Volunteer Fundraising Advisors for Environmental Charity | East London Waterworks Park

Dive into lasting impact Fundraise for East London Waterworks Park to create and shape natural swimming ponds, ecological habitats and community garden

What difference will you make?

East London Waterworks Park is an exciting and ambitious project that offers many rewarding opportunities for our volunteers. You will have a significant impact on the creation of a new biodiverse community-owned park with free access natural swimming ponds and forest schools. By leading fundraising projects that explore how diverse professionals (architects, ecologists, web developers, community researchers etc.) collaborate to shape community infrastructure, volunteers will directly contribute to the development of a park that truly reflects the needs and desires of the local community. Without funding we won’t be able to make it happen. Your input will help us craft experiences that inspire, educate, and engage our service users, stakeholders, funders, and the general public, ultimately driving support for the park's mission and ensuring its long-term sustainability. So you will be directly contributing to the creation of a new biodiverse community-owned park with free access natural swimming ponds.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for experienced fundraisers to join our team of fundraising volunteers. If you have fundraising experience and would like to get involved with a local charity, it would be great to hear from you. Our roles are quite flexible. We hope that people bring radical imagination, peace with nature, and courageous inclusiveness to the role. Strategic Fundraising Guidance Feedback on our overall fundraising strategy, including identifying potential opportunities and areas for improvement. Advice on developing and refining our fundraising plans to maximise impact. Guidance on diversifying our funding streams and building sustainable revenue models. Trust and Grant Fundraising Expertise Review and feedback on past grant applications, highlighting strengths and areas for enhancement. Advice on identifying suitable trusts and foundations aligned with our mission. Guidance on crafting compelling grant proposals that resonate with funders. Knowledge of current grant application trends and best practices. General Fundraising Best Practices Sharing insights on effective fundraising techniques and strategies. Advice on donor cultivation, stewardship, and retention. Guidance on leveraging digital fundraising platforms and tools. Any other advice that you think will help us to raise funds.

What will you be doing?

East London Waterworks Park is working to acquire a 14-acre, concreted-over depot on the border of Waltham Forest and Hackney, and transform it into a ‘brownfield rainforest’ with wild-swimming pools and creative learning spaces for the local community. We are showcasing an environment-first, community-led approach to land ownership that will see nature and people thriving together, and revolutionising the way we think about green and blue spaces in cities. Our Crowdfunder raised over half a million pounds towards buying the land. Now we need to raise money for the work we are carrying out whilst we are liaising with the landowner. We have an exciting programme of community projects and work coming up. If you are a professional fundraiser and would like to help but are short on time, we would love to hear from you even if you are unable to get deeply involved. We would appreciate one-off or ongoing advice on the phone, online or in person. We would welcome feedback on our fundraising strategy and past applications, any advice about trust and grant fundraising, and any other advice you can give. The Fundraising Circle currently meets fortnightly on a Thursday evening on Google Meet and spends voluntary time outside of the meeting completing agreed tasks remotely. We understand that people may not have a lot of time to give, so we want to find volunteers who could give us one-off or ongoing strategic advice and support.