She’s done the washing-up, made the coffee, prepared for board meetings and led her team carefully through change. Her name is Mairi Johnstone, CEO of A Rocha UK. And sadly, she is leaving.
Head of the organisation for the past two years – having previously been its Finance and Administration Director – she moves on at the end of February to become CEO of the Methodist Ministers Housing Society.
Mairi’s journey through A Rocha UK started at a meeting with former Chair Richard Hall. He visited Mairi early in 2010 to persuade her to become a trustee. She ended up becoming CEO.
She said one of her greatest pleasures was how she’s been able to use that mix of her own qualifications and experience to help strengthen the organisation, particularly its financial base. ‘It’s been my absolute privilege to lead A Rocha UK through some very interesting times,’ said Mairi. ‘It was important for us, a couple of years ago, to develop a new strategy – and we did that.
Despite continuing cash pressures on British households, A Rocha UK supporters have managed to raise around £80,000 for the charity’s ongoing work – as well as backing a special project.
They have given generously in two recent campaigns. They donated £60,000 through The Big Appeal for core funding – in a combination of one-off gifts and increased or new standing orders. They gave a further £20,000 through The Big Give and accompanying magazine appeal for new nature reserve Foxearth.
The Big Appeal saw 30 staff, trustees and volunteers engaging with supporters via phone and email. The Big Give is a matched funding scheme.
‘It’s been humbling to be on the receiving end of such affirmation,’ CEO Mairi Johnstone said of The Big Appeal. ‘I want to thank our supporters for responding so positively. It shows how well they understand the cost of running a national charity.