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- Volunteer with us

We have lots of opportunities throughout the year for you to use your skills, ideas, energy and enthusiasm to help Cecily's Fund raise funds and to be seen and heard by more people.

 

Specific Volunteer Opportunties:

IT Office Support:

We are looking for somebody with a background in IT who could offer support to our small office of 6 staff near to Witney from time to time.  We are seeking someone, preferably local, who would be able to assist with any IT problems which might involve a visit to the office occasionally and advice over the phone. Please contact us if you are interested.

 

 

Why volunteer?

 

Volunteer run a stall at Cecily's Fund's annual picnicWhether you're you're looking for a new career or just a break from your normal routine, volunteering is a great way to meet people, learn new skills, get work experience - or just experience something new and different. Here a group of volunteers (in the distinctive orange Cecily's Fund t-shirts!) run a busy stall at Cecily's Fund's annual picnic in the grounds of an Oxfordshire manor house. School leavers and college graduates; impress prospective universities or employers by adding volunteering experience to your CV!

 

Whatever your abilities, age and committments and however much or little time you can spare, we can always find something valuable for you to do at specific events in the office, or from home! Scroll down for a few examples:

 

Contact us to find out more!  We're more than happy to just have a chat before you decide whether or not to commit yourself!

 

How being a volunteer can lead to managing Cecily's Fund!

"I had wanted to work in some capacity in international development since the age of 14 - long before I knew there was a term to describe it... I spent all of my holidays volunteering in the UK and in Africa." says Cecily's Fund manager, Caroline Horne in an interview with International Service.

 

 

Caroline's career in international deveopment began when she took up a voluntary post in West Africa for International Service. Read an interview with her about her experiences and how it helped her get where she is today.

 

Our Wonderful Current Volunteers:

  • Ann Gray - General office work and supporter relations
  • Hayley Martyn-Fisher - Corporate fundraising and events
  • Nicolette Craig - Communications and schools support
  • Charlie Burnett Rae - Temporary Office support

What do volunteers say about the experience?

Cecily's Fund volunteer, Gabriel posing by the pyramids in his Cecily's Fund t-shirt

Gabriel Schenk volunteered in the office and at events in the summer of 2010, and is now helping from home to update this website.

“At the start of my time with Cecily's Fund," says Gabriel, "I was able to meet Paul, a Zambian man who has been supported by Cecily’s Fund, and now runs the charity’s Peer Health Education programme. Through meeting Paul and talking to the charity’s trustees I have learnt a great deal about Zambia, and the important work that Cecily’s Fund is doing in that country. Cecily’s Fund is a friendly charity that draws you in: although I only started here to have some work experience, I now feel a strong connection to the organisation and the work it does.”

 

Work Experience Students

In the summer 2010 we were fortune enough to have two work experience students in the office for a week each.

  • Mary Broughton from Cheney School wanted to gain an insight into the charity sector which she is interested in going into. Good luck Mary with starting sixth form this year.
  • Sarah Nicholls from Oxford School High will start applying to university this year and hopes to study International Relations and so wanted to work at and organisation within international development. We also wish Sarah well with the university applying.

 

In 2009 Molly did a week of work experience with us. Read Molly's blog about her week of work experience in Cecily's Fund's office.

  

Volunteering opportunities 

 Volunteer at events:

  • May 2011: Friends of Cecily's Fund gathering - London. We are planning a panel discussion and reception at a prestigious London venue in early May and need volunteers to help organise and support the event on the night. Date and details to be confirmed. 
  • Organise fundraising events. Use your organisational flair and your networks of friends, family and colleagues to organise events - big or small - that raise money... they will also enrich your life experience and boost your CV!

Volunteer in our office:

  • If you have specialist skills in fundraising, IT, HR, international development, education etc, we would be interested in hearing from you as we are always looking to improve how we run our organisation.

  • There are always jobs to do around the office, including data entry, market research, organising our picture library, and so on.
  • Twice a year, we need help preparing our summer and winter mail-outs to supporters.

 

Volunteer, Helin Taylor, who helped design Cecily's Fund's Christmas cardsHelin Taylor helped to design our Christmas card in 2008.

NB. Our office is in a small rural business centre near Witney in Oxfordshire. You will usually need your own transport to get here, although lifts can sometimes be arranged with staff from Oxford. Some tasks could be done from home.

 

Volunteer from home:

  • Be a networker! Use your network of friends, family, colleagues etc to help increase the number of Cecily's Fund supporters - the more supporters we have, the more orphans and vulnerable children we can help.
  • Contact your local press for publicity about Cecily's Fund events or your local businesses about sponsoring Cecily's Fund. Talk to us first and we'll brief you on the most effective way to approach them and what information to give them.
  • Become a Cecily's Fund speaker at your local school, community centre, social group etc. We can give you training in public speaking and provide materials for your talks.
  • Form a 'Cecily's Circle' - get together with four friends and set yourself some goals for the year; personal goals (eg run a marathon, lose a stone, learn how to organise an event), group goals (eg recruit 20 more supporters for Cecily's Fund, work together to do three fundraising events in the year) and fundraising goals (eg raise £1,000 for Cecily's Fund!).

 

We're looking forward to hearing from you!
 

Cecily's Fund, Unit C6 New Yatt Business Centre, New Yatt, Witney OX29 6TJ, UK
Registered Charity No. 1071660. Tel: 01993 869005. E-mail us.