Opportunities in this article:

• Put your experience to good use and make a difference by becoming a trustee
• Get creative to support childhood cancer research
• Exciting opportunity for new trustees to join Youth Concern, Aylesbury
• Volunteer to help disadvantaged adults & children
• Volunteer at Royal Air Force Halton’s Museum
• Help a local man’s adventurous quest to raise money for Make-A-Wish UK

Put your experience to good use and make a difference by becoming a trustee

There are an estimated 60-80,000 volunteers in Buckinghamshire supporting over 2,500 local charities and voluntary groups. But one in five of these groups is crying out for new trustees to join their management team.

That’s why Community Impact Bucks (CIB) is keen to promote its upcoming Trustee Recruitment Fair to encourage business people wanting to become trustees to look into it in greater detail, and to support those groups in need of trustees.

Being a trustee is a unique and rewarding experience. It’s a great way to be involved with a cause which matters to you, it can help boost your career, and you can learn new skills or use existing skills in a new way with new people. Trustees come from all walks of life - working or retired, young or old - but are all united by the desire to make a difference to their local community. And what a satisfying way to make a difference! Trustees are leaders, right at the centre of things, making critical decisions as part of the board, responsible for the vision and direction of your organisation or group, for making (and keeping!) it a success and for ensuring you’re making a difference to the people who need you. We know that the more effective a board is, the greater the positive impact the charity can make.

CIB’s annual trustee conference on 25th April 2018, ‘Trustees as Charity Leaders’, can help. It’s an informal but highly effective networking session where charities will have the chance to meet individuals looking for their perfect trustee role. Recruitment stands can be booked by any charity or community group in Buckinghamshire and invitations are open to anyone who is interested in taking the first step in finding out more about becoming a trustee.

The conference also features inspirational speakers and practical breakout sessions covering the hallmarks of a successful chair, how to identify and recruit the right skills for your board and how to become a digital leader, so you’ll come away ready to tackle anything and to lead your organisation into the future.

Whether you are a business person thinking of becoming a trustee, or if you represent a charity looking to recruit more trustees to your board, the CIB Trustee Recruitment Fair is the event for you. Event details:

• Date: 25 April 2018
• Cost: FREE
• Time: Conference: 1.30pm – 5.15pm. Trustee recruitment fair: 6.00pm – 7.30 pm
• Venue: The Gateway, Gatehouse Road, Aylesbury, HP19 8FF
• Price: Conference delegate tickets from £25. Stand at matchmaking fair £30. Matchmaking fair free to individuals interested in becoming a trustee.

Places at the trustee fair are free for those interested in becoming a trustee. Find out more and book your place here >

Get creative to support childhood cancer research

Businesses are being urged to get creative with the number 21 to help to fund childhood cancer research with brilliant local charity William’s Fund, who are commemorating the 12 months until March 2018 that William Dodd would have spent as a 21-year old. William died from an undiagnosed form of cancer in December 2000.

William would have been 21 on 13th March 2017, and William’s Fund has been chasing its target of raising £1 million for childhood cancer research by 13th March 2018. So far, more than £800,000 has been raised.

Businesses are encouraged to follow the theme of ‘21’ to raise money for William’s Fund – it could be:

• doing 21 sit-ups for a little sponsorship money
• a 21-mile run for a lot of sponsorship money
• 21% of the profit on sales donated to William’s Fund
• A 21% discount on a product, with the purchaser making a donation to William’s Fund for the amount they saved

All of the profits raised by William’s Fund go directly to Dr Helen Townley’s research programme at laboratories in Oxford, which is very specific to childhood cancer. They have little funding other than through charity, and no official fundraisers. William’s Fund has no paid employees and the administration is all voluntary.

Find more information on the William’s Fund website, get involved on Facebook, follow William’s Fund on Twitter, and use the hashtag #21forWilliam.

Exciting opportunity for new trustees to join Youth Concern, Aylesbury

If you’re looking for a trustee role where you can use your expertise to support a local charity making a real difference to the lives of vulnerable young people, then Youth Concern may have just the thing for you!

The charity has benefited young people in Aylesbury Vale for almost four decades. Having expanded their reach over the past few years to meet increasing need, and having just won their first Big Lottery Grant, Youth Concern are planning to launch a flagship youth accommodation project for homeless young people called “The Next Step”. Focusing on health, skills and employment, this project will prepare homeless and disadvantaged young people for independent living by enabling them to rebuild their lives.

Specifically, they are looking for trustees to help them prepare for and respond to this phase of growth, bringing specialist skills such as senior housing management, finance and service delivery to an already diverse, experienced and skilled trustee Board. There is also a vacancy on the Board for an Honorary Secretary.

Meeting 6 times yearly, their trustees play an active role in meetings and often focus on particular projects outside of those meetings for up to 2 hours a week.

If you are interested in finding out more about the charity, please look at the website www.youthconcern.org.uk. With regards impact, here’s a short video featuring Sharna, one of our young people, explaining exactly how Youth Concern helped her rebuild her life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dlmQpv4D7g&t=28s

If you think this role is for you, then please contact Fran Borg-Wheeler, CEO, Youth Concern on 07730 666608 or at [email protected].

Volunteer to help disadvantaged adults & children

The Snow Sports Foundation provides funding to promote and deliver individual snow sports coaching to adults and children who are significantly disadvantaged by their additional needs or social circumstances.

The benefits that this funding delivers are:

• The recognised improvement of a student’s social skills, including fitness levels and self-confidence
• The promotion of social inclusion for people with additional needs
• The education to fight the stigma associated with additional needs and disabilities
• The promotion of participation in a health recreation
• The development of a student’s natural abilities in a physical and mentally-challenging sport
• A positive impact on people’s lives

The Snow Sports Foundation is looking for volunteers and trustees to help them provide their support to disadvantaged adults and children. You can read an example of their support here >

To find out more about volunteering, to enquire about the financial support on offer for snow sports coaching, or to make a donation, contact Amanda Masterman at [email protected] or on 01442 213324. Visit www.snowsportsfoundation.org.uk for more information

Volunteer at Royal Air Force Halton’s Museum

The Trenchard Museum tells the story of Royal Air Force Halton and is situated beside its parade ground. Last year it attracted over 9,000 visitors to see its collection of aircraft, tools, engineering work-pieces, weapons, uniforms, models and memorabilia.

There is also the James McCudden Flight Heritage Centre with a wind tunnel, 3 Link Trainers (2 built in Aylesbury), a modern flight simulator and a replica of the Mayfly (built at Halton in 1926). The site runs group and individual visits, as well as Cool Aeronautics events for 10/11-year-olds, to encourage interest in aviation and engineering.

All of this, plus building, repair, cleaning and the displaying of exhibits, is done by volunteers - and more are needed. No specialist knowledge is required, but it is most welcome if you have it, Mostly, just enthusiasm and an interest in engineering and aviation are required. Please contact the Trenchard Museum via their website: www.trenchardmuseum.org.uk.

Help a local man’s adventurous quest to raise money for Make-A-Wish UK

Guy Stapleford, the man behind Miles for Wishes, is passionate about challenging himself in order to be the change he wants to see in this world and inspire others to be the same.

Last year he undertook a series of physical challenges in order to raise money for Make-A-Wish UK, including climbing the National Three Peaks solo in under 24 hours, and cycling from John O’Groats to Land’s End, solo and unsupported, in 9 days. He raised more than £2,500.

He is now looking for businesses to support his efforts in 2018, as his previous way of self-funding all of his training, equipment and the cost of the challenges isn't sustainable.

In 2018, Guy will be taking on the:

• 400 mile Race the Coast 48-hour Challenge
• Pure Three Peaks Challenge
• 1,000-mile 5 Cities Challenge
• Welsh 3000s – walking all fifteen 3,000 foot peaks in Wales

The investment

Guy is looking to raise £1,000 to cover the cost of travel and accommodation while undertaking the four 2018 challenges.

What will you get in return for your investment?

• Company logo on training and challenge clothing (minimum £200 donation)
• A short bio and ‘click through’ link on a ‘My Sponsors’ page on the Miles for Wishes blog
• Credit, quotations and photographs for press releases
• Regular ‘mentions’ across the Miles for Wishes social media accounts as part of the training and build up to the challenges
• Blog articles relevant to your organisation and its goods or services
• Regular 'likes' and shares of your social media posts and website
• Other promotion of your business, as appropriate

Find out more on the Miles for Wishes website, or email Guy at [email protected]. Track Guy’s progress by following Miles for Wishes on Twitter.