volunteer

Why do I need a charity newsletter?

Nonprofit newsletters get some of the best average open rates in email marketing (26%). Newsletters provide important opportunities to showcase the work you do, make appeals for donations and other support and raise awareness of the problems your charity tackles. Use your newsletter to connect with donors and volunteers, encouraging them to take action.

Email drives more charitable donations than any other online channel. 42% of donors prefer to hear from causes they support by email, 20% of donors said that emails made them more likely to donate again and 69% of subscribers said they were more likely to donate after receiving an appeal for a specific need.

Everyone gets more emails than they can ever read. A typical email receives no more than 15 seconds of attention – so make yours stand out. Use images, a good subject line and engaging opening paragraph. If a reader is not interested at the opening of your newsletter, they won’t read what comes later.

What else should you do?

ensure that your newsletter can be read on a mobile device.
personalise (use recipient names)
all non-profit newsletters should include a call to action – usually a request for donations, volunteers or an ask to social share
keep text to a minimum and focus on 1-5 stories or calls-to-action
have your donate button and social media icons at the top of the newsletter
enable social sharing
use images and video screenshots linking to your website or YouTube
send on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday – avoid Mondays and Fridays

Finally, remember you cannot email anyone without their permission, but you can build your email list by:

have a subscribe button on your website
promote through conversations with supporters
run a specific list building social media campaign
offer donors the option to subscribe in thank you messages

Subscribe to our e-news here!

Flu Vaccination Volunteers Make a Difference

Volunteers really do make a difference. This year we’ve been involved in the recruitment and scheduling of over 50 volunteer marshals at the outdoor flu vaccinations in Surrey Heath.

It has been an amazing success so far with happy volunteers:

“You are all such a delight to work for, so very easy to be willing and positive with special NHS staff 😊”

happy patients:

“We had our flu vaccines at the Blackbushe Airfield drive though today. We booked via the surgery and have nothing but praise for the process. The stewards gave clear instructions and were very cheerful and chatty despite the ghastly weather. I hope this amazing service is available next year.”

and happy NHS:

“The volunteers are proving to be positively AMAZING! The ones I’ve met so far have all been wonderfully friendly, super willing, and fabulous at supporting the site and delivering their role responsibilities! I really could not be more pleased and impressed.”

We couldn’t be more proud of the wonderful volunteer marshals and of our own staff who worked hard to recruit and organise them.

Organisation News - 10/15/2020

Home Volunteering for Make a Difference Week

‘We can’t help everyone – but everyone can help someone’

Lots of us are working from home and many volunteering opportunities have gone digital too.

Home volunteering options are usually bite-sized activities, often a one-off with no strings attached, allowing you to give your time in short, meaningful bursts.

In a time when activities outside the home are limited and charities need your support, volunteering from home is important and rewarding.

We want your home volunteering to be accessible, achievable and flexible so here is a selection of ideas to get you started:

Share Social Media get involved and support a local charity by sharing and retweeting their social media posts and help them to reach new audiences and help more people. We can help you connect -contact info@voluntarysupport.org.uk for more information

Telephone Befrienders to a lonely, vulnerable or elderly resident in your local area – contact info@voluntarysupport.org.uk for more information

Write a Card or Letter to a lonely, vulnerable or elderly resident in your local area – contact info@voluntarysupport.org.uk for more information

Shout https://giveusashout.org/ crisis volunteer for free 24/7 text messaging platform for people in a mental health crisis

Zooniverse www.zooniverse.orgis the world’s largest and most popular platform for people-powered research. More than a million volunteers around the world assist professional researchers.

Be my Eyes www.bemyeyes.com app for sighted individuals to lend their eyes to blind or partially sighted individuals carry out everyday tasks

Adopt a Grandparent https://chdliving.co.uk/adopt-grandparent pairing the lovely residents in CHD care homes with people in the community who want to help combat loneliness.

Citizens Advice Remote Roles https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/support-us/volunteering/about-volunteering-with-citizens-advice/remote-volunteering give advice and information remotely from wherever you are in England and Wales

Brightside www.brightside.org.uk helping young people through digital mentoring

Postpals www.postpals.co.uk send a card, email or small gift to a sick child

RSPB www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/give-nature-a-home-in-your-garden/ help nature and your local wildlife with six tailored activities.

Forest Research www.forestresearch.gov.uk/research/i-tree-eco/urbancanopycover/ help build an urban canopy cover map for Britain

Missing Maps www.missingmaps.org uses remote volunteers to digitally connect and map the most vulnerable places in the developing world to allow services to better respond to crises

There are lots more options and we’re happy to help you.

Organisation News - 10/15/2020

September is World Alzheimer’s Month

The number of people with dementia in the UK is estimated at 850,000.

There are around 540,000 carers of people with dementia in England. Approximately one in three of us will care for a person with dementia in our lifetime.

In our community are a number of small charities supporting people with dementia and their carers.

You can help them by becoming a volunteer or by making a donation:

Spelthorne Dementia Support

Dementia Carers Support Runnymede

Alzheimer Cafe Camberley

Action for Carers Surrey

Organisation News - 09/22/2020

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Donate to foodbanks in Runnymede, Spelthorne and Surrey Heath

Local foodbanks need your support with donation of non-perishable food or a financial donation.

Runnymede:

Runnymede Foodbank

Food donations to any of the food bank centres or at 95, Guildford Street, Chertsey.

Make a financial donation via their Virgin Money page link on the Runnymede Foodbank website.

Spelthorne:

Community Foodbank – Sunbury and Shepperton:

Food donations to Saviours Church, 205 Vicarage Rd, Sunbury-on-Thames TW16 7TP.

Contact: community@stsaviourssunbury.org.uk

Make a financial donation to the Community Foodbank on the St Saviour’s Sunbury Community Foodbank website

Manna Foodbank

Food donation points https://www.mannafoodbank.co.uk/where_to_donate_

Contact: Jean Pinkerton on 07770 478778 or info@mannafoodbank.org.uk

Make a financial donation to (please ensure your donation is referenced ‘Foodbank’ or ‘Manna Foodbank’):

HSBC Walton on Thames,

PCC of St Mary & St Peter

sort code 40-52-40

acc number 00033500

Stanwell Foodbank

Donations of food to the The Pavilion, Cambria Gardens, Stanwell, TW19 7ER

Contact Anna-Marie Goodacre on 07429 584286 or info@stanwellfoodbank.org.uk

The Salvation Army – Ashford

Donations to be placed by the main door at the Community Centre, Woodthorpe Road, Ashford, TW15 3HY. Food bank opening hours 9am – 12 midday from Monday to Friday.

Contact : Cath Maughan on 01784 423424 or staines@salvationarmy.org.uk

Financial donations by cash and cheque should be sealed in an envelope and posted through the letterbox. Anyone requiring a receipt should include their name and address in the envelope.

Surrey Heath:

Besom Food Bank

Non perishable food donations to High Cross Church, Knoll Rd, Camberley GU15 3SY

Financial donations via the High Cross Church Camberley website.

Organisation News - 03/19/2020

Be a Good Neigbour in North Surrey!

Good Neighbours voluntary organisations are run by local people for local people.

All groups offer a helping hand to the less able and vulnerable in our North Surrey community, providing both practical help, with tasks and emotional help through befriending schemes or social activities. Most offer transport to medical appointments, library or prescription collections or a hand with the shopping.

All of the groups in our area reach out to isolated people and each group operates in their own way, to deliver what is needed in our community.

Jean lives in New Haw and has been a client of New Haw and Woodham Good Neighbours for six years. Jean told us “The volunteer drivers have done so much for me. They took me to see my mother in her nursing home and they take me to the hospital or to the doctors. I know that Good Neighbours are just a phone call away and they are happy to take me anywhere.”

There are over 100 voluntary good neighbour schemes in Surrey all looking for volunteers

The beauty of being a volunteer for a Good Neighbours scheme is the flexibility. One of New Haw and Woodham Good Neighbours volunteers Jack explained why he became a volunteer driver

“It’s so simple! New Haw and Woodham Good Neighbours will give me a list of driving jobs and I just accept those that I can fit into my schedule.”

This is a unique and direct way to help others in your community by improving neighbourly spirit and goodwill. Volunteers also tell us about how they enjoy being part of a team and that they’ve made new friends and combatted their own loneliness and isolation.

Make a difference in your community – find out how to be a good neighbour in Surrey

Organisation News - 01/19/2020

Make a Difference Day in Surrey 2019

Every year we organise 2 inclusive volunteering events to involve groups of local businesses who donate their time to make a difference to the local community. Our mission is to inspire volunteers to ‘get up, get going and get active’.

Make a Difference Day is an important date in our volunteering calendar. It takes place at the beginning of October and it’s a chance for employees of local businesses to make a difference in Runnymede, Spelthorne and Surrey Heath.

If you and your colleagues are interested in a day outdoors helping the National Trust at Magna Carta on Tuesday 1st Oct or at Finchampstead Ridges on Wednesday 9th Oct please contact TJ@voluntarysupport.org.uk for more details.

Corporate challenges / Organisation News - 09/25/2019

Befriending in North Surrey

Time to Talk is our befriending project in Surrey Heath. Over the last 6 months we’ve heard some lovely stories from our befrienders and the people they’ve spent time with:

Glen’s daughter became concerned about her mum who had always loved to chat was now struggling to socialise. Glen had suffered a loss, been unwell, moved house and was feeling lonely and isolated. ‘Time to Talk’ matched Glen with Yasmin, one of our volunteers, they hit it off immediately and Yasmin has visited Glen weekly ever since.

Glen’s daughter has noticed a big difference in her mum since the visits started. Glen very much enjoys Yasmin’s company, her visits are ‘the highlight of Mum’s week’. ‘Absolutely gorgeous’ is how Glen describes her time spent with Yasmin, ‘it gives me something to look forward to, we talk about all sorts of things, current affairs, dating and have a good laugh’.

Yasmin tells us that she wished she started volunteering years ago because the time she spends with Glen is lots of fun and flies by. They enjoy sharing stories and experiences, including the way dating has changed over the years, Yasmin had never heard of a dance hall!!

It’s a small thing to be a friend but it has such a huge impact. Why don’t you make a difference to someone’s life by being a Time to Talk volunteer https://voluntarysupport.org.uk/volunteering/time-to-talk/

Organisation News - 09/05/2019