Senior Fundraising Manager shortlisted for prestigious award

Debbie Henshaw, Senior Fundraising Manager at Cornwall Air Ambulance, has been shortlisted in the ‘Outstanding Individual in Legacy Fundraising’ category at the prestigious Smee & Ford Legacy Giving Awards 2023.

The awards shine a light on the successes and achievements of legacy administration and legacy fundraising individuals and teams who go over and above in the charity sector.

Cornwall Air Ambulance provides the helicopter emergency medical service for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. It costs over £6million a year to provide this lifesaving service and keep your charity running. Each year the crew is called out to over 1,000 emergency missions and Gifts in Wills fund around one third of those missions.

Debbie Henshaw leads the legacy giving and has ensured the income has more than doubled in the five years since she joined Cornwall Air Ambulance. Since 2018 Debbie has managed over £12million in legacy donations, which included the largest single legacy income your charity has ever received.

Senior Fundraising Manager at Cornwall Air Ambulance, Debbie Henshaw, said: “Working for Cornwall Air Ambulance was always a life ambition of mine, to give back to the service that saved my dad’s life. During my time with the charity I’ve really enjoyed helping to strengthen the legacy brand of the organisation, by creating new online resources for Gifts in Wills and In Memory donations.

“Now being selected as a finalist for this award really is an honour, as the entries were reviewed and assessed by a judging panel made up of some of the biggest names from across the charitable legacies community. I’m so pleased to have been able to make such a difference to the charity over the past five years.”

The finalists have been selected based on matching the criteria for Excellence, Innovation, and Impact and attributing scores against a transparent system aimed at recognising and rewarding inspirational legacy teams and individuals.

The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in London on the 27th April.

A gift in a Will is a simple yet meaningful way to ensure Cornwall Air Ambulance can continue its lifesaving work in this generation and the next. You can find out more about leaving a legacy here: https://cornwallairambulancetrust.org/remember-a-charity/

You can make or update your Will here.