About Bethany

Hi, I’m Bethany. Where shall I begin?

In 2020, I trained as a coach and founded Awen Coaching, drawing from over a decade of firsthand experience working in International Development, Culture & Arts organisations, including the British Red Cross, Wales Millennium Centre, and Frank Water. Throughout my career, I've come to understand the challenges that often accompany working in the charity sector.

My leadership skills, compassion and proactive approach have allowed me to raise significant funds through Individual Giving, Membership, and Major Gifts. However, it was during this time that I personally experienced burnout, realising the toll work was taking on my well-being, my colleagues and my loved ones, I sought coaching.

With a deep passion for nurturing, inspiring, and empowering others, I decided to create my coaching business centred around this ethos. I find true fulfilment in coaching, training, and mentoring charity professionals, guiding them to overcome burnout and make their purposeful work possible again.

My clients have described me as compassionate, dedicated, and nurturing. Creating a safe and supportive space for charity professionals to align with their values, discuss their challenges, set and achieve their goals, and invest in themselves is something I truly love.

Alongside my Coaching Support, Team Development Programmes and Workshop Facilitation, I am also accredited by C-me Colour Profiling, offering additional insights into personal development. If this is of interest, feel free to reach out!

Outside of work, I find joy in family life. I live on the outskirts of Bristol with my husband Alex, daughter Rosalie and son Rupert. Together, we embrace nature and enjoy gardening, swimming, and visiting National Trust sites. I truly value the work-life balance my husband and I have created together, as it allows us to appreciate our personal and professional lives.

Thanks ever so much for visiting my website, and I look forward to speaking with you soon.

Why work with me?

Because I’ve been there, with over a decade of experience in the charity sector, including roles at the British Red Cross, Wales Millennium Centre, and Frank Water, I've gained deep insights into the unique challenges faced by people working for charities.

Having personally experienced burnout, I founded Awen Coaching in 2020 to provide coaching, training, and support to those working in the charity sector.

My compassionate, dedicated, and nurturing approach creates a safe space for people to align with their values, address challenges, and achieve their goals.

Let's work together to ensure that the people who make it all possible can have a sustainable positive impact.

Work with me

Collage of people at various events, including groups of women and men, some holding banners, celebrating milestones like a 15th anniversary, and participating in charity or social gatherings.

Bethany Helliwell-Smith, a Charity Coach with red hair, smiling and leaning against a wall in Bristol city.

My Mission

My mission is to help Fundraisers and Freelancers Do Good and Be Well, creating a healthier, more sustainable charity sector where people can succeed without sacrificing their well-being, and organisations can thrive with resilience and purpose.

My Values

Collaboration

Meaningful change happens when we work together. Collaboration sits at the heart of everything I do, whether through coaching, facilitation, or connecting via podcasts, conferences and webinars. I love creating spaces where people can share experiences, learn from one another and feel part of something bigger than themselves.

Compassion

Compassion guides everything I do. It’s about being kind to ourselves and recognising that we can’t pour from an empty cup. I help my clients approach their work and well-being with empathy and self-awareness, creating space to rest, reset and rebuild without guilt.

Curiosity

Curiosity keeps us learning and growing. It helps us see beyond the obvious, question old habits and uncover new ways of working that feel more aligned and sustainable. In my coaching, I encourage curiosity as a means to explore innovative ideas and approaches that support both your impact and well-being.

Creativity

Creativity enables us to view challenges in new ways and devise innovative solutions. My coaching combines vision with practicality, helping you discover approaches that truly align with you and your mission. It might mean using a visual roadmap to plan your next steps, rethinking how you spend your week, or designing new ways of working that allow you to do good and be well.

Bethany Helliwell-Smith, a Charity Coach with shoulder-length red hair, wearing a white long-sleeve shirt and a dark sleeveless top, with her arms crossed and smiling at the camera.

Awen?

Awen, pronounced Ah-when, is a Welsh, Cornish and Breton word meaning inspiration. The word carries a sense of creative flow and purpose, something deeply connected to how I work.

Having spent childhood holidays in France, begun my career in Wales, and married my husband, Alex, in Cornwall, Awen feels like the golden thread that ties together many of the places and experiences that have shaped me.

Who I work with…