About Action on Poverty
Action on Poverty works in partnership with communities in Sierra Leone, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya to build livelihoods and transform lives. We work with people living in extreme poverty so that they have the skills and resources to earn a living and achieve equality for all. Through accessing the vital skills and resources they need to earn a living and addressing the root causes of their poverty, the people we work with can act as changemakers in their communities and countries.
We’re a team of just 7 UK staff, the fundraising arm of which is situated in Bristol. This means we can commit a large percentage of our resources to our charitable activities, shifting money, capacity and, ultimately, power from donors directly to communities in East and West Africa.
Action on Poverty and Events
Action on Poverty has bold ambitions to grow our fundraising offer so that we can continue having the freedom, flexibility and funding to make sure we can run programmes that our partners tell us communities truly need, regardless of the changing whims of the wider international development funding landscape.
One of the key strategic areas we’re hoping to grow is events. Tom, our Fundraising and Communications Assistant is responsible for growing this area, but, in order to raise as much money as possible and take advantage of the diverse opportunities and engaged audience that Bristol represents, we will need extra hands and extra brains.
The events committee will have a broad and open remit, with some scope to shape the role according to your skills and interests and the possibility of bringing your own fundraising ideas to life with support from our fundraising team. Event ideas that are currently in the works include a comedy night and a film screening, as well as challenge events ranging from local runs or cycles to overseas mountain climbs.
Being a member of the committee could involve everything from the practical aspects of running these events—checking tickets, securing raffle prizes from corporate donors and the night runs smoothly—to taking up advisory roles on how we can develop our event offerings and ensure we’re getting as much value as possible from them. We would also encourage you to draw on your own networks and knowledge to get the word out about Action on Poverty and make the most of the opportunities you have access to.
Purpose of the Events Committee
The events committee will be tasked with helping Action on Poverty to grow our events as needed to raise as much money as possible for the charity. The events committee will:
- Advise on events strategy and plan an exciting calendar of events
- Share bold new ideas and honest feedback on the events strategy, how to market events, where to host them and how we can fundraise more money for people living in poverty
- Assist with planning and preparation for events, from contacting venues and suppliers, securing raffle prizes, boosting ticket sales or whatever may be needed
- Boost the publicity and generate interest in our events, from sharing with friends and networks to getting the word out at your University, workplace, community groups and more
- Provide hands-on support during events, enabling the smooth running of all aspects of the event
- Raise awareness of Action on Poverty’s work and make connections from your own personal networks and beyond
- Be a source of positivity, encouragement and problem-solving for everyone involved in the Event Volunteer Committee
Who we are looking for
We are looking for someone who can offer some or all of the following:
- Support on the development and promotion of events
- Dependable, on-hand support delivering events, where possible, including handling donations, assisting set up, running stalls
- Enthusiasm for Action on Poverty’s work, international development and supporter fundraising, and the ability to sell Action on Poverty’s mission to potential donors
- Commitment to Action on Poverty’s values and approach, and motivation to help Action on Poverty unlock the potential of events fundraising
It is preferable—though not, by any means, essential—that candidates have experience in fundraising or of delivering events of different kinds. As the description above notes, there is some scope to shape the role according to your own proficiencies and if you think you can offer something not included on that list, we’d love to hear from you!
Time Commitment
The group will meet via Zoom at least every 4 weeks, though this will likely be more frequent around events as per need and availability. Volunteers must be able to dedicate approx. 4 hours per month to the committee, though this is flexible. Months where events are taking place will take more time, depending on what your responsibilities are for that event.
Benefits
As part of the Events Committee, you will be helping Action on Poverty to expand our audience and generate crucial funding that will ultimately enable us to grow our work with people living in debilitating poverty. The long-term impact of this will be improving lives and livelihoods for people in Sierra Leone, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya. This is a unique way to have a profound and meaningful impact through a voluntary role.
You will also
- Gain experience in international development and learn about the sector from inside a small NGO—international development can be a notoriously tricky sector to get into and volunteering with us is one way to gain understanding and experience which will be relevant no matter where you want to end up in the sector.
- Network professionally with peers with similar interests and skills
- Connect with stories from people in East and West Africa who are transforming their lives and achieving incredible feats through our programmes
- Gain valuable leadership and teamwork experience
- Develop skills and knowledge in fundraising, event management and promotion, as well as softer skills from communication, marketing, organisation, team work, and more.
Equal Opportunities
Much of our work centres on finding ways for historically marginalised people find equality in the world of work and we want our actions as a charity to reflect that by providing opportunities into the international development sector to people for whom there has been little opportunity in the past. With that in mind, we encourage all applications regardless of race, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief.
To Apply:
Please send your CV (or a summary of any relevant experience) to Tom Goodyer (he/they) at tom.goodyer@aptuk.org.uk. In the body of the email, provide answers to the following questions:
- Why would you like to volunteer for Action on Poverty and what would you like to get out of it?
- What skills and experience do you have which is relevant to the role and how will it help?
The deadline for applications will be midday on the 23rd February 2023.
If you have any further questions about the role or are looking to support in other ways, please don’t hesitate to get in touch at the e-mail above! We’d love to hear your ideas and get to know you!