Becca Gregory came to Blythe House Hospicecare in May 2018 as the fundraising and events co-ordinator, working to establish and organise mass participation events that have become popular dates in the hospice’s calendar including the Jingle Bell Jog and Glow Twilight Walk.
Becca – who holds a first-class honours degree in events management with tourism from Sheffield Hallam University – had previously worked in hospitality for seven years, organising weddings and corporate events.
Now, Becca, who lives in Buxton, is the fundraising manager at the hospice, and is responsible for overseeing the whole team including colleagues in events, community and corporate fundraising, as well as legacy and regular giving.
Becca explains: ‘I was familiar with the work of Blythe House as I live locally and knew of people that had benefitted from the services. I was made aware of the job vacancy back in 2018 by one of my Mum’s close friends who is a healthcare assistant in the Hospice at Home team. Having worked in the private sector for my whole career, the opportunity to work for a local charity that was so well regarded in my community, and with events management being a huge passion of mine, I was excited to apply.
‘I started in my current role as fundraising manager in October 2021. This role is very different to that of events fundraiser, but there are also a lot of transferable skills. All members of the fundraising team are very passionate about their individual roles and it is a pleasure working with them to grow the income for the charity. The fundraising streams are varied and the office is always busy; plus we have support from some wonderful volunteers which we are extremely grateful for.
‘The hospice is a hugely rewarding place to work. Being able to see the difference that donations and fundraising makes to the support and care available to local people will always motivate and inspire me. Fundraising relies on support from both inside and outside of the organisation, and I feel very fortunate to be surrounded by fantastic colleagues, volunteers and donors who see the value of their support to the charity.
‘Every season is different in fundraising and there are so many events and campaigns that I love to be involved with throughout the year. I am very excited to see our community and corporate fundraising teams grow the Blythe House and Helen’s Trust Christmas Treecycle in January 2023; to help to continue to evolve our fundraising events, and to work with other hospice departments to highlight the value of in-memory and legacy giving to this local charity.
‘Outside of work, I have two young children who keep me very busy in my spare time. They love to hear about Blythe Bear and what they have been up to when out and about! I do also love keeping fit and enjoy starting my day with a 6am gym class.’
