Tinkling the ivories

As a Development Officer, you never quite know what is going to be on the end of the phone, and no two enquiries are ever the same.

Back in August 2010, I received a phone call from Gwyneth Rowlands on behalf of the Victoria Hall in Llanwrtyd Wells. They were looking for funding for a new grand piano for the Hall. It’s fair to say that I thought this would be quite a challenge, and dutifully embarked on a funding search to see what would come up. I sifted through the results, leaving those most suitable, and contacted Gwyneth. It’s always a good idea to contact funders directly to see if your project /group meet the criteria / eligibility before going any further, and I passed this advice on to Gwyneth, offering further support as necessary.

Much of our work comes from groups looking for funding, so we are always hopeful that groups will keep in touch with us and let us know how they got on. So imagine my delight, when at an event in Llandrindod recently, I was approached by a lady from Llanwrtyd Wells. She told me that the funding search had been really useful, and that they had received £3000 from one of the trusts on the list! It was great to get some feedback. They are still looking for more money, but the award had made a tremendous difference to their ‘piano fund’.

At the very same event, I met up again with a group who had applied to a PAVO administered fund, and had been unsuccessful. Whilst disappointing, it still provided an opportunity to offer further support and think of other potential funds that they could apply to.

So, whether you are successful or not, PAVO Development Officers are here to support you, whatever the outcome.