Meet Hannah, our new Fundraising Assistant!

3 mins read

Tuesday 19 April 2022

Tags: fundraising, funding

We can’t do the work we do without people who donate money, raise funds for us by playing our weekly lottery or take part in events like this year’s London Marathon. Charitable trusts and foundations also play an invaluable role, making a huge impact on the lives of families we support by funding the services we offer.

Our fundraising team work tirelessly to find the money we need to keep going and newest member of the team, fundraising assistant Hannah Hassouni, joined us as part of the Kickstart scheme – a government initiative to help 16-24 year olds on Universal Credit and at risk of long-term unemployment due to their circumstances.

Hannah says: “In the three months I have been at Contact I’ve learnt so much about how charities work, and the real difference grants offered by foundations and trusts make to Contact and the families it supports. I’ve also been working on Contact’s online Fledglings shop, by looking for corporate businesses who might help fund Fledglings products for special needs schools.”

Hannah pictured far right alongside other Contact staff members attending a recent event for families

Contact is committed to being an anti-racist organisation that actively strives for greater equity, diversity and inclusion for both our families and our colleagues. We understand that an individual’s circumstances can play a huge part in their ability to get a foot on the work ladder and that traditional routes through education don’t work for everyone. That’s why participating in schemes like Kickstart and securing ongoing funding for roles like Hannah’s, are vitally important to us.

Hannah’s role will be funded by Kickstart until June, when sadly the government scheme comes to an end. During her time with us Hannah has not only helped us to raise funds, she has pushed us to consider things differently, contributed to open conversations about race and how we can reach more families from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.

Hannah continues: “I am really enjoying my job. After leaving education I found it hard to find a job and I am so grateful to Contact for employing me. I feel I am thriving in this environment and truly believe I’ve found my ideal career! I’ve learnt so much from my new colleagues who are really committed to teaching me about all the different parts of the charity sector. I really hope I can continue at Contact once my Kickstart placement ends.”

Peter Beeby, CEO of Prospectus who helped us recruit Hannah to the role says “I think it’s a great way of supporting young people into work, and for me introducing young diverse talent into the charity sector.”

If you are a funder who can help us replace the support Kickstart offered please get in touch by emailing fundraising@contact.org.uk.