Launching the lovely Launchpad Reading
An insightful discussion with the head of marketing & fundraising Kirsti Wilson on the charity’s holistic & expansive impact:
- how Kirsti came to work at the charity;
- history of the charity and its 3 core aims of: i) preventing homelessness, ii) providing homes and iii) rebuilding lives;
- opening Reading’s first work & life skills centre;
- the issue of hidden homelessness;
- the importance of fundraising;
- how the charity was able to provide its full suite of charitable services with no break during lock-down;
- planning celebrity quiz events & Reading’s yearly pancake race;
- helping those with no recourse to public funds;
- exciting future projects;
- celebrating Launchpad Reading’s Harry Potter wizarding wands launch event on the 30th March 2022 & their 23rd April 2022 Audax tribute ride https://launchpadreading.org.uk/get-involved/our-events/tribute-audax-cycle-ride/; Smartworks Reading’s Cycle for Smart Works, with all proceeds going to help local unemployed women to get their job and transform their lives https://www.cycleforsmartworks.org.uk/teams/thames-valley-wheelies; and
- an update on the new Charities Act 2022 (https://charitycommission.blog.gov.uk/2022/02/25/charities-bill-the-next-steps/).
Speaker bio:
Kirsti is currently the Head of Marketing and Fundraising for Reading’s leading homeless prevention charity, Launchpad, and a trustee of RABBLE Theatre. In 2019, she was nominated for a Pride of Reading community Champion award for her work running the charity ‘Connect Reading’. In the past, she has worked for the University of Reading and within the IT sector.
