Charity Champion

Tracy Rudling knows what it is like to face adversity and this gives her great empathy with the people who are supported by the Essex charities she champions as chief executive of Colchester-based Community360

- Nicky Adams

Little did Tracy Rudling know that taking part in a half marathon to benefit a good cause would be the first step towards a long career in the charity sector.

‘From a young age I was a very keen runner,’ says Tracy. ‘I completed several runs to raise money for charity because even then I recognized that charities can make a very big difference in people’s lives.’

It was this thought that she revisited when her chosen career as a management accountant began to pall. ‘I was dreading the daily commute and feeling that I had no passion for my job,’ she explains. ‘I realized I wanted to feel good about the work I was doing, so I made the life-changing decision to give up a well-paid career in industry to follow my dream of working in the charity sector.’

Tracy joined the five-strong team at Colchester Community Voluntary Services – since re-named Community360 – and for the past 26 years has co-ordinated the work of Essex charities and voluntary organizations to help them to offer as much support as possible to local people.

‘Community360 has been running since 1968 as an independent, charitable infrastructure organization whose aim is to inspire groups to seize opportunities and become more enterprising and sustainable,’ she explains. ‘It exists to assist members of the public and VCOs (voluntary and community organizations) by providing passionate, intelligent leadership as well as practical information, advice, and support, which can range from establishing relationships with statutory groups to guiding local voluntary initiatives.