The Royal Air Forces Association is looking for volunteer fundraising team leaders and fundraisers to help fund its welfare work in specific areas in the UK.
“Forces personnel and their families sacrifice a normal family life to keep the rest of us safe,” says Katharine Montgomery, Volunteer Manager at the Association. “And we believe that we owe them a debt of gratitude once they have served. We are a welfare charity that focuses on providing practical and emotional help for service personnel and their partners and dependents. We are setting up brand new fundraising teams – looking for people who are passionate about raising money to fund our welfare support for the veterans and serving men and women in the Royal Air Force.”
The charity is looking for team leaders to help organise street collections in collaboration with Association employees, make contacts, and set up premises collections in supermarkets. The role involves helping recruit other fundraising volunteers and managing them at collections.
Cameron Wilson, one of the first volunteers in the UK to sign up for the role, says: “I would recommend volunteering as I have seen first-hand what the Association does and the support it provides. It’s a different challenge to take on and I’m looking forward to getting young people like myself involved in volunteering.
The 21 year-old survival instructor added: “It’s something different. A lot of leadership roles need years and years of experience for you to be allowed to do them. I’m looking forward to building up my leadership experience with this.”
The appeal for volunteers is part of a national campaign to raise funds for the Association’s annual Wings Appeal. Building a national network of volunteer fundraisers means the Association can raise vital income each year to help tackle isolation, physical and mental ill health, financial hardship and other issues.
“The Wings Appeal raises funds to be spent locally and nationally,” Katharine Montgomery continues. “From injured airmen fighting to get back on their feet to the widow of a World War II veteran who needs a shoulder to lean on, we’re here to support them. So if you or anyone you know is looking for a local volunteering role we’d love to hear from you.” There are no experience requirements for the fundraising roles, as full training is provided, however the charity does require that volunteers are a minimum of 18.
Volunteers will benefit from experience in organising an event, networking and building relationships, and from managing and supporting a team. They may be serving or retired Air Force personnel, or they may have no RAF experience at all but want to support the Association’s work. They can start immediately, undertaking year-round collections, though the main focus of the annual Wings Appeal will be in September.
To find out more, search for ‘Fundraising Team Leader’ or ‘Fundraiser’ roles on the RAF Association website at www.rafa.org.uk/volunteer. You can also contact the Association at volunteers@rafa.org.uk or call 0800 018 2361.
