TGt Meets...Francesca Potton of Diverse Abilities

In this TGt Meets, find out about Francesca Potton, the Community Fundraiser at Diverse Abilities.

Describe what Diverse Abilities do.

Diverse Abilities supports children and adults with disabilities across Dorset through a range of services throughout their lives.

What is your role and what are your day-to-day responsibilities?

Here at Diverse Abilities, I have the role of Community Fundraiser. I work with local community groups and individuals to talk about Diverse Abilities and to aid anyone who would like to “Do Something Amazing” and fundraise in aid of Diverse Abilities. No day looks the same, however, I’m usually talking about the charity to our lovely supporters, getting ready for our next big campaign and catching up with our supporters in the community. I also organise our Treecycling campaign! One role I pride myself in is educating in local schools about disabilities so children are aware of disabilities and how to integrate everyone into the community so that everyone is included.

What inspired you to be in the charity/voluntary sector?

I started in the charity when I was still at school. I worked in the short breaks team which provides family support in the holidays and weekends. I loved making a difference and I always knew I needed to do something meaningful no matter what I do, and Diverse Abilities fit right in with that. I stayed in the short breaks team until I finished university which is when I hopped across to fundraising. I have always been a talker! So, the perfect role for me was working with the community promoting a charity I am so emotionally invested in. I’ve been learning the ways of fundraising and still discovering new ideas and adapting to the role today. There is so much to fundraising and it keeps me on my toes, and that is what I love about it. I love being able to be a part of providing such a valuable service to over 1,500 individuals across Dorset.

When did you join Diverse Abilities and how has the charity changed since then?

I joined Diverse Abilities nearly 7 years ago and so much has changed yet the core has stayed the same, which I love. The charity’s morals and values line up with mine perfectly and that has never changed. Caring for the people we support is still at the heart of the charity even through a global pandemic! However the charity has grown and developed in all the best ways, we have seen children grow up and move to our transitions and adult services. We have also made a home in our new building, The Treehouse which has been an incredible step for the charity to be able to increase the amount of care given without lowering the quality.  

What has been the highlight of your role in 2024?

The highlight of 2024 has been growing our team of volunteers and being able to celebrate them with a summer BBQ where we had nearly 100 volunteers to say a big thank you to! Our volunteers are a big part of the charity that we are very grateful for and couldn’t do without them. Our volunteers do a wide role of jobs from being in our services, to gardening to leaflet dropping.

Name something you’re looking forward to for 2025?

I am looking forward to going into our 70th anniversary year where I am recruiting 70 runners as part of Team DA, to help keep us running for the next 70 years!

CLICK HERE to visit the Diverse Abilities website!