A day in the life of an Executive Director

Kathi, a former pupil of St Patrick’s High and Banbridge Academy, is the executive director of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund UK.

She has worked for the organisation set up by Mr Mandela to support charities and community based organisations in South Africa for 17 years, meeting the former president on numerous occasions.

The reach of the charity’s work is wide - helping children orphaned through HIV/AIDS, counselling and protecting those who have been abused or at risk of abuse and making sure that the communities in which they live are stronger in the long term.

Kathi started working in administrating fundraising activities before taking up her current post in 2001.

I don’t have a typical day and it is impossible to predict what’s going to happen. I normally get up at 5am and do an hour’s work.

South Africa is two hours ahead so that’s why I am awake so early. I go to the gym at 6am and this is a great way for me to think about what I have to do that day.

I head to my office in central London and will have my first meeting of the day at 8.30am.

The main purpose of the charity is to fundraise for and publicise the work of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund in South Africa.

We also work with schools throughout the UK as part of our advocacy and citizenship programme.

We work with a wide range of donors- individuals, schools, faith groups, companies and trusts across the UK.

At 10.30am I will have a team meeting with the staff and go through plans and what work everyone is working on. The rest of the day is spent in meetings about fundraising.

I have to be flexible in my role as I do have to attend functions in the evening at weekends.

I am also involved with the Integrated Education Fund too so this takes up some of my free time.

Once I am finished for the day I head home and catch up with friends and family.

I speak to my family back home in Northern Ireland every day.

My dad told me about Mr Mandela but never in a million years did I think I would end up working for him.

I fell into it and it is such an honour. Mr Mandela was an extraordinary man, a world icon, a symbol, but also a man who had strengths and weaknesses and someone who never worked as a lone agent.