Does your organisation need funding for a much-needed initiative or do you require effective project management & advice? If you are struggling to know where to start or need an additional boost I can help. I provide an affordable and flexible bid-writing service to attract external funding, as well as expert organisational advice to help both develop and deliver positive projects.

I have over 25 years experience of writing successful funding bids and developing thriving community & environmental projects that can really help support your organisation. My expertise working for a charity, being a parish councillor and delivering local community projects means that I fully understand how smaller bodies and organisations operate. Furthermore I am adept at working at a community level to cut through the sometimes bewildering processes – to deal quickly and effectively in sourcing funding or to achieve positive outcomes for what is needed locally.

By working closely with small organisations I can appraise projects to identify their requirements and/or locate the best funding sources available. This is particularly important for organisations that might not have the time, capacity and experience to apply for external funding or undertake challenging projects on their own.

I am based in the West Midlands and provide a free initial consultation. To enquire or discuss your requirements, contact me on 07970 425502 or via email on michael@mikedeeganconsulting.co.uk

My Experience

Consultant

As a consultant I have been able to utilise my experience to deliver a wide variety of high quality consultant services. I have produced grant applications and funding strategies for parish councils & charities, as well as feasibility reports for local nature reserve groups. 

I have also developed a portfolio of relevant training topics to local councils, charities and local organisations. I regularly deliver training webinars to several Parish Council Associations as part of their training programmes. In addition, I have also facilitated development days for small organisations and made presentations at seminar events.

Wildlife Trusts

My abilities as a consultant is built on my extensive experience in the Environmental, Community and Local Authority sectors. This includes 17 years at Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, where I developed numerous successful bids to secure funds in excess of £1.5 million from organisations such as the Heritage Lottery Fund, Landfill Communities Fund and Natural England.

I worked nationally at a strategic level on the early stages of the Living Landscapes project – a cutting-edge initiative to strategically address biodiversity losses. I also represented the Wildlife Trusts on a three-year Eurosite project, supporting five East European countries on wetland management-planning issues and community consultation.

Leader

Since 2014 I have been an active member of the Staffordshire LEADER Local Action Group. LEADER is an EU initiative to support rural development projects (at the local level) to revitalise rural areas and create jobs. We have awarded nearly £3 million to develop and deliver over 90 projects to rural areas across the county through community led regeneration.

Parish Councillor

As a councillor with Gnosall Parish Council from 2011-18 I demonstrated my skill at developing and implementing high-quality projects. Part of this success was down to my adeptness in establishing effective partnerships and liaising with stakeholders. Likewise I have an excellent understanding of managing project processes – from cost projections, developing work specifications, tendering/appointing contractors, overseeing budgets and ensuring the highest H&S standards.

Some of my achievements at Gnosall included: –

• Successfully generating £200,000 of external funding for community & sports initiatives – through packages of bids and generating partnership projects.
• Successfully generating £200,000 of external funding for community & sports initiatives – through packages of bids and generating partnership projects.
• Responsibility for the award winning Acres Community Initiative
• Helping initiate the Community Youth Club and Library. 
• Developing a Communications Strategy customized to enhance public communication (leading to a new newsletter, website and more effective marketing and PR) that went some way to ensure Quality Gold status in 2017 for the Parish Council.
• An active member of the Gnosall Neighbourhood Plan Working Group that successfully produced an approved plan in 2015. • Nomination for a Community Award in 2018.