“The power of storytelling resonates!” Kaddy Thomas on harnessing experience and passion to create authentic change
I attended the Fundraising on the Margins conference today. Here are my notes from the keynote speaker, Kaddy Thomas (Founder of Elijah’s Hope CIC)’s session, in which she spoke about her own experiences and harnessing that experience and passion to create authentic change.
Harnessing experience and passion to create authentic change
Also founder and CEO of Carers Collective, a newly registered charity.
I was born in Birmingham in 1968, with Apert syndrome – non-existent support for babies with disabilities, after a year my mother abandoned me. I was then placed in a hospital for children with profound learning disabilities. Then moved to a residential children’s home for children with profound learning disabilities. But they could see I shouldn’t have been placed there. Age 9, in care of Birmingham Social Services. Then was fostered for two years, but broke down due to sexual abuse and I moved back into residential care. After this placed with a black foster family – but that lasted only three weeks. Dealing with
As humans we all need to be loved.
Reflecting – I didn’t have love in the true sense of the word. If we don’t love ourselves, it’s hard to give it out.
Numerous operations through childhood at Great Ormond Street. Left residential home to live in hostel to prepare for independent living.
Don’t introduce people with their condition. My son is an 18 year old with personality. His skull surgery as a baby was a success but aftercare was not, resulting in brain damage.
Moved to Children’s Trust in Surrey. Then to the south west in various places. Charlton Farm has been amazing.
Harnessing experience:
Reflect – power of storytelling, sharing a story resonates, brings connection, but also you can identify, emotions are stirred, we can show empathy and learn from one another, but also apply what we’ve heard to the funding body.
Passion – my passion is for carers – that is my drive, my zeal. What is your passion? What gets you out of bed? What ignites your fire, resilience and desire to be a fundraiser? Carers are unpaid professionals, skilled, experienced, experts. We have to think strategiocally, navigate while dealing needs of loved one and our own. Also love documentaries, food (fine dining), Outlander, the power of connecting.
Authentic change – is about being genuine. Transformative and lasting. Genuineness and being transformative needs to come through in your fundraising application. And to stand out in a crowd.
We take carers through a six week process (Building resilience and wellbeing) about change to help people become unstuck. Use solution focused hypnotherapy. We’ve seen transformative change in acrers who were burnt out, stressed. Changes mindsets, how they cope and navigate.
The power of storytelling resonates!
When you’re doing something that you love, it’s not hard because you love it. I love making connections, researching and discovering things.
