1 February 2012

Some really exciting news just pinged into my Inbox…

Vodafone has just announced the 500 winners of their 2011 World of Difference programme!

The World of Difference programme was set up by Vodafone to provide budding volunteers with paid short-term placements at their chosen charities. One of this year’s winners, Anke Thurm, will be starting work with the Starr Trust in March so we are all really excited about that. The programme has been running successfully for three years now, and during this time Vodafone has selected hundreds of winners, helping them all to afford to donate time to their dream charities.

You know what it’s like…you want to be more charitable…give something back…do something really worthwhile to help others in need, but the reality is it’s often difficult to prioritise your time. Some of us also have the added challenge of finding the funds to make voluntary work feasible, depending on our individual work status and location.

I’m self-employed, and my ‘proper’ job as a freelance books editor means paid work is very irregular. So, when this work is available, I cannot really afford to turn it down. Inevitably, this sometimes means that my charity work takes a back seat – which can be very frustrating. I consider my voluntary work to be as valuable and proper as my paid work, so choosing one over the other is not an easy decision.

That’s why programmes like Vodafone’s World of Difference are so important, particularly during the current climate of austerity. They not only help volunteers get paid/rewarded for their charity work, they also ensure that small charitable organisations, who often struggle to retain voluntary staff, are given a much-needed boost through a more sustained workforce.

If you’re interesting in applying for the 2012 Vodafone World of Difference programme, keep an eye on their website for details on how to apply. How’s about applying to work with the Starr Trust ? We’re always on the look-out for new volunteers, and we’d love to have you!

Fabia Lewis, Editor at the Edward Starr Charitable Trust