ROSEMARY GILBERT

Senior Consultant, UK

Rosemary comes to Brakeley with 10 years of fundraising experience in South Africa and London. Originally from the West Midlands, she studied both in the UK and in South Africa, whence she emigrated in 1972. She returned to live in the UK in 2001.

She first entered the charity sector as a volunteer counsellor, trainer and board member for Life Line Southern Africa, later becoming their National PR and Development Officer.   For 5 years Rosemary divided her time between fundraising for the charity’s national and regional offices, and developing and securing funding for two national telephone helplines, viz the AIDS Helpline, and the Stop Women Abuse Helpline.  In her last 7 months with Life Line she managed all the aspects of the relocation of the AIDS Helpline into a Call Centre, and secured R15 million to cover the overheads of the project for 2 years.

From 2001 to 2002 Rosemary consulted for the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa, first in South Africa and then in London. The feasibility study she carried out considered the establishment of a development office in London, which aimed to foster relationships with and raise major gifts from Wits Alumni living and working in the United Kingdom.

In 2002 over a 9-month period, she helped Befrienders International, the umbrella body for the 362 Samaritans centres worldwide, to merge with The Samaritans UK.

Joining Brakeley in spring 2003, she was the company's Acting full-time Development Director at the Museum of London for over nine months. During this period, she helped build up capacity in fundraising and friendraising, systems and staffing in the Development Office, as well as helping develop major gift and corporate relationships.

She has worked with Brakeley on the following projects:

·                    Black Cultural Archives

·                     City University

·                     Glasgow Caledonian University

·                     Global Leadership Foundation

·                     Kingston University

·                     Museum of London

·                    National Library of Scotland

·                    Royal Holloway University of London

In addition to her friendraising experience both within the charity world and higher education, Rosemary has experience of raising funds from statutory sources, international donor agencies, corporates, trusts, foundations, individuals, and special events. Inside and outside Brakeley she has had considerable experience of training on an individual and a group level, and also has extensive knowledge of UK charity law and governance, and of working cross-culturally.