How did Paul get into the charity world?
In 1999, he decided to have a career change and move from the catering industry, with the intention of becoming a business consultant. He decided to return to university and to study for a Masters in Business Administration (MBA).
Unfortunately, 2 weeks into the course, his whole family went down sick (within a matter of days of each other!), and he deferred his entry for a year while running the family business. Thankfully, his father recovered from major cancer surgery, his brother (who has learning difficulties) also got back on the road to recovery and his mother successfully recovered from surgery.
This whole experience gave him a different outlook on life and during this year he started to appreciate his true values and what was important to him. He fundraised for a couple of charities during 1999 as a volunteer, and promised himself that if he got the chance, he would combine his passion for the charity world with the business acumen from the MBA.
Despite getting a 1st Class MBA degree, he did not accept any of the positions offered to him as a business consultant and became a corporate fundraiser in early 2001. He progressed to Head of Fundraising within a short time and in 2004 the opportunity came along to join the Down’s Syndrome Association in the UK, where he still works and serves in the capacity of Business Development Director.
He became a trustee of a charity in Devon, UK, Robert Owen Communities, in March 2006 to broaden his understanding of the learning difficulties professional sector, and to see if he could genuinely add value to this charity with his own sector experience. The same year he also became a Board Member of Down Syndrome International (DSi).
His work is inspired by a close relationship with his brother and his energy comes from the people he meets.
