A Distinction, thousands of pounds raised and a newfound confidence: Lynnette Ballantyne's journey at Caring Together

From revenue-generating events to graduating with a Distinction, Lynnette's journey at Caring Together shows how hands-on fundraising training can reduce risk, raise more and build confidence that lasts.

Lynnette Ballantyne joined Caring Together, a leading local charity supporting unpaid carers of all ages, as a Community Fundraiser in September 2025. Since joining the charity, Lynnette has been involved in a variety of revenue-generating events and activities.

With her line manager, Senior Fundraising Manager Laura Price, and her apprenticeship training behind her, Lynnette built her knowledge of supporter stewardship, relationship building, planning, budgeting, risk and evaluating the success of fundraising activities.

One activity she took ownership of early on was the Huntingdon Inflatable 5K in April 2026, the first time Caring Together had taken part in the event. Rather than commit £2,500 upfront to a package for an untested event, Lynnette came up with a smarter plan.

She bought individual tickets at £33 each. Participants paid a £15 deposit and were challenged to raise at least £50 each in sponsorship. She started with just 10 tickets to gauge interest. They sold out quickly, so she added another 15. The result was a full team of 25 participants and £2,954 raised for Caring Together after all ticket costs, including Gift Aid.

"I wasn't simply looking at whether an event sounded fun or whether it could raise money," Lynnette explains. "I was considering financial risk, return on investment, participant engagement and how I could test an idea before committing more of the charity's money."

The event worked so well that a second Caring Together team is now taking part in the Norfolk Inflatable 5K, turning a first-time idea into something the charity can repeat and develop in other communities.

For Caring Together, the numbers tell their own story: 25 places filled, £2,954 raised from a single first-time event, a £2,500 upfront commitment avoided and a second team signed up in Norfolk. That is the power of pairing fundraising talent with the right training.

Laura has seen the difference firsthand: "She is a very capable and enthusiastic person but the training that The Juice Academy provided is what gave her the confidence to put her ideas into action. She now considers ROI and how her specialism of Community Fundraising fits into the wider fundraising strategy."

In August 2026, with the support of her coach Nichola Bonsall, Lynnette completed her End Point Assessment and achieved a Distinction. "Her patience, encouragement and belief in me made such a difference to my journey," she says of Nichola. "Today, I am much more confident making decisions, suggesting new ideas and explaining the reasoning behind them. I don't just know what I am doing, I have a much better understanding of why I am doing it."

At The Juice Academy Graduation 2026, SallyAnn Coleman, Managing Director of The Juice Academy, said an apprenticeship takes three things: an employer, a trainer and a learner. For Lynnette, those words rang true: "It really did take an employer, a trainer and a learner. Once I had all three working together, everything changed."

Connect with the team at Caring Together

Laura Price, Senior Fundraising Manager 

Lynnette Ballantyne, Community Fundraiser