Philanthropy Team

Hannah O’Neill

I was a volunteer A-Level Sociology tutor at a college in my hometown, which has really high-levels of disadvantage. I was working with bright students who had so much motivation and potential, but often needed support recognising that. I knew that without interventions such as tutoring, they might not have been in such a strong chance of succeeding. Having completed a degree based around understanding inequality in society and the impact of it, and witnessing first-hand the power of tutoring, Action Tutoring felt like the perfect opportunity to use my skills, passion and insights!

I love working in a team driven by passion, care and a genuine desire to make education a fairer space for children and young people. Working towards a shared vision really creates a sense of ‘belonging’.

I’m at my best when engaging others with our mission. As a Fundraising Manager, the opportunity to use language, impact and insights to bring people ‘on board’ with our vision is the absolute highlight of my role.

We have so much potential to help more pupils and genuinely change young lives forever. I’m excited for us to reach new geographies, support more pupils and engage more fantastic volunteers. We’re making a difference, and moreover we’re a key part of the difference.

Being provided with a subscription to Headspace is brilliant. It supports me with sleep, mindfulness and reflection, making a difference to both my personal and professional life.

Mollie Vessey

Having left Action Tutoring in 2022 and having been exposed to different organisations within the charity sector, I understood more than ever how important it is to level-up the playing field and support young people facing disadvantage to achieve academically.

I love being a part of such a collaborative, supportive and mission-driven team. The passion to achieve our goal is infectious and I particularly love transferring that to our partners and watching them become motivated and passionate to support our cause.

Kate Farley

It was clear to me from first seeing my job’s listing that Action Tutoring really cared for its employees and that everyone is incredibly passionate about the charity’s mission, and I knew straight away that this charity stood out and I wanted to work here! Lucky timing meant that the annual team days happened less than a week after I joined, and it confirmed all of my previous thoughts – the main word to summarise the experience of the team days was warmth. I’ve never met a group that were so approachable, welcoming, inspiring, thoughtful, and fun! The incredible leadership of this organisation, and the shared drive to achieve our mission, makes AT a brilliant place to work.

Fundraising is all about building and maintaining relationships and bringing our funders/donors along on the journey to closing the attainment gap. I love the personable nature of my role – whether it is bringing to life our work in a grant application, or talking to a funder about the successes we have achieved as a result of their funding. I also love looking at the bigger picture and thinking about ways in which we can improve our fundraising processes and activities, working with a likeminded team to really analyse and strategize.

Molly Cottrill

My favourite thing about working for Action Tutoring is the team-centric mindset. There will always be someone on hand to help you with anything, no matter how big or small. I feel really supported by my colleagues and, equally, I have time and space to support them too. We have such a diverse workforce here at Action Tutoring and everyone has a rich range of experience, skills, and ideas to share.

The thing I love most about my role is the varied nature of it. One minute I can be planning social media posts for a campaign, or writing a blog on an inspiring fundraiser’s challenge, the next I can be calling a donor to thank them for their support. The best part of my job is speaking to fundraisers who have done amazing challenges for us and hearing all their good news, how much they raised, and the personal achievement they succeeded in.

The Department for Education believes it will take a decade to return the attainment gap to pre-pandemic levels. COVID-19 lockdowns and school closures have affected pupil’s learning drastically, and supporting young people facing disadvantage is more important than ever. I’m looking forward to Action Tutoring making more noise at the national level such as campaigning for long term tutoring support in schools and for the government to implement policies that tackle the effects of poverty on academic attainment.

Anisa Ahmed

I love that at the end of each day, I know my hard work has helped to improve young peoples’ lives.

I wanted a new career that would combine my passion for people and big picture thinking. My role at Action Tutoring ensures that I’m making a positive impact, and makes the most of my background in coaching, education, analysis and policy-making!

I’m looking forward to bringing more Corporate Partners on board to create a more equal society, where every child has the chance to achieve their infinite potential

Gabriel Matiki

I have never worked with such enthusiastic and genuinely kind-hearted people before. From my very first day, everyone has been exceptionally welcoming and their passion for the work done at Action Tutoring has been infectious ever since. The entire team is driven to make education fairer for children who face disadvantage. This shared vision unites the entire team which is something I feel blessed to be a part of.

I was drawn to Action Tutoring as the mission of the organisation aligns perfectly with my long-term career goals. The work done to make education fairer for children facing disadvantage directly speaks to my future vision of being able to bring that same level of fairness and equality to communities within Africa. Through working at Action Tutoring, I believe I will be able to gain much needed experience working within a successful charity targeting education, as well as being able to make a difference in the lives of children to by unlocking their additional academic potential.

I am looking forward to the expansion of Action Tutoring into further and more rural regions. Kids all over the UK face disadvantage for a number of different reasons through no fault of their own. These children are no less able but simply have less access to the tools that will support them throughout their education. Through the expansion of Action Tutoring, more of these children will be blessed with the tools to achieve their full academic potential and build careers beyond education.

Aabia Khan

After graduating from Queen Mary University with an English degree in 2018, Aabia went travelling and visited many countries including Kenya, Indonesia, Tanzania and Pakistan.

Seeing the extreme poverty in these countries fuelled her existing passion to work in the charity sector and to make a difference closer to home. As a part-time tutor at university, Aabia recognised the impact that education has on young people and developed a zeal to contribute towards bridging the gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers. She is pleased to share this passion with others through her work with Action Tutoring.

In her spare time, Aabia loves to read, spend time with her family and friends, and is excited to continue exploring the world.

Naomi Boddy

What I enjoy and value the most about Action Tutoring is the incredibly supportive and caring culture at the heart of how everything is run, both internally and externally. Staff wellbeing is put at the forefront of our objectives with systems in place to support staff, encourage inter-team connections and ensure every team member feels welcomed and valued. Action Tutoring also regularly encourages skills sharing and upskilling, allowing you to build your expertise and explore other departments within the charity which might be of interest to you down the line. The most notable thing, which is most commonly remarked however, is that everybody is just so kind! It sounds like a small thing, but it counts for so very much.

I love the diversity of my role and the opportunity it provides to not only develop and build on valuable written communication skills but also get creative with content and marketing ideas for fundraising campaigns! There’s always an opportunity to learn new skills and put them into practice, which has been invaluable for me and enhanced by the teams around me. Building rapport with funders and engaging with members of the public through fundraising events is also a real plus and a lovely part of the job!