The Context
Pathway Fund emerged as the first wholesaler specifically designed to support Black and ethnically minoritised organisations across the UK. With a clear mission to be an antithesis to traditional social impact distributors, Pathway Fund sought to deliver real investment and real change. However, at its embryonic stage, the organisation lacked a cohesive communications identity and strategy.

My Role
I was appointed as Communications Director to shape and establish the organisation’s public presence from the ground up. Recognising that early design work had not aligned with the ambition and scale of Pathway Fund’s mission — or its relationships with government and sector stakeholders — I intervened before the visual identity became entrenched. I brought in a specialist team to create a new brand identity and built the organisation’s first website, providing a platform that reflected the professionalism, credibility and boldness of its vision.

I also consulted on the organisation’s first flagship project, the Racial Equity Scorecard, ensuring that language and messaging handled sensitive topics with the necessary nuance and authority. In addition, I shaped the narrative for key stakeholder engagements, including curating a formal stakeholder dinner where every supplier and venue choice reinforced the organisation’s mission — working with Black-owned businesses, Black-owned florists, and hosting events in national heritage institutions such as Black Cultural Archives.

The Journey
The project required working to internal deadlines shaped by delays that preceded my involvement. There was also the broader challenge of navigating a new and untested space in the sector. However, I saw this as an opportunity rather than an obstacle, approaching the work with clarity, structure and a deep sensitivity to both external perception and internal culture.

Rather than imposing a finished product, I facilitated an inclusive internal process for choosing the brand identity, ensuring that the small team felt genuine ownership of the final communications direction — reinforcing internal alignment, loyalty and cultural coherence.

The Result
The outcome was a strong, professional brand identity that Pathway Fund continues to use today. It set the tone for how stakeholders, including government departments, perceived the organisation — signalling credibility, care and a deep alignment with its stated values. I was able to redirect the organisation’s early communications and identity work without exceeding the budget, dramatically improving the visual and strategic foundation that Pathway Fund operates from today.

My goal was not simply to design communications tools but to help weave the organisation’s values into every part of its external and internal presence.