Chris Phillips
I am delighted to be writing this article as the newly appointed Director of the Behçet’s Syndrome Society. I consider it both a privilege and a challenge to be the first full-time member of staff, joining you at what will in the future, I’m sure, be viewed as a crucial time in the organisation’s history.
Experience in the field
I began my career in the voluntary sector more than 25 years ago, motivated by my two children Alexandra and Christian (now adults) having been born with partial hearing. My first voluntary role was as a general fundraiser for the Sunshine Fund for Blind Babies and Young People (RNIB), and I found my previous engineering sales skills well used at a time when professional fundraising was just becoming established.
I then moved to Barnardo’s, the child care charity, and this led to 5 years’ experience learning the administration skills of this large organisation, in both rural and city venues. Having moved with Barnardo’s to South Wales, I then went on to help establish the first satellite office for the Guide Dogs for the Blind in Cardiff.
As I was born and raised in South London, the opportunity to return there to work with Help the Aged to develop their Community Projects team could not be missed. This team was later to develop into a field team of 32 people, and my management responsibilities encompassed many countrywide projects with targets of up to £1 million. I was also privileged to manage the Special Events team, working with the then patron Princess Diana at amazing glitzy events at glamorous venues in London.
Tutoring and consulting
My experience as a voluntary sector manager has been well used by the Institute of Fundraising. Some years ago, I was invited to be a tutor for the now well established Foundation Course in Fundraising during its early development. I have also tutored many in-house courses on many aspects of business planning, personal development, fundraising and presentation skills.
More recently, I have been acting as a freelance consultant helping to develop both small and large voluntary sector groups. I have over the years been lucky enough to have worked with the likes of St John Ambulance, St Martin-in-the-Fields and a consortium of disability charities called the Enabling Partnership, which included Radar and Shopmobility UK.
I am actively involved as a member of several voluntary groups, invariable ending up as secretary or even treasurer. I also until recently had a volunteer role as an advisor to the Charities Aid Foundation consultancy fund, so I know how valuable volunteers’ time can be.
Other interests
My wife (Ann Marie) and I moved to Evesham in Worcestershire in 2006; she has lots of close family in the area so we are seldom short of places to visit, or indeed visitors. We have a small boat on the river Avon that we use as much as possible, when our English setter Bertie isn’t demanding yet another long country walk so that he can get as muddy as possible.
I am currently absorbing the history, background and medical aspects of the BSS, with a view to producing a business plan that will set the priorities for the next 3 to 5 years. I am looking forward to meeting as many members as I can and working with the Committee to raise the profile of Behçet’s disease and achieve the income that will enable the Society to achieve its aim of supporting all those with Behçet’s disease in every way possible.
