We are delighted to welcome our new Fundraising Officer, Kim Jordan, to the HOLG team, bringing with her experience across fundraising, community support, safeguarding, childcare and specialist trauma counselling.

A lifelong Kent resident, Kim grew up in Gravesend and now lives in Medway, maintaining strong links with communities across the county. Her varied career has included eight years in retail and corporate finance, six years working as a Detective Constable with Kent Police, eight years running an Ofsted-rated “Outstanding” childcare provision and, for the past decade, providing specialist trauma counselling to both children and adults in a number of different areas.

Today, Kim supports children aged four and above, as well as adults across Kent affected by crime, through her counselling work with Rubicon Cares, a specialist trauma‑counselling charity. She also provides trauma counselling for the Police Firearms Officers Association, supports Kent Police officers and staff, and is affiliated with the NHS Primary Care Gambling Service, helping people experiencing gambling addiction. Alongside her professional experience, she has specialist training and lived experience of neurodivergence, giving her valuable insight into the impact trauma can have on people with additional needs.

Kim has also been part of the HOLG family as a volunteer since 2016, supporting children during our bereavement weekends and working alongside parents and carers. Having seen first-hand the difference our clinical bereavement support makes, joining the team in a fundraising role felt like a natural next step.

She said: “I’ve seen the effects that unresolved trauma and grief can have on people and how significantly they can impact mental health, wellbeing and future opportunities.

“Supporting children and their families through the fantastic work Holding On Letting Go does has been an absolute privilege. It’s enabled me to see just how vital these interventions are in helping young people navigate their grief and continue to thrive throughout their lives.”

Kim also has a personal reason for working with us, “I always aim to attend the Christmas bereavement weekend, as I lost my nan on Boxing Day when I was young,” she says. “Being part of a team that’s able to help give these children and their families an opportunity to experience Christmas again is incredibly personal and rewarding.”

Through both her counselling work and her time as a HOLG volunteer, Kim has seen how early support can make a lasting difference to children and families experiencing bereavement.

“Providing support and interventions at a time when children and their families need it most is key to reducing the long-term impact of experiencing the death of someone very special to you,” she says.

In her new fundraising role, Kim is looking forward to raising awareness of our vital work, developing new fundraising opportunities, and strengthening relationships with businesses, organisations and community groups across Kent. She also hopes to build a wider network of volunteer fundraisers to help ensure HOLG can continue providing much-needed support to bereaved children and their families for years to come. Everything we do is funded through donations, grants and legacies – there is no government funding, so meeting people, sharing what we do and the stories of who we help will be Kim’s role.

If you’d like to speak with Kim about becoming a volunteer fundraiser, or would like to donate, appoint us as your company’s charity of the year or get involved in another way, you can reach Kim on email:
fundraising@holg.org.uk