Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama & Hugh James

The Arts Organisation 

Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama (RWCMD)

The Development Need

Sara West, RWCMD’s Development Officer, wished to work with a mentor to act as a sounding board, providing an objective perspective and helping her to develop her understanding of the legalities around wills and legacy giving.

The Adviser

Roman Kubiak, Partner and Head of the Contested Wills, Trusts and Estates Department at Hugh James.

The Development Need

Roman wished to give something back in a meaningful and tangible way, while gaining a greater understanding of another sector.  He also wished to develop his mentoring skills and use the learning to benefit his own team.

The Result

For RWCMD:

• Free-of-charge access to Roman’s specialist advice, including pro bono work on a will dispute which resulted in a likely large lump-sum payment to the College
• Increased understanding of tax implications and legal structures associated with financial donations
• Roman’s input into a cultivation event which led to further legacy pledges for the College

For Roman:

• Developed coaching skills, which has already benefitted his team at Hugh James
• Greater understanding of the inner workings of RWCMD and the wider arts sector
• Great satisfaction and personal enjoyment from seeing the impact of his guidance

The Endorsement 

This relationship has been extremely valuable to me. Sara has become a personal friend and someone with whom I can see myself working into the future. I’m also delighted to have had the pleasure of working closely with her fantastic colleagues at the college. I’ve found the whole thing to be a truly rewarding experience and one which has really brought me a lot of personal and professional development. Roman Kubiak