Quotes from our Charities
In Brief
“From a business perspective, if you had to put a value on the help and advice we’ve been given by Pilotlight it would be hundreds of thousands of pounds.”
Mark Davis, Centre of the Cell
“From not having a fundraising strategy at all, with Pilotlight’s help we developed one which enabled us to go on and win nearly half a million pounds in funding.”
Julie Wright, Unlock
“Pilotlight has given us so much confidence ... it was a very safe environment where we could talk honestly. The level of expertise was very high and we got the help we needed to go forward in developing a social enterprise. Our Pilotlighters are brilliant and it’s a wonderful process.”
Elaine Allison, Safeguarding Children Services
“It was the first time someone not involved in the charity looked at how we worked ... they challenged us to think outside the box. We’ve now secured funding for the next three years.”
Shaminder Ubhi, Ashiana Network
“Through word of mouth we heard of Pilotlight and its excellent work around strategic business planning with another charity. On investigating more about Pilotlight it was clearly an amazing opportunity for us to gain access to senior business professionals and their strategic skills.”
Sam Anderson, The Junction, Edinburgh
“Even if someone offered me £80,000 I would still go for my team of Pilotlighters! Pilotlighters provide a superb sounding board and I can’t recommend the scheme too highly. They give you a lot of confidence and help to create a balance between operational demands and the need for strategic development.”
Celine Sinclair, The Yard
“You can spend a lot of money on management training and come out of it not really knowing how to do it. Pilotlight was management training at its best. Very practical, very focused and very helpful.”
Penny Tyack, Reading Quest
“We had the potential to move beyond an infant charity to being something more substantial and Pilotlight helped us at the right time to take the next step ... we moved much quicker with Pilotlight’s help and we are much more professional and have an edge of authority which wasn’t there before.”
Rachel Archer, Jus B
“We would not have got to the position we have without Pilotlight. They have taken us on a huge journey which has dragged us out of the twinset and pearl mentality and put us on a more business-like footing. We use a word we never even looked at before and that’s profit!.”
Jane Winstanley, CCVS
“Pilotlight has given me so much confidence ... as a charity director I now feel I can go to my trustees and say this is what we need.”
“We are more likely to get funding now because we have a decent business plan and a strategy in place. Everyone at Pilotlight is so positive and they really want it to be a success ... it’s a team effort.”
“You can’t buy this type of contribution and expertise. The Pilotlighters bring such a high level of skills – it wouldn’t be possible for me to get those skills any other way.”
Jackie Barnes, Globetown
“Pilotlight gave me the tools and space to reflect on the charity’s future and strategy ... as a director of a small charity I have to wear many different hats and I have to firefight everyday – I don’t normally have the luxury of time to reflect.”
“Pilotlight helped us become more profitable . . . they were very motivating . . . helping us to plan and prepare.”
Katy Emck, Fine Cell Work
“What it’s allowed us to do is to step back. It forces us to think about the future. If I wasn’t thinking about this now, we would be in trouble in a year’s time.”
Tamsin Larby, Tender
“We are delighted to be working with Pilotlight Cymru. The structure of the programme has enabled our Pilotlighters to develop a real understanding of our organisation very quickly, and with the depth and variety of experience within the group they are already becoming a very powerful 'critical friend', asking searching questions that both challenge and help to develop our thinking. We have been looking for this sort of input for a long time and would recommend that other groups in Wales take advantage of the great opportunity that Pilotlight is offering.”
Elwyn James, Arts Factory
