I can’t believe it.

1,095 days ago I sat alone in a co-working space that used to be a Tesco and opened my ‘Fireside Fundraising’ laptop for the first time. I had a virtual coffee with a couple of friends, made a website that looked like a GCSE art project, and got to work.

Three years later, Fireside is an actual corporate fundraising consultancy. We’re a team of three (myself, Lisa Clavering and Lucy Mitchell), sometimes four (when we rope in Laura Swan) who’ve worked with 40 clients this year… and even have a real website now.

I only intended to go freelance for about three months. So to be sat where we are now three years later is pretty phenomenal… and it’s due to a couple of really special people.

The team. Lisa, Lucy, Laura… and yes, everyone’s name starts with L. It is inspiring to go to work every day to collaborate with the people you believe are truly the best in the business. Thank you for being by my side.

St John Ambulance. My first client. The ones who gave me the confidence to try in the first place - I’m delighted to be returning to you in a small way next week.

Michelle Shireen Muri, Louise Morris, Sarah Goddard… and countless others. The fellow consultants who showed me what was possible, and encouraged me to keep going when times got pretty hard.

Mark Foster. My ‘rent a grown-up’, Mark helps me know how much money I actually have to spend on things like cake and fancy new websites (link to the website again).

The sector as a whole. For showing up every time we ask you to, whether it’s lending your opinion and ears to our Why Companies Give research or laughing at our awful photoshop efforts - thank you for being you.

If you told me where we’d be three years ago, I wouldn’t have believed you. Time will only tell where we’ll be in the next three, but I’m glad to have you with us.

Big love,

Andy & co.