Stepping in to provide urgent maternity PA cover after a hiring setback
John Ellerman Foundation is a grantmaking foundation supporting UK charities with initiatives in the arts, environment, and social action. The Foundation offers flexible funding to enhance people’s wellbeing in areas they need it most. Its small, high-performing team is led by Director Sufina Ahmad, who was awarded an MBE in 2020 for charitable services, and Finance and Operations Manager Mark Hart.
The Foundation relies on meticulous diary management to keep up with their demanding roles. When the Foundation’s Executive Assistant (EA) went on maternity leave, they went down the traditional contract route to find a replacement. However, the temporary EA left a few months into the year-long contract, leaving the whole team in need of urgent EA support.
With limited time and resources, the Foundation needed a fast, high-quality solution – and that’s where Virtually Priceless came in. We spoke to Mark about how our support impacted the company and he said:
“We wanted someone that from day one could pick it up and run with it. From our perspective, it worked really well.
Mark Hart, Finance & Operations Manager
If we were in the same situation again, we wouldn’t hesitate to come back to Virtually Priceless because it’s a lot easier than getting someone in for a year’s contract.”
The problem: The Foundation needed urgent support for the remainder of the maternity cover
The sudden departure of their contracted EA created an immediate need for cover. But hiring someone – even on a contract basis – takes time, resources, and energy the team didn’t have.
Mark explains “We didn’t think it was worth going out to market again, advertising the role, and interviewing someone because we thought by the time we’ve done that, Lauren (their permanent employee) is going to be back from maternity”.
At this point, Sufina reached out to Virtually Priceless after hearing high praise and being strongly recommended by our client, Scott Nixon of City Bridge Foundation. Sufina met with Holly and Victoria to discuss what they needed and how a virtual assistant (VA) could help. With a bump in the road already, Mark says they just needed someone who could come in and get on with it, so they didn’t have any further setbacks.
Although he was “a bit dubious” as outsourced VA support is not something he’s come across before, Mark said that during the onboarding process, “Victoria explained how everything works really well”. After the onboarding conversation to clarify expectations and responsibilities, he put his trust in us.
The solution: Seamless PA cover to ensure continuity and organisation for key foundation staff
At Virtually Priceless, when your business needs support, we match you with the best-fit candidate – in both skills and personality. We matched the Foundation with Nadia, a VA with experience in similar organisations and skilled in managing high-level executive tasks.
Nadia took on key responsibilities, including:
- Scheduling and diary management – meticulously managing Sufina’s schedule, prioritising and handling meeting requests as meetings are usually booked months in advance.
- Board and trustee liaison – establishing regular meetings with key personnel to maintain communication. This included taking minutes, preparing summaries, and ensuring all pre and post-meeting tasks were seamlessly executed.
- Documentation and admin support – compiling comprehensive reports of team activities for board presentations and informing stakeholders.
The result: Flexible VA support that was better than expected and came with “minimum fuss”
With support from Virtually Priceless, the Foundation avoided another lengthy hiring process. Mark said Nadia quickly adapted to the role and “hit the ground running.” The virtual setup proved efficient, negating the need for a full-time replacement or long-term contracts, and they adjusted hours as needed.
Mark told us: “We wanted someone who could come in from day one and get on with it with minimum fuss, and that’s exactly what Nadia delivered. The experience was really valuable – and better than I thought it would be.
If we were in the same situation again, we wouldn’t hesitate to come back. I’d have no hesitation recommending Virtually Priceless for anyone needing maternity cover without the hassle of long contracts.”
It’s always great to hear happy customers – and we love stepping in to make our clients’ lives easier with seamless VA support.
Immediately efficient and flexible support with Virtually Priceless
Supporting John Ellerman Foundation’s team was a pleasure. We provided an efficient, adaptable EA solution, supporting their mission to continue to have a positive impact on charities across the UK.
If your business needs high-level maternity cover or interim support, we offer flexible assistance to ensure continuity – even during times of urgent or unexpected transition.
Contact us for a free, no-obligation 30-minute call to explore how we can support your business needs.