The Conveyancing Foundation has made a significant number of appointments to strengthen its operational team this year.
Having reached the £1million charity fundraising milestone in 2023 and launched the Charity Grant Scheme, the Foundation has ambitious plans for 2024. The Foundation has appointed Jess Smith as Chief Operating Officer and Nicola Lancaster as their Charity Co-Ordinator. Jess and Nicola will be familiar to many as the Secretariat team for the Conveyancing Association for many years. Jess Smith commented:
“I am delighted and honoured to be appointed to COO of the Foundation. Having had significant success with our charity fundraising and our wellbeing initiatives over many years, we look forward to accelerating industry engagement with the Foundation and working with everyone in the conveyancing community to take the charity forward.
We have big plans for the Foundation this year, with our Wellbeing at Work Survey 2024 underway; we hope to engage more businesses in our Charity Lotto and our Grant Scheme is available to help raise funds for those undertaking charity challenges as well as those legal practices looking to train Mental Health First Aiders within their practices. We hope that over the coming years, with everyone getting involved, we could raise over £1million per annum for charity and we look forward to welcoming everyone involved in the property industry to the Foundation family.
The support we have had from our Foundation Partners has been incredible and continues to grow week on week, with more and more businesses appreciating how important wellbeing and CSR initiatives and support is for the conveyancing community. We look forward to working with you all and we are very excited about the events, challenges and great work that we are undertaking within the conveyancing community.”
The Foundation has paid tribute to Treasurer and founding Trustee Gareth Evans, who has stood down from the role after a decade in the hot seat. Chairman Lloyd Davies commented:
“Gareth has been a fantastic advocate and ambassador for the Foundation over the last 10 years. Gareth oversaw the incorporation and validation of our charitable status as well as the establishment of the fantastically successful Charity Lotto and HMRC Gift Aid requirements. Thank you, Gareth for your wonderful philanthropy and for giving up your free time so enthusiastically and professionally over so many years. We cannot thank you enough for your hard work and dedication to the cause – thank you.”
Abby Bater has been appointed as Trustee and Treasurer, with Nicola Smith appointed as Finance Manager. Both Abby and Nicola have a wealth of experience in legal conveyancing accounting and business strategy.
Hana Orford joins the Foundation team as Marketing Manager, with Rachel Tombs of Orion Legal Marketing appointed as Business Development Manager. Rachel Tombs commented:
“It is truly inspiring to be working alongside such fantastic individuals and businesses, who are committed to a higher cause of helping those in the industry and those charities that need our support. The number of businesses getting involved as Partners of the Foundation is growing week by week and we look forward to working with them all in helping to achieve our philanthropic goals and thoroughly enjoying the process and the journey of working together.”