In Your Shoes - Shelley McCarthy

I came into post as the new Charity Chief Officer in May 2023, following a career shaping innovative and dynamic processes supporting social enterprise, employability and external funding.  Supporting the community through this health-related work is a genuine privilege and massively rewarding.  

My background is in Economics which has provided a solid foundation for my career and posts I have held in the public and third sector. 

Monday

From funding innovative health projects to overseeing investments and climbing ship masts for charity, no two days look the same for the team at NHS Tayside Charitable Foundation. The Foundation’s mission is simple but powerful: enabling healthier lives for people across Tayside by informing, funding and supporting partners who improve health outcomes in their communities. In practice, that makes for a wonderfully varied working week. This week started with the opening of our Funding Programme, a scheme that has grown significantly over the past three years, investing more than £12 million in projects across Tayside. The most recent round had a budget of £650,000 but attracted requests totalling more than £9 million, which says a lot about the scale of need within our communities. https://nhstayside.foundation/apply-for-funding We support innovative and preventative projects delivered by NHS teams, charities and community organisations across Angus, Dundee and Perth & Kinross. From mental health initiatives to community wellbeing programmes, it’s incredibly rewarding to review proposals that could genuinely change lives. We also had a visit to Fairfield Community hub and it was incredible to see the variety of work underway there from the food larder, community café, craft and chat sessions to combat social isolation and a variety of sports for all abilities and ages.

Tuesday

A large part of my role involves working with our passionate team to shape funding programmes, drive fundraising activity and ensure that the money entrusted to us by donors, patients, families and supporters is used where it will make the greatest impact. That means a mix of strategy meetings, partnership conversations and of course, plenty of spreadsheets. On Tuesday we had our Team meeting up at Dundee United Football Club followed by a tour of the community facilities. I try to have our team meetings at different projects to enable to whole team to see the projects we’re supporting and impact that it has. The afternoon was a mix of writing committee papers, Teams calls about our partnership with other funders and our aspiration to grow the volunteering offer across Tayside.

Wednesday

A day checking in on our portfolio! One of the most interesting aspects of my job comes from my background as an economist, managing and overseeing our investment portfolio. We work closely with our investment managers, Evelyn Partners, to ensure our funds are responsibly invested while generating sustainable returns. Those returns allow us to fund even more projects that improve health and wellbeing across Tayside, so it’s a fascinating intersection between finance and social impact. The finance function at the core of the Foundation is crucial for the effective running of the programmes. Wednesday afternoon was an exciting one with an invite to the Carers Centre wellbeing lunch which was a great opportunity to network, check in with some applicants and hear more about the amazing work underway by Dundee Carers Centre.

Thursday

Alongside my role in Tayside, I also chair the national network of NHS-linked charities across Scotland. It’s something I genuinely love being part of. While each charity operates within its own community and priorities, we share many of the same opportunities and challenges. The network is incredibly supportive and it’s great to work alongside colleagues who are all committed to improving health and wellbeing across the country. Fundraising is another vital part of what we do. We’re fortunate to have incredible support from individuals and communities across Tayside, it would be amazing to include more businesses in this work hint hint!. Events such as the Kiltwalk see hundreds of local people walking to raise funds that directly support health and wellbeing initiatives in our communities. On Thursday Sam the Chair of our Board and myself were invite to the Dundee FC support group for people with prostate cancer and fundraising really helps to keep these groups going. We’re particularly excited about a new fundraising event launching this year, Climb the Mast, taking place on 27 September (sign up at tay.nhstcf@nhs.scot). Participants will have the opportunity to scale the iconic rigging of the RRS Discovery in Dundee, all while raising funds to support our work.

Friday

I’ve had the privilege of visiting community initiatives tackling loneliness, projects supporting people with Parkinson’s and dementia and innovative spaces helping people improve their mental wellbeing. Meeting the people delivering these programmes and the individuals whose lives are being improved is a constant reminder of why our work matters. Running a charitable foundation linked to the NHS means we sit in a unique space between healthcare, community organisations and philanthropy. It’s a role that requires collaboration, curiosity and a willingness to think differently about how we improve health and wellbeing. As you have seen my diary might include everything from investment meetings, site visits, report writing or being Scrubs our mascot the goal remains the same: helping people across Tayside live healthier, better and longer lives. For more information about the Foundation and the projects we support visit https://nhstayside.foundation