What people are saying

  • Leadership

  • Consultancy

  • Coaching

  • "Vanessa has been an outstanding role model and inspirational leader to so many people across the charity. Calm, wise and level-headed - an asset to any organisation she works with."

    — Sophie Martin, Head of Network Fundraising, Mind

  • "Vanessa has outstanding leadership, fundraising strategy and coaching skills. In her nine months as Interim Director of Development at Target Ovarian Cancer she led a relatively new fundraising team through a crucial transition period, enabling and empowering them to achieve the most successful fundraising year ever. This included the launch of a successful urgent major gift appeal. Vanessa is a highly professional and credible leader and a joy to work with."

    Annwen Jones, CEO, Target OVarian Cancer

  • "Vanessa is a truly fantastic coach. Her warm and generous nature means that it was really easy for me to feel able to open up to her during our sessions. Vanessa is also incredibly disciplined in making sure you are guided through the practical techniques of coaching, working through your ideas with support and encouragement. I’ve got so much from my sessions and I couldn’t recommend working with Vanessa more highly! "

    -Head of Philanthropy & Partnerships, UK Youth

  • “Vanessa is a highly skilled fundraiser and an excellent strategist. One of her great skills is to convert strategic ambition into actual delivery, something she has supported at Mind as we have grown over recent years. Above all, she’s a great person to have in a team and brings warmth and expertise to any task.”

    — Paul Farmer, CEO, Mind

  • "Vanessa's report was a literal joy to read - work steeped in such clear expertise, challenge, and recommendations. Thank you!"

    — Ndidi Okezie, CEO, UK Youth

  • "Coaching with Vanessa has not only provided me with additional skills and tools to continue to grow within my role, but also building my confidence by allowing me the time to talk and reflect on opportunities, actions and plans. Vanessa created a comfortable environment to allow me be open and transparent, finding solutions to creating tangible actions. My sessions with Vanessa have been hugely beneficial to my current role and career development."

    Director of Income, Mental Health Innovations

  • "Vanessa was part of our Senior Leadership team at YoungMinds for 10 months, as Interim Director of Income Generation. She joined us at our busiest time of year and immediately established strong relationships within YoungMinds and with our partners. Vanessa brought structure, pace and clarity for her team, empowering and developing leaders around her. She worked collaboratively across SLT and with the Board, always grounded by strong values, to keep us focused on delivering for and with young people. Vanessa is an exceptional leader and a pleasure to work with. She knows her field, knows her strengths and leads with grace, low ego and determination for the people we’re here for. Social purpose and values guide her and come through in her decision making and actions. She is also a lot of fun! I couldn’t recommend her more highly."

    Laura Bunt, CEO, YoungMinds

  • "Vanessa was a pleasure to work with and delivered excellent work. She took time to understand the organisation and the team, worked hard to pull together a comprehensive strategy and plan and never shied away from difficult conversations. She is an experienced fundraiser and strategic leader and was able to navigate working with our Board and SLT as well as ensuring buy in and support from the wider fundraising team."

    Lindsay Marsden, Director of External Relations, UK Youth

  • "Vanessa is an outstanding coach – constructive and challenging while being warm and easy to talk to. She helped me understand exactly what I wanted to get from coaching and facilitated our time so skilfully that I found myself, multiple times each session, arriving through organic discussion at realisations or an understanding I’d not reached before. I have done lots of reading, thinking and training on things like strengths, weaknesses and leadership styles – working with Vanessa was like seeing these things on a 4k tv and truly understanding my own weaknesses, strengths and style for the first time."

    Deputy Director of Communications, Ministry of Justice