Welburn and Wood Fundraising Solutions

Welburn and Wood Fundraising Solutions We help not for profits & charities bring their projects to life.

25/03/2026

Community Engagement 🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒

Anyone who has worked with Claire and I will know that we are massive advocates of community engagement.

Taking your neighbours, local organisations, supporters and beneficiaries along the journey with you is important - especially in small communities like Cartmel.

Today we embraced all weathers, from sleet, wind, rain and sunshine ☀️ to deliver an important update ✉️📮on behalf of our client

Exciting things are happening over Easter 🐣

Sharing the schools news with the community is a pleasure. We want the community to feel a part of our project 👷

Caught a few clips of us delivering our leaflets in the beautiful village of Cartmel - I can think of worse jobs 🤣

Let us know in the comments what your charity does to engage with the local community 👇

Successful fundraising rarely starts with asking for money.What people often see is the end result, the grant award, the...
05/03/2026

Successful fundraising rarely starts with asking for money.

What people often see is the end result, the grant award, the new building, the celebration post.

But the real work starts long before that.

Before any application is written, we’re usually helping organisations answer some very important questions:

• What exactly are we trying to achieve?
• Who will benefit?
• Why does this project matter now?
• Do we have the right structure, permissions and plans in place?
• How much will it actually cost?

This groundwork can sometimes feel slow or frustrating when a group is eager to get fundraising.

But here’s the truth: a clear plan is a fundable plan.

Funders need to understand the why, what, where, who and how of a project before they can confidently invest in it.

When those foundations are in place, fundraising becomes far easier and far more successful.

At Welburn & Wood, a big part of our work happens before a single funding application is submitted.

And that quiet preparation is often what makes the difference.

Stories make people stop scrolling. And they make funders listen.In fundraising we talk a lot about numbers, activities ...
26/02/2026

Stories make people stop scrolling. And they make funders listen.

In fundraising we talk a lot about numbers, activities and outcomes, and they matter.
But it’s often stories that bring the work to life.

One of our clients, StrongMen, does this brilliantly.

Men share honest, vulnerable stories about reaching breaking point and how finding StrongMen helped them through their darkest days.

They’re hard to watch at times. Often emotional.

But they always end with hope. A light at the end of a very dark tunnel.

With consent, we use these stories alongside impact data to help funders truly understand why this work matters and to reassure men seeking support that they’re not alone.

Because sometimes, a story says what statistics can’t.

StrongMen

The biggest mistake we see charities make before fundraising even starts.We see this time and time again.A group comes t...
30/01/2026

The biggest mistake we see charities make before fundraising even starts.

We see this time and time again.

A group comes to us saying:
“We need to fundraise for this project — now.”

The urgency is completely understandable. When a building needs work or an opportunity appears, the instinct is to jump straight into fundraising.

But often, the project isn’t quite ready to be taken to funders.

Before funding can follow, funders need clarity. They want to understand:

• Why the project matters
• What you’re actually doing
• Where it will happen
• Who it’s for and who’s delivering it
• How it will be managed and sustained

That means a clear plan, a realistic budget and a shared vision.

Those early foundations take time, and yes, they can feel frustrating when all you want to do is get on and fundraise.

But here’s the truth:

fundraising is much easier when the groundwork is done.

A clear plan is a fundable plan.

This is exactly the kind of thing we help organisations get right early on.

So when fundraising starts, it has the best possible chance of success.

From idea to impact: why education projects stay with usTo mark International Day of Education, we’ve been reflecting on...
24/01/2026

From idea to impact: why education projects stay with us

To mark International Day of Education, we’ve been reflecting on why education projects often stay with us long after the funding is secured and the build is finished.

A few years ago, Cartmel Primary Goes Wild began with a simple idea.
One parent – who also happened to be an architect – imagined transforming the school grounds into a place that supported learning, play and connection with nature.

What followed was anything but simple – and that’s what made it special.

This became a whole-school and whole-community effort.
Staff, governors, pupils, local businesses and community members all played a part in shaping what the project would become.

Phase 1 was delivered in summer 2025, and we’re now working alongside the school on future phases. But the real impact is already clear.

The children helped design a space that feels truly theirs.
They’re growing their own food, cooking it, and sharing it together in their new picnic area. Learning has spilled outdoors, becoming hands-on, practical and joyful.

Education projects like this don’t just improve spaces.
They build confidence, ownership and long-term impact that stretches far beyond the classroom.

And that’s why they stay with us.

January has a way of making everything feel a bit heavier, doesn’t it? ☔️The dark mornings.The cold, wet weather.That lo...
22/01/2026

January has a way of making everything feel a bit heavier, doesn’t it? ☔️

The dark mornings.
The cold, wet weather.
That low-level tiredness that seems to linger.

At this time of year, it’s completely okay to take things a little slower. 🦥

Cost evenings, early nights, and giving yourself some breathing space. ☕️

But while it might feel like a quiet month on the surface, January is actually a busy one for fundraisers.

This is the time we’re thinking several months ahead.

Grant applications submitted now won’t be decided until spring. Sometimes even early summer. ☀️

It’s the planning stage, laying the groundwork while the days are short, so that when the light returns, things are already moving.

Before long, calendars start filling with spring events, summer fairs, challenge runs and community gatherings. January is when those ideas take shape. 📆

So if this month feels slow or heavy, that’s okay.

Spring is already on its way — and a lot of what blooms later starts right now.

Why faith & community spaces matter more than ever ⛪️On World Religion Day, we wanted to reflect on the quiet but powerf...
16/01/2026

Why faith & community spaces matter more than ever ⛪️

On World Religion Day, we wanted to reflect on the quiet but powerful role that faith-based and community spaces play in our towns and villages.

These projects aren’t just about buildings.
They’re about belonging, welcome and long-term impact.

One of our clients, Pardshaw Quaker Centre, is a perfect example. Just four years ago, the Centre was at real risk of closure. Today, its trustees are shaping a new vision, not just as a place for Quaker worship, but as a shared community asset.

A space for arts and crafts, music groups, meetings and reflection.
A place that is accessible, inclusive and welcoming to both Quakers and non-Quakers alike.
A centre with sustainable accommodation that helps secure its future for generations to come.

Fundraising in this context is different. It’s built on trust, clear values and a long-term view whilst balancing heritage with change, and faith with wider community use.

We feel incredibly privileged to support projects like this, where the impact goes far beyond bricks and mortar.

New year. Same us. Just a little more intentional.We’ll be honest, we haven’t been brilliant at showing up consistently ...
05/01/2026

New year. Same us.

Just a little more intentional.

We’ll be honest, we haven’t been brilliant at showing up consistently on social media recently (our feeds will happily back that up 👀).

But behind the scenes, the work hasn’t stopped.
We’ve been writing bids, managing capital projects, meeting clients over coffee, celebrating quiet wins, and navigating the realities of running a small consultancy alongside family life.

As we head into 2026, we want to do things a bit differently here.

Less noise.

Less “perfect content”.

More real insight from the work we actually do.

So this year, we’re focusing on:

✔ sharing what’s really happening behind the scenes
✔ honest reflections on fundraising (the good and the tricky bits)
✔ practical insights you can actually use

If there’s something you’d like us to talk about this year – capital projects, funding myths, community engagement, or where you’re feeling stuck, tell us in the comments or drop us a message.

We’re glad you’re here. 💚

It’s a wrap…🚧 Capital Project Pitfalls: Avoiding the Stumbling Blocks 🚧Over recent few weeks, we’ve shared the biggest m...
02/12/2025

It’s a wrap…

🚧 Capital Project Pitfalls: Avoiding the Stumbling Blocks 🚧

Over recent few weeks, we’ve shared the biggest mistakes we see when organisations start capital projects — and how to avoid them.

The bottom line? Success comes from strong foundations, not shortcuts. Organisations have a tendency to skip straight to fundraising and as a result have to take a few steps back when funders ask more questions.

If you’re about to embark on a capital project, or if you’ve hit a stumbling block already, we’d love to help.

Drop us an email at [email protected] — and let’s make your vision a reality.

Pitfall – Being Too Secretive🚧 Capital Project Pitfall #5 🚧Mistake: Keeping the project under wraps until it’s “ready.”...
02/12/2025

Pitfall – Being Too Secretive

🚧 Capital Project Pitfall #5 🚧
Mistake: Keeping the project under wraps until it’s “ready.” This shuts out valuable voices and potential allies — and risks losing local support.

Solution: Share early and share often. Talk to local councillors, local voluntary groups, beneficiaries, and community members. Their input strengthens the project, and their buy-in opens doors to funding and goodwill.

We know how to engage communities in a way that builds trust and momentum.

Pitfall – Wrong Fundraising Approach🚧 Capital Project Pitfall #4 🚧Mistake: Relying on small-scale fundraising to delive...
02/12/2025

Pitfall – Wrong Fundraising Approach

🚧 Capital Project Pitfall #4 🚧

Mistake: Relying on small-scale fundraising to deliver a big capital project. Bake sales and raffles are brilliant for awareness and engagement, but they won’t fund a playground or a building project.

Solution: Match your fundraising to the scale of your project. Build a strong committee, plan community fundraising for visibility, and focus on major grants and donors for the bulk of your funding.

That’s where we come in…

We help clients create realistic fundraising strategies that bring big visions to life.

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The Mill
Cartmel
LA117SS

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Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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