WILTSHIRE Community Foundation chief executive, Rosemary Macdonald, has graduated after receiving an MSc in charity finance accounting from the University of London CASS business school.
The graduation was a fitting celebration after two years of giving up weekends to study for the part-time course, which broadened her knowledge in accounting, resource management and charity governance.
Rosemary, who lives in Westbury Leigh and last year celebrated her tenth year at the helm of the community foundation, said she undertook the course for a number of reasons. “It was a long time since I had done any training,” she said. “I wanted a new challenge, but I also wanted to do something that would be useful to the charity as well.
“I found that all of the things that I was learning helped me at work and I learnt that all of things day-to-day things you do in an organisation, like planning, appraisals and strategy meetings all link together.”
As part of the course she spent a week in Canada, shadowing the Toronto and Hamilton community foundations.
There were four written exams within the course, the first of which brought a shock to the system for Rosemary.
“It was many years since I’d done anything like that so it was tough having to write for three hours. The first thing I learned was to have three different shaped pens because holding the same one for such a long time makes your hand ache,” she said.
“But once I’d got through that first exam I was able to deal with the rest.”
Her husband Fraser and daughter Lizzie were with her at the graduation at the Barbican in London. “It was a lovely day and the whole two years was a great experience I’d recommend to anyone,” she said. “There was a really good mix of people on the course and I made a lot of friends.”
