Futurekraft

16/06/2026

Supported leaders build stronger charities

Our Fundraising Consultant Andy Sykes spent 26 years working in and leading youth work charities, nine of them as CEO of Emerge in Bradford, supporting hundreds of young people every week across schools and community hubs. He counts himself fortunate to have had a strong leadership team around him, but has seen first-hand what can happen when that support isn't there: good people leave, and occasionally, good organisations close their doors.

The difference is rarely competence, funding or strategy. It often comes down to one thing: whether the leader has an effective support network around them.

Charity leadership can be relentless. The need is always greater than the resource. For many leaders of small organisations, there is no deputy, no senior team, and trustee boards that are too removed to share the load. That isolation is one of the most underacknowledged risks in the sector, and it is one that is vital to address. The leaders who thrive are not necessarily the most experienced or best resourced — they are the ones who have the right people around them.

If you are leading a small charity and you recognise this, you are not alone, and Futurekraft can help. We work with charity leaders to identify the support structures they need and to help put them in place. To find out more or to book a free conversation with our team, get in touch at [email protected] or call 01274 680588.



Photo credit: https://unsplash.com/

09/06/2026

"If your chief executive or founder left tomorrow — what would happen to your organisation?"

It's a question Futurekraft asks every trustee board they work with. Most boards find it harder to answer than they expect, and if the answer isn't clear, that's worth paying attention to.

A strong board makes an enormous difference to how an organisation weathers difficulty — funding pressures, leadership changes, unexpected crises. The charities that navigate these well almost always have trustees who are genuinely engaged and experienced, not just names on a register.

A strong board typically has:
- The right mix of skills — finance, legal, strategic thinking, community knowledge
- Trustees who understand their responsibilities and take them seriously
- Genuine cohesion — people who challenge each other constructively and make decisions well together
- Active engagement with the organisation's future, not just its immediate problems

How strong is your board? A good place to start is our free Organisational Health Check — it covers governance alongside identity, operations and finance, and takes five minutes:
https://futurekraft.org/healthcheck/

Our FREE Organisational Health Check will give you an instant report on the health of your church, charity or social enterprise.

04/06/2026

👋 Meet the people behind Futurekraft!

Part 3 introduces our Consultant, Sharon and our Finance and Account Support, Justin.

Sharon de Villiers
Sharon is Futurekraft's resident wordsmith, with decades of experience in leadership and frontline delivery in the youth charity sector. She brings deep understanding of safeguarding, pastoral care and what it means to support people in deprived communities — insight that gives genuine authority to every funding bid she writes. An experienced leader in her own right, she understands what organisations need from funders and makes that case compellingly on behalf of every client. Outside work, Sharon enjoys good whisky, reading and time with her family — and her dog, who she insists deserves top billing.

Justin Charlesworth
Justin has been working 2 days a month with Futurekraft since early 2025, whilst also working full-time for Emerge, a Bradford based youth charity. Justin's early working background is however in a totally different field, having work as an IT and audiovisual technician in the Higher Education sector for many years before switching career paths to charity finance. Justin has lots of experience in church, charity and social enterprise finance. In his spare time he is an avid movie, motorsport, and Lego fan!

04/06/2026

👋 Meet the people behind Futurekraft!

Part 2 introduces two of our Consultants, Caroline and Andy.

Caroline Bate
Caroline combines a senior management background in business with almost 20 years of charity sector leadership. She led two youth charities in North East Scotland as Chief Officer, and holds a Master's degree in Outdoor Education from Edinburgh University. More recently she spent six years on the Executive Team as HR and Governance Lead at The Piece Hall Trust in Halifax, contributing to the transformation of a Grade I listed building into a thriving heritage and cultural hub. Within Futurekraft she focuses on governance, operations, fundraising and organisational resilience. Outside work, Caroline can usually be found in her campervan, swimming in cold water or out with her dog.

Andy Sykes
Andy brings 26 years of experience leading youth work charities, most recently as CEO of E:MERGE in Bradford for nine years, where he oversaw a multi-strand community hub model built in partnership with churches and voluntary organisations. Andy has been a trustee of multiple charities over many years, and continues to serve as a Trustee of St Christopher’s Community Centre as part of 20+ years involvement in the Holmewood community. Andy holds a BA in Youth and Community Work with Applied Theology and an MChem from the University of Sheffield. Within Futurekraft he focuses on project development, grant income and governance. When he's not working, you'll find him heading for the top of a hill by bike, on foot or at a run.

03/06/2026

What every charity and community organisation needs to know before submitting a funding application

Our Director Shelley Malko has spent 14 years securing funding for churches, charities and community groups, and also works as a Grants Manager at a grant-making foundation, assessing applications from the other side. That dual perspective has taught her things about the funding process that most applicants never get to see.

Here's what she wishes more charities knew:

"Funders are not just assessing your project. They are assessing your organisation. They want to know you have the governance in place to manage the money responsibly. They want to see that you understand your own finances — not just the project budget, but the full picture. They want evidence that you know your community and can demonstrate you are the right people to do this work.
The charities that secure funding consistently are not necessarily the best writers. They are the organisations that have done the groundwork — clear governance, good financial management, a strong case for support, and a realistic plan."

What does your organisation's foundation look like? Find out in five minutes with our free Health Check:
https://futurekraft.org/healthcheck/



Photo credit: Imaginebuddy

03/06/2026

👋 Meet the people behind Futurekraft!

We're kicking off a short series of posts to remind you who we are and what we do — starting with our two Directors: Jan and Shelley.

Jan de Villiers
Jan founded Futurekraft in 2010, driven by a conviction that well-supported community organisations can transform the places they serve. Born in South Africa, he worked in Montreal with young people on the margins before arriving in Bradford in 1994 to pioneer what became the E:MERGE charity. He holds a BA in Theology and has since led The Olive Branch Trust and currently serves as CEO of Project C**t — a charity supporting people in recovery from addiction. His advice comes from active, hands-on leadership rather than theory. In his spare time, Jan runs up hills, makes soap and enjoys time with his family.

Shelley Malko
Shelley has been at the heart of Futurekraft since 2012. Her background spans modern languages, youth work, community development in Latin America, intelligence analysis and charity administration — a breadth of experience that has given her both the analytical rigour and the human understanding that effective fundraising requires. She has built an exceptional track record of securing grant funding for charities and social enterprises across England along with comprehensive expertise about UK funders. What makes her distinctive is her dual perspective: alongside Futurekraft, she serves as Grants Manager at The Macaulay Moat Foundation, assessing applications and managing the grant-making process. Her clients benefit from that inside understanding of how funding decisions are really made. Outside work, Shelley enjoys karate, yoga, dog walking and time with her friends and family.

12/05/2026

Top Tip Tuesday: The Importance of Policies

Policies help you run safely and professionally, and mean everyone knows how your organisation is governed and run.

Key policies include:

✔ Safeguarding
✔ Health & Safety
✔ Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
✔ Data protection

Futurekraft can help create or update your policies so they are legally-compliant and easily-understandable

05/05/2026

Top Tip Tuesday: Don’t undersell your work

You’re doing valuable work so tell people!

✔ Share successes
✔ Highlight impact
✔ Use feedback

You’re not boasting — you’re demonstrating value.

30/04/2026

Thanks to our partnership with the Macaulay Moat Foundation, we are able to support some amazing grassroots organisations. Looking forward to getting started with Masking in the Middle, an autism group for families in Rochdale.

https://www.macaulaymoatfoundation.org/

28/04/2026

Top Tip Tuesday: What is the Right Legal Structure for your Organisation?

Choosing the right structure for your organisation is a critical step in terms of your ability to apply for grants, trade, generate income through shares, have limited liability and pay directors.

There are several legal structures that are available for community organisations, including:
-Charitable incorporated Organisations (CIO)
-Community Interest Companies (CIC)
-Community Benefit Societies (CBS)

Deciding on the right structure for you depends on a number of key areas including:
✔ How will you fund your work? Grants/Trading income/shares
✔ What structure suits you? Do you have charitable or community objectives?
✔ What are your long-term goals?

There’s no right answer — just what works for you. Futurekraft can help advise and support you to register your chosen structure. A good overview of different options is

This page provides simple explanation of different types of not-for-profit organisation, and what to consider when choosing a legal structure.