A Day in the Life: Charlotte Evans

Welcome to the latest in our ‘Day in the Life’ blog series where we interview colleagues from different parts of the Charity to reflect on their career and experiences at EHAAT.  This week we caught up with Charlotte Evans, Fundraising Coordinator…

What attracted you to EHAAT and what do you enjoy most about working here?

I was looking for a new full-time job and found the Herts Fundraising Administrator role at the charity.  I applied and was delighted when I was offered the role in February 2019. It’s not been the easiest journey with Covid, lockdown, furlough and working from home but I have amazing colleagues past and present who have helped me get to the Fundraising Coordinator role I am currently in. Living only 16 miles from the airbase I couldn’t believe I knew absolutely nothing about the charity. My job is so rewarding and I feel very privileged to be part of the team.

I couldn’t pick just one thing that I enjoy most, there are so many to choose from! I do really enjoy the team I work with. We laugh everyday which is great for morale! I am really fortunate to spend time with patients and their families along with groups, individuals and clubs. I meet such a huge variety of supporters – the charity is a great place to work! The ‘what have you got for lunch today?’ is also something I enjoy each day.  It’s a very important question! The variety of staff lunches is impressive. It ranges from a plain pitta bread, soup, beans on toast to a hummus platter or even a roast dinner!

What does a typical day look like for you?

A typical day for me is based at North Weald in the office dealing with emails, calls, visits from supporters and prepping for the weekends event; things like loading the van, getting the pom poms ready to cheer on marathon days or sealing buckets for collections. No day is the same working at the charity. Each day brings something new, something fun and something challenging. At the North Weald airbase, the charity staff and the crew can work alongside each other which is great for building relationships and expanding knowledge of all areas of the charity. I completely admire the crew, I didn’t know much about how they worked before we all moved in together at the airbase in 2021. Honestly, I think they are amazing people who do an incredible job.

What are the key skills you need in your role?

Patience, compassion and dedication.

What is or has been the most challenging part of your job?   

The most challenging part of the job is the emotional side.  I absolutely love meeting patients and their families but it pulls on my heart strings. We recently had a Patient Day at North Weald. It was such an amazing day seeing so many patients in the same room. Patients are so thankful for everything everyone does at the charity. It’s very rewarding!

What’s the most unusual thing you have had to do?  

This is a tough choice as there is surprisingly quite a few! I would probably say the most unusual would be getting changed into Dr Dani the mascot, in a portaloo. When I opened the door there were lots of surprised faces! Meeting the Maldon Grinch, being an Elf at the EHAAT Visit Santa day, explaining to our charity ambassador Lisa Snowdon why I had a tin of Spam on my desk and creating EHAAT TikToks are just some of the other unusual things, oh…and dressing a cow in an EHAAT branded tshirt!

I once got told, you have to be a little crazy to work in the fundraising team. It’s very true!

What has been your biggest highlight so far?

My biggest EHAAT highlight has to be being asked to be the charity representative on the Finland Trek in March this year. I, along with other colleagues work so hard on the treks, from selecting the destination, recruiting the trekkers, deciding what to pack and even sorting the flight times. So, to be asked to go along with 21 strangers to trek in the arctic was terrifying but hugely exciting! The group raised nearly £25,000 for the charity which is amazing. I have made some friends for life, we regularly met up and still laugh at who fell in the snow the best, the aches and pains and so many other memories. For anyone who knows me I hate the cold so this was a personal challenge for me, the whole trip was incredible I would definitely recommend signing up to an EHAAT trek!

What advice would you give to your younger self?

My younger self would probably tell me to be more selfish and make time for me. Life can be so busy you must all remember to take time for yourself!

Thanks so much to Charlotte for taking the time to talk us through a day in the life of a Fundraising Coordinator!

Are you interested in joining the EHAAT family and advancing your career? Check out our latest opportunities here