Working for Family Fund for 30 years!
Shaun is one of Family Fund’s longest serving members of staff, having worked in the organisation since 1993. He also shares a birthday with Family Fund, turning 50 in April!
“I’m Shaun and I’m the ICT systems manager for Family Fund. I’ve worked in IT for over twenty years now and I manage the grant systems, which mean our teams can process the grants for families.
“I’ve been with Family Fund for almost thirty years, starting off back in 1993 and I’ve worked in lots of different departments. My first job was inputting data when it used to be all paper application forms, it was a different world! I also spent a couple of years working on the phones, talking to families and helping them with their applications which were a really good few years. I moved into IT in 2003 when we started improving our grant systems and started making the move from paper to online applications. Technology has come a long way since I started working at Family Fund!”
What is the best thing about working for Family Fund?
“My favourite things are what we do and how we’re treated. Even though we don’t all come in the office every day, working at Family Fund really is like a family and feeling part of that is what makes it a great environment to work in.”
“Coming to work is like a hobby. I really love it and I love the difference we make to people.”
What has been the biggest change since you started working for Family Fund?
“We’ve changed and evolved over and over since I started in 1993. The size of the team has grown and obviously the systems have come along in a huge way, so we can help families on a different scale. I think in the last ten years or so, there’s been a change in direction which has made a big difference in putting Family Fund more on the map and helping us to grow into a more well-known charity.”
Biggest achievements working for Family Fund?
“There’s been so many. I’ve been able to go to all four government buildings whilst working for Family Fund, I even met Tony Blair when he was Prime Minister.
“I think one of the biggest achievements for me was in 2006. Farepak was a Christmas saving club, so people would make payments throughout the year and then at Christmas would receive the vouchers or hampers they had selected, making it easier for them to afford presents.
“The company went bust a few months before Christmas, losing the money of over 100,000 customers. Family Fund stepped in, as thousands of the families affected were also supported by Family Fund. We started raising funds and launched the Farepak Response Fund, raising about £8million. I went to the Farepak offices to get access to their databases and try to work out how much people had lost, and how we would get them a % back from the money we’d raised. It was a major achievement for Family Fund, and for me personally.”
What would you hope for Family Fund for the next 50 years?
“That we keep going, keep helping families who need it as best as we can.
“Having worked here for so many years, I understand the challenges facing the families we support and they’re not going anywhere. We need to continue working to secure more funding so we can help every family that needs us.”