Change is something we are encouraged to embrace, as it brings with it fresh opportunities and the chance to see things from a new perspective.
It’s no surprise to any of us that change is a big part of life – if there’s one thing we can be sure of, it’s that things are constantly evolving; nothing stays the same forever.
There have been many positive changes at Open Arms so far this year… a new Fundraising Manager earlier in the year, followed by Jasmine, Open Arms’ Administrator in Blantyre, joining the fundraising team at the end of the summer, as well as Charlie McCaulder taking on the role of Director in Malawi.
And this month sees a further change as Serena Jones, our Fundraising Manager, moves overseas. Serena’s departure has come about as the result of an unexpected change in family circumstances, with her husband, a Structural Engineer, having being granted a visa to live and work in Australia.
Serena explains, “We’ve always held in the backs of our minds that we’d love to live abroad at some point in our lives, so we were thrilled to be offered this opportunity. The only downside is that I can’t take the Open Arms office with me, as I love my job and will be very sorry to leave.”
We’ll be sad to see Serena go, as her relationship with Open Arms goes back over three years to 2013, when she started working with us as a volunteer writing articles for our newsletters and supporter communications. Serena is being replaced by Claire Collins, who brings a wealth of experience in communications and income generation, and who has worked alongside Serena in a previous role some years ago.
Serena adds, “It was wonderful to hear that Claire had been appointed to the role, as she has a solid history of generating income for large organisations, and is a real expert in relationship management. I’m confident she’ll identify many new fundraising opportunities and supporters for Open Arms, securing a bright future for the children in Malawi.”
Serena will be keeping in touch from her new home on the east coast of Australia and is looking forward to continuing to support us from afar.
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