My Week: Insights from a Finance Director at Vinspired

The Finance Director is Thinking on His Feet

Monday: I attended a brainstorming session with colleagues and Vinspired’s Youth Advisory Board—12 young volunteers who are integral to our decision-making process. Today, we’re exploring innovative ways to frame “asks” within our fundraising strategy. With a million young people unemployed and government funding for youth volunteering significantly reduced, private sector fundraising is becoming crucial. We are running programs funded by OCS, DfE, Coca Cola, and BP, but diversifying our income sources remains a priority.

Tuesday: My role encompasses both IT and finance, and today involved switching a few phone extensions. Minor glitches arose, like the phone system being slightly out of sync with Greenwich Mean Time. What seemed like a “five-minute job” stretched longer, and I was keen to resolve it before Remembrance Day to ensure we observe the minute’s silence accurately.

Wednesday: As a guest of our auditors, Crowe Clark Whitehill, I attended the CFDG’s Annual Fundraising Dinner. This year, CFDG Chief Executive Caron Bradshaw infused the event with fun, featuring a live band and Couch Impro, an improvisation group I perform with. We executed a thirty-minute set, shorter than our Edinburgh Fringe show, entirely based on audience suggestions. Following Nick Hurd’s speech, I was introduced as Britain’s Funniest Accountant—a title I earned years ago. No pressure!

Thursday: At the “An Enterprising Future” conference, the opening plenary speakers were engaging and enthusiastic. An afternoon session sparked a lively debate about why some government departments accept commercial profits but hesitate to allow organizations to make a surplus to fund their activities.

Friday: I focused on revising costings for TeamV, a program we are running with the Rank Foundation, CAF, and NIACE. Many colleagues were off-site, inducting the new intake of Young Leaders, who will conduct a series of activations over the next year. Their first activation is supported by a compelling short film on Food Poverty. I received a call from the auditors, thrilled by Couch Impro’s performance and our humorous reference to last-minute accounting changes.

Explore more about The week that was or Recognising the inspiring contribution of young volunteers on Vinspired.