’ve learned? How is this making a difference to you and your charity?
A lot of what Lucy says is about confidence and making the most of opportunities. It’s nice to have someone cheering you on and encouraging you to take opportunities. For example, we’re currently in the running for charity of the year and that’s all because I saw something on Twitter and had the confidence to go for it.
How would you describe Lucy’s approach to mentoring?
Lucy’s very open about where I need to improve which is really helpful. Her approach is also very structured which means there is a constant flow of planning what we’re going to go through in a meeting and then evaluating and debriefing for the following meeting. As a result, I have taken a more structured approach to my own work and am becoming far more efficient.
Lucy Squance,
Director of Supporter-led Fundraising at Alzheimer’s Research UK
Lucy has been fundraising since joining Cancer Research UK in 2004. Her impressive career has seen her consulting for THINK and as Head of Fundraising for both Sue Ryder and Action for Hearing Loss. She now works for Alzheimer’s Research UK where she’s passionate about people development and sharing skills.
Why did you want to become a mentor for TEF?
Quite simply because I am passionate about people. I enjoy sharing my knowledge and experience to benefit others. If I can help somebody else in a small way to raise more money for an important cause, then that’s hugely fulfilling. Could you tell us a bit about Jordan and how the partnership is working?
When I first met Jordan his passion was contagious. I was moved by his own cancer journey and first-hand experience as a CLIC service user. He had a powerful story to tell as a fundraiser but is now keen to improve his learning and move into a leadership role. Jordan and I spoke about his learning objectives and what he wanted to get from the mentoring. We clicked straight away and agreed to meet bi-monthly in London and have calls in between. Each session had key themes that Jordan wanted to explore or current work challenges aligned to his objectives. What difference have you noticed in Jordan since mentoring started?
Throughout the year Jordan has grown in confidence. His questions and challenges changed from specific role-based to more strategic thinking that would impact the wider team and business. During this time, he covered his manager’s role while she was away, mentored another fundraiser and was promoted to an advanced practitioner. I also spoke to Tori, his manager at CLIC Sargent who said she’d noticed Jordan’s knowledge of fundraising and confidence increase over the past year which she was sure is largely due to the mentoring.
What do you get from being a mentor?
Being a mentor is hugely fulfilling and rewarding. To see someone grow in confidence and ability is incredible. To witness Jordan’s thinking change and to see the impact that this has had on his team, his department, his charity and his supporters is the icing on the cake.
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