Read Pilotlight’s latest news.
Pilotlight in the News: Deborah Xavier featured in the "My Week" column in Third Sector magazine in February. In March, the rise in executive volunteering was the focus for articles in both The FT and Philanthropy UK on Pilotlight.
Pilotlight Wales will be launching in June this year and we’re keen to hear from charities/social enterprises and businesses who would be interested in taking part. For more information, please contact Shantel Irwin at [email protected] or on 020 7242 1899.
Pilotlight is always looking for new Pilotlighters, and we recognise that a professional management qualification, such as an MBA, indicates a breadth of business education which would strengthen our membership. If you have a qualification in business, management or any other related subjects, we'd like to hear from you so we can communicate with your institution about Pilotlight. It isn't important if the work you are doing now isn't directly related to your degree, just let us know what qualification you have and where you graduated. Please email these details to Marlijn Wijkhuizen at [email protected].
Congratulations to Jackie Barnes at Globetown, a Pilotlight partner charity. Jackie has been awarded the Steve Sinnott Fellowship. This award allows 15 teachers across the country to have two days per week of their salary paid to help develop education within the community.
Good luck and congrats also to Sian Vasey, from the Ealing Centre for Independent Living (ECIL), who will be collecting her OBE from the Queen on 11th June.
Congratulations to two of Pilotlight Scotland’s partner charities: Sikh Sanjog and The Junction.
Sikh Sanjog provides a range of quality opportunities for Sikh women and their families in response to educational, cultural, social and leisure needs, recognising the potential for lifelong learning, and social and economic inclusion. It has just been announced that Sikh Sanjog have been awarded Investors in Volunteers, the smallest organisation in Scotland ever to have won this accolade.
The Junction offers access to a wide range of health related services, education and information. This project has won a GlaxoSmithKline Impact Award, which includes unrestricted funding of £25k! Additionally, Sam Anderson, Project Manager of The Junction, has gained the Bronze Award in the Voluntary Organisations' Manager of the Year category of the national YouthLink Scotland Awards. Last but not least, The Junction have also been nominated HSBC Edinburgh Charity of the Year.
Staff Updates
Pilotlight Scotland is delighted to welcome Allan Farmer as Project Manager. Allan has worked in the not-for-profit sector for a number of years, including older people’s services and employment schemes for homeless young people. Most recently Allan was involved in the acquisition of a private business by a charity, to run as a social enterprise. He brings this wealth of experience to us, as he moves back to his hometown of Edinburgh.
As you may have noticed above in News in Brief, we are excited to officially announce that Shantel Irwin will be leading up our Welsh project expansion. The London team will miss her and wish her the best for this exciting opportunity. In view of this internal staff change, Pilotlight London is pleased to welcome Marlijn Wijkhuizen to the team as Membership and Business Development Manager. Marlijn was previously at The Tree Council where she was Partnerships Manager; prior to that, she was Student Co-ordinator for the Howard League for Penal Reform. We also welcome John Raffles who’s joining Pilotlight as a part-time volunteer. Pilotlight London is John’s work placement as part of his participation in the "Working for a Charity" scheme, which trains people making the transition from business to the third sector. John was the MD of a family business until it was sold last year and has a wealth of business skills and experience to bring.