NSPCC’s fundraising director, Paul Farthing has left the organisation after more than three years in the role, the children’s charity has confirmed.
A spokesman for the charity told Civil Society News Farthing’s departure comes as a result of the organisation’s “new five year strategy” and “realignment” of its marketing and fundraising activity.
“As such our current fundraising director has decided to move on after three years with the NSPCC to pursue new opportunities,” the spokesman said.
The charity said it could not reveal more information about Farthing’s departure at this time.
His departure comes as the Fundraising Standards Board publishes a highly critical report into the charity’s fundraising practices.
The charity – along with other high-profile charities - was criticised by the FRSB in January, for giving pensioner Olive Cooke insufficient opportunities to opt out of direct mailings. A Daily Mail article several months earlier also accused the NSPCC and three other charities of exploiting loopholes in Telephone Preference Service rules.
In July 2015, the paper criticised Farthing and other fundraising directors over their salaries, alongside the headline “£100,000-a-year bosses driving cold-call menace”.
According to Farthing’s Linkedin profile, he left the organisation in April after three years in the post. The post will be covered by Nigel Spencer, head of individual giving, on an interim basis, until a permanent replacement can be found.
Spencer’s Linkedin profile states that he took on the role of “acting director of fundraising” in May and that he was “asked to cover the vacant fundraising director position, responsible for the fundraising and marketing efforts to win and retain support from UK companies and individuals through a range of charity fundraising channels and techniques”.
“I am responsible to the chief executive and trustees for the effective utilisation of a substantial marketing budget, to generate the necessary donations and support to achieve the strategic goals of the organisation, to fight for every childhood, and make millions of children safer,” he said.
