client work
Clients
In 2008 / 9 Andrew's clients included Wantage Silver Band, St Paul's Church Hammersmith, Bentley Priory Battle of Britain Museum Trust, Ingfield Manor Association, Bletchley Park Trust, the Eyeless Trust and Beaconsfield High School.
Recent Clients and referrals
Most of Andrew de Mille's work comes through referral from one client to another. In 2008 Andrew undertook several feasibility studies and strategic plans for a range of clients, several of which came as a result of client referrals, and led to further referrals.
These include The Bentley Priory Battle of Britain Museum Trust, who referred Andrew on to undertake a similar study for the Bletchley Park Trust; both of these were partly as a result of his work with the Tangmere Military Aviation Museum Trust in 2005/6. A feasibility study undertaken for the Hornsey Trust for Children with Cerebral Palsy led on to the current work with the Ingfield Manor Association (a school for children with cerebral palsy).
A very long line of Sussex clients has given Andrew referrals throughout his career; in 2007/8 these included Boxgrove Priory and Arundel Museum Trust. Clients recommend Andrew for his very high level of integrity and honesty in all his dealings, for his good humour, and for the unparalleled experience on which he draws in steering their projects towards their goals. He has a range of strategies he applies and adapts to meet each client's unique needs.
Wantage Silver Band
Andrew de Mille completed an initial survey for this brass band group - with almost 200 members playing in seven bands it is one of the largest in the South of England. Chairman Eleanor Turner says “Andrew has focused our attention on the key issues involved in raising the £800,000 needed for a our new rehearsal centre and home; he has also given us a clear framework for achieving this.”
Ingfield Manor Association
“Having worked with Andrew at the Hornsey Trust, I had no hesitation in recommending him to my colleagues at Ingfield Manor. He has produced the blueprint for our major capital appeal plans in his thorough and detailed analysis of our fundraising needs, the sources through which we could achieve them, and the strategy and programme for approaching those sources. I look forward to working with Andrew to develop this exciting project.”
Anthony Hewson :- Chairman, Ingfield Manor Association
Beaconsfield High School
This South Buckinghamshire girls' grammar school was faced with a pressing need for major building renovations and improvement, but with a succession of outstanding OFSTED reports it was not a priority for the cash strapped local authority. Andrew de Mille undertook a planning study in the summer of 2007 which steered the school towards a £1.6 million target to be achieved from a mix of sources including parents, former pupils and local trusts. andrew subsequently played an active role in the appeal to parents in 2007/8.
Head Teacher Penny Castagnoli says “We selected Andrew de Mille against other consultants because of his flexible, pragmatic approach and his insistence that we should remain in charge of our appeal process. With his guidance and support we have very nearly achieved our target to fund a state of the art sixth form centre, classroom block and new school dining hall. Andrew helped us assemble and develop a parents' steering group which established the pattern of giving which we subsequently rolled out to the whole school, again with his help and support. We could not have done this without him - it is specialised work in which he is immensely experienced. We have now secured over £1.2 million and the balance of funds needed can now be achieved through the school buildings budget and the Local Authority. This school had no previous appeal experience, but Andrew de Mille's approach has equipped us to seek funding in the future for further developments.”
Bletchley Park Trust
“Andrew undertook a full review of our fundraising strategy and requirements at a time when our Trustees were looking at the continuing need for substantial development capital in addition to our annual running costs. His study was undertaken economically in very few consultancy days yet gave us a deep understanding of the key issues we must face, and the process we need to embark upon in planning for this. His work with us gave us exactly what we needed - a frank and practical assessment viewed through his many years experience of working with organisations like ours.”
Simon Greenish, Bletchley Park Trust
Canterbury Cathedral
“Andrew de Mille undertook a strategic review for us in 2005, when we were faced with the need to re-roof the Cathedral and undertake other substantial works. With Andrew's help we established a Development Office, whose staff he steered and supported through 2006, by which time some £5million had been secured. He brings great experience, integrity and pragmatism to his work and I am always happy to recommend him to others.”
Brigadier John Meardon, Receiver General, Canterbury Cathedral
Andrew's involvement at Canterbury was partly as a result of his previous work at St Edmundsbury Cathedral.
The Eyeless Trust
In 1993 Andrew de Mille became involved with the Eyeless Trust, newly formed to offer specialist advice, support and relief to the children and families affected by anophthalmia, microphthalmia and coloboma - very rare conditions which cause some 60 children a year to be born without eyes, or with eyes that do not develop. Working initially on a modest honorarium, Andrew established a very low cost fundraising process which developed as the main source of the trust's income. Andrew undertook the fundraising work from his office, producing up to £150,000 a year - about 90% of the trust's income - at an annual cost of between £6,000 and £8,000. When the Founder, Lillian Ramsay, retired in 2008 Andrew took the opportunity to hand over the fundraising process and systems to a staff member. The Trust's administration was taken over by the Royal Blind Society. The fundraising procedures which Andrew developed for the Trust would be very transferable to other small national charities which deliver a service to all parts of the country.
Stoke Mandeville Hospital
“Andrew helped organise the fundraising for the £1.1 million Cancer Care and Haematology Unit which opened in 2001, and shortly after that helped the hospital raise £1.6 million for its MRI Scanner. When faced with the need to raise further funds to build a large extension to the Unit he was the obvious choice to help us with this next stage of development. Having worked with him before we needed much less of his time than previously. This third involvement with the hospital confirms the effectiveness of his methods - his approach was, as ever, flexible and effective, supporting and steering us when necessary and leaving us to get on with it when all was well. We were able to complete and open the extension, which cost almost as much as the original building, in 2006.”
Gillian Miscampbell, Chair of the Cancer Care and Haematology Fund
Community Foundations
Community foundations are charitable trusts that support local community causes. Their role is to manage donor funds and build endowment as well as make grants to charities and community groups, linking local donors with local needs.