I’m raising £4,250 to enrol in a CPD‑certified Operations Certification with the School of Operations, training that will allow me to build a sustainable career helping founders and community organisations strengthen their systems, processes and operations.

Over the years, I’ve supported many organisations in this space, but I’ve also become increasingly aware of the knowledge gaps that limit how far I can currently take that work. This certification will give me the frameworks, tools and operational depth needed to help organisations move from simply functioning to truly thriving.

Goal: £4,250 to fund the full certification.

My Story

For the past several years, my professional journey has been far from straightforward.

I’ve spent much of that time moving between freelance and short‑term roles, which, while meaningful in some ways, often didn’t provide the stability or income needed to build a secure future. Many of these roles were not fully aligned with my deeper strengths and skills, which meant that despite working hard and continuing to seek opportunities, my income and career path have often felt uncertain.

This created a cycle of taking work simply to get by, rather than being able to focus fully on the kind of work where I know I can make the greatest contribution.

But through all of these experiences, one thread has remained constant.

Operations.

Over the years I have supported around 20 founders and organisations, many of them grassroots initiatives and community‑focused projects. Often working behind the scenes, I’ve helped build systems, improve processes and support the operational foundations that allow organisations to function effectively.

One example of this was helping organise and coordinate a three‑day residential retreat for 38 participants, where I designed an operational system to manage logistics, team coordination and programme delivery. That system later became a repeatable framework which has since been adapted and used by other organisations and initiatives.

More recently, I have been working with New Beginnings, a small charity, supporting the founding team with improving their internal processes and operational structures so their work can run more smoothly and sustainably.

Through these experiences I’ve realised that operations has been the golden thread throughout my work. At the same time, I’ve also become aware that while I have practical experience, there are still knowledge gaps that limit how far I can currently support organisations as they grow.

This certification will help bridge that gap — giving me the structured training, frameworks and operational depth needed to help founders and teams take their organisations to the next level.

Experiences like these have shown me how powerful operational systems can be. When organisations have the right structures and processes in place, they are able to focus their energy on the impact they want to create.

I now want to fully commit to this path and develop a sustainable career in operations.

I have the opportunity to enrol in a CPD‑certified Operations Certification with the School of Operations, a programme designed to train operational leaders in building systems, processes and operational frameworks for growing organisations.

The course costs £4,250, and after several years of financial instability and periods of unemployment, funding this opportunity on my own is currently out of reach.

That is why I am reaching out to my wider community for support.

This training would allow me to deepen the work I’m already doing — helping founders, charities and organisations design the operational systems that allow their work to grow and thrive.

It would allow me to move from supporting organisations in smaller ways to becoming a fully equipped operational partner who can help them grow sustainably.

As we are also in the final nights of Ramadan, a time when many reflect on generosity, community and supporting meaningful causes, I felt encouraged to share this opportunity with my wider network. Much of the work I’ve done over the years has been with social impact and purpose‑driven organisations serving their communities, and I hope that this training will allow me to support these kinds of initiatives even more effectively in the future.

For me, this isn’t simply about gaining a certification.

It is about finally stepping into a career path that has been the golden thread throughout my work for many years, and investing in the skills that will allow me to support organisations and communities more effectively for the long term.

This training would allow me to move from supporting organisations in smaller ways to becoming a fully equipped operational partner who can help them grow sustainably.

If you feel able to contribute, even in a small way, it would mean a great deal and would bring me one step closer to reaching the £4,250 goal needed to enrol in the certification.

And if contributing isn’t possible right now, sharing this page with others who may be able to help is just as valuable.

Thank you for being part of this journey.

Much love and appreciation,

Zainab