Volunteer Fundraiser for mental health charity

What will you be doing?

We would like the volunteer to raise funds through applying for grants that support charities run projects to help people with their mental health. For the last few years we have received funding (£10,000) so we can offer free support to people from Surrey on low incomes. As so much of our work is now delivered through live online classes, we have changed our mission so we now help people in need throughout the UK. The current funding will end in a few months time. We would like to raise about £10,000 a year, to support individuals, teachers and young people in state schools, and community groups. The volunteer will work with Catherine Nasskau, who runs Mindful Surrey and teaches the sessions. The role is not set in stone and we are open to suggestions for any ways we might raise the money, besides applying for grants.

What are we looking for?

The volunteer should have experience with successful grant applications, ideally connected to mental health projects. We are looking for someone with an innovative approach, as we are keen to use other methods to raise funds, besides applying for grants. The volunteer does not need to have any experience with Mindfulness or Meditation, but they probably need to have some empathy towards people who are struggling with mental health issues, and an openness to the idea that Mindfulness can be extremely effective at helping people in a wide range of situations.

What difference will you make?

Since 2018, Mindful Surrey has helped people on low incomes who are struggling with various aspects of their lives. In 2024, the need for mental health support has never been greater. There is very little free mental health care available, and extremely long waiting lists. People who access our support are immensely grateful. By learning a range of skills and strategies, people can discover how to effectively manage challenges such as stress, anxiety, depression, sleep problems, behavioural problems such as over-eating, and also appreciate the positive aspects of their lives more.  We teach the standard Mindfulness-Based Stress-Reduction 9-week course (MBSR), plus introduction courses, drop-in classes, and one-to-one sessions. People can find the sessions helpful even if they attend for a short while, but it is great to be able to offer free support for longer periods, often of several years, so that people can really change their lives. We offer most courses online as well as in-person, in Dorking, Surrey. With the cost-of-living crisis, an increasing number of people are in need. Thankfully, Mindfulness training works very well online. By helping us raise funds, you can enable us to support a greater number of people who would otherwise continue to struggle and live difficult lives. You can read testimonials from people we have helped on our website in the Testimonials page, and also through an organisation called Coursecheck.