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13 December 2013, 10:19

Caron Bradshaw reflects on CFG's year with Christmas cheer

It has suddenly hit me that 2013 is nearly over. I cannot believe how quickly the year has gone! Well, they do say that time flies when you’re having fun. ...

It has suddenly hit me that 2013 is nearly over. I cannot believe how quickly the year has gone! Well, they do say that time flies when you’re having fun. I am taking this time of year as my one opportunity to look a little inwardly and indulgently at the past year – and a lot of things have been happening for us... To start with, we embraced a new vision and purpose: ‘inspiring 
the development of a financially confident, dynamic and trustworthy charity sector’. I believe this is the final piece in the jigsaw in terms
of articulating what CFG is, our role in the sector, and our reason for being. We’ve grown our profile and presence in the discussions about how charities should be shaped and led, and not just about how they can secure financial compliance, but we’ve simultaneously done a significant amount to reach out to and develop our engagement with smaller charities, both directly and in partnership with others. This spring, we awarded to Hilary Seaward the first Adrian Randall Prize for Inspiring Financial Leadership, for her innovative idea
about how to make financial information more accessible to the
board members of any sized charity. We will watch this idea maturing and developing with great interest. More recently, together with Cass Business School and corporate supporter Sayer Vincent, we launched an exciting new programme for financial leaders, and it was so popular that we immediately began planning for a second round. As if all of these changes in what we do and the services we offer weren’t enough, there’s also been a lot of structural change, both
literal and metaphorical. We’ve been a busy team of elves, packing boxes and wrapping computer equipment prior to our recent relocation to Angel, Islington, in London. Finally, with the appointment of our three new directors, I hope that before the year is out we will be well on the way to embedding our restructure; a decision which I believe will take CFG to the next level. So, an exciting, jam-packed year for CFG’s team! As we approach the Christmas period, it’s a great time to reflect: to celebrate the successes, to understand and learn from the challenges, and to look hopefully and ambitiously at the year to come. I am continually astounded by the team’s passion for what we do, their genuine care for the sector we serve, and their belief in CFG. Whether you’re a corporate supporter, a member, or any other stakeholder, we are always keen to serve. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has been involved with us during 2013, and I am excited to work further with you in 2014. « Back to all blog posts