Youth organisation Woodcraft Folk are pleased to introduce their new Fundraiser Grace Dobbie. Although Grace is a recent graduate, she brings to the role essential previous experience in the voluntary sector including Fundraising. Alongside her role as Fundraiser, Grace will be completing training on the Charityworks 2024 programme.
Upon her appointment, Grace shares some words below.
“My name is Grace, and I am delighted to have joined Woodcraft Folk’s staff team two weeks ago as the new Fundraiser. I grew up on Dartmoor, and although I was not a Woodie, I share Woodcraft Folk’s passion for protecting the environment and its love of nature. When I am not at work, you can often find me rambling in a wood or meadow listening to a podcast.
Alongside the role of Fundraiser, I will be completing training on the Charityworks 2024 programme, which will provide charity sector mentorship, leadership coaching, and the opportunity to conduct a piece of research for Woodcraft Folk. The scheme is designed to be enriching for its trainees and host charities, as I will be networking and bringing insight from my training back to my role.
Although I am a new graduate, my voluntary experience stands me in good stead for this role. I have done extensive volunteering with a dementia support group where I grew up. This experience showed me the crucial value of volunteers in community projects (they couldn’t run without them!) and the wonderful social impact that projects can have. I was thrilled to be offered the role of Fundraiser at Woodcraft Folk. As a summer job, I worked in a summer camp for international students, where I held a pastoral role. I really enjoyed the lively and friendly environment, and relished the opportunity to help young people thrive, therefore I’m grateful to be able to work for a youth charity where my work will directly and positively impact young people.
I am really excited to work for a charity that prioritises inclusivity in its mission, because it’s in strong alignment with my values. During an education-related internship in my university’s sociology department, I co-authored a report, which recommended steps to reshape assessments and curriculum, to make them inclusive for students from all backgrounds and disabilities. I was really keen to advocate for equality and inclusion of diverse experiences at my university. My work focused on how assessments could be pragmatically adjusted for disabled students, therefore mobilising education as a vehicle for social change. It’s fantastic that Woodcraft Folk really embodies its ‘education for social change’ ethos.
In my final year of university, I helped run a charity fashion show in aid of a local hospice, where we raised £2k. I gained key skills in this experience, such as building strong relationships with donors and resourcefulness- which was very important due to our small budget. I found this experience so rewarding, that I decided to become a fundraiser!
Over my first two weeks, I have been helping the team deliver our Big Give campaign, which has been a real success! With the help of Woodcraft’s incredible donors and our match funders, we have been able to raise £19,165 for our Access Fund, which will enable young people and volunteers who would otherwise face financial barriers, to attend Camp 100. It’s wonderful to be a part of a movement that is striving to be as inclusive as possible, so that as many young people as possible can experience a life-changing camp!
My main responsibilities will be overseeing individual giving, expanding Trade Union affiliations, Give as You Live, Union Lotto, and Friends of the Folk- Woodcraft Folk’s regular donor scheme. I’m excited to get up to speed with all of these fundraising opportunities, and to hopefully continue the amazing work of Cici, our previous Fundraiser. It’s also a very exciting time to join Woodcraft Folk, as it prepares for its centenary celebrations- of course Camp 100 and the 100 Objects archival project (as a history graduate, I’m very interested to see what objects and stories are picked by our young people!)
If you are interested in supporting Woodcraft Folk regularly, but perhaps can’t volunteer, you can sign up to be a Friend of the Folk here. We would really appreciate your support, no matter the size.
If you are interested in getting involved in fundraising, please get in touch via my email: grace.dobbie@woodcraft.org.uk, it would be great to hear from you!”
