Phil Davies Senior Manager

What has been your career path so far?

Whilst studying Classics at University, I was involved in running the student union. One thing that surprised me was how many of the activities depended so heavily on the effective (or sometimes not so effective) running of the union’s finances.

Balancing the books was not a key area of the Classics syllabus, but I learned a lot about the administrative side of student life through the union. When I saw the role advertised at Sayer Vincent, I thought it would be a great chance to find out all the things I had been doing wrong and then help others to avoid similar pitfalls.

What do you enjoy about the charity sector?

The challenges facing the charity sector are much more diverse than I could have imagined and yet it is full of passionate people determined to face up to these challenges and grow through them. I enjoy helping charities achieve their goals, no matter how small my contribution is.

Tell us something people may not know

Sometimes my contributions to the sector take on a more physical form! A couple of years ago I did a 100 km walk along the Thames Path to raise money for a children’s hospital. I am determined to take it on again and get my time under 23 hours; I am just waiting for my feet to finally forgive me.

What do you get up to outside of work?

I am more of a ‘relaxing by doing’ person, so time away is more likely to involve views from the top of a mountain than views of the pool. Feet permitting of course…