#thirdsector

From cave drawings of mud, to woeful tales of bloody battles around the campfires of Agincourt, to the ancient rituals within red women tents, storytelling has long been a bedrock of community and progress. Generations of our ancestors have passed knowledge, wisdom and entertainment for the next. Today, blockbuster movies and west end productions prove that still, we treasure and enjoy a good yarn as much as ever. In fact, according to one study, 65% of our verbal communication circles around telling our stories. We love to share experiences with our friendship groups, teaching our children and even use stories as legacies at funerals.  So it’s easy to see why story telling when raising money for charity works so well.

Check out our latest blog post on the cost of living crisis and how charities are being impacted... 

When I started university in 2010 it was in the middle of an oil boom. Aberdeen is the oil capital of Europe and during that time, full of employment opportunities even if your degree didn’t really specialise in anything particularly oil related. Many students believed that the oil industry was a career safety net and did not take extra curricular measures for their career development during their degree. However, those students who have a moral conscience and/or could not give a damn about the oil industry, our career path was less secure. 

The third sector is consistently underfunded and since the coalition government took power in 2010, the sector has been hit with a series of detrimental austerity cuts significantly reducing the sectors capacity to function efficiently. The sectors reputation of being unstable, short-term, competitive and close knit precedes it, often unfairly. The ability to recruit talented students interested in social justice, making a difference and applying their passion is stunted by this reputation, especially in the hands of shoddy university careers services who have little to no practical knowledge of how to embark on a career in the sector. Social justice and fighting for what you believe in needn’t be a hobby or a weekend protest. It is very much a viable career option, if you know how. As someone who has successfully entered a career in the 3rd sector, I want to show other students how to begin a career in it too.

Here are a few tips and tricks to get you started.

What turns you on? It’s good to do some soul searching about what causes you are passionate about. It could be anything, what makes you angry? What are you concerned about? Have you encountered any issues in your life that could have been changed had there been support in the form of an organisation? Watch the news. What issues stick out for you the most? Human rights? Climate change? Feminism? Race equality? Brexit? Terrorism? For me, identity was key. As a Muslim woman growing up in post 9/11 Britain, there was plenty of issues that I encountered because of my identity. Now, as someone who has taken that passion of wanting to better the Muslim experience of Britain, I have made a career out of it because of the third sector.

Get to know your grassroots.

Once you know what kind(s) of causes you are into, find groups that meet up regularly around your chosen issue. This may seem difficult if you are not a student, however, if you are, there is no better place than university for these groups. Many students dismiss societies because of the petty drama that occurs within them, the workload outside of what is already a demanding degree and that they are lame. Wrong. They may be all of these things, but one thing you should know right now is that having been a part of a society at university on your CV is valuable. It shows that you could prioritise heavy workloads, went above and beyond what was required with you, teamwork, organisational skills, etc. etc. The good news that joining a society is even better for your career prospects if you are thinking about going into the third sector. This is because charities and organisations need students more than students need them. If you are a student propagating their message through the form of a society, this is a huge favour to the charity. They even have dedicated staff (outreach officers) to spread their message to youth, colleges and university campuses.Take for example Amnesty International: if you joined a local university society for them it is considered a grassroots extension of Amnesty International. You are doing their work for them by spreading the message, putting on events, organising talks, attending protests. It looks phenomenal for Amnesty International that there are students out there organising on behalf of the organisation and potentially recruiting more supporters. This is only a net benefit for them. I know many students who were considered ‘unwashed lefties’ at university who joined societies that were an extension of official campaigns such as Stop the Traffik, Save the Children, Green Peace etc. Some of these former students have gone onto work for these organisations after graduating, almost immediately because of the work they put into their societies at university. Setting up or joining a society gets you known by the organisation, provides you invaluable contacts and gives you a leg up from others who are blindly applying for their jobs on offer.

Create a ‘clicktivist’ profile

Nowadays many companies check out your online presence before accepting you into their organisation. If you are a millennial, there is probably no way around this so it’s best to take control of your online image and take advantage of the benefits. Create a public profile on facebook, twitter etc. that you are happy for employers, organisations, fellow activists and general public to view. Once you’re set up, start posting things relating to your interests and causes. Start by posting about current news items pertaining to your cause or interests. Once you get comfortable doing this, start writing a short commentary with every article, get your views out there.

By setting your profile to public, you will attract the attention of other people in this space, creating a valuable network, getting yourself known within that network and inadvertently building an online portfolio. Start writing a blog about what matters to you and keep at it. Don’t worry about it being popular or gaining traction. The point is to build a portfolio for the right people to eventually look at when they look you up. Consistency is key. If they see you’ve had an active interest in their cause for a consistent amount of time, this is incredibly favourable. They’re called ‘activists’ for a reason.

Build. A. Network.

They say it’s who you know, not what you know. That’s partly true. There’s a reason why employers ask for references from at least two people because your character matters to an organisation. For people who already know you and your character, it becomes easier for them to vouch for you, especially if they work at an organisation that you want to work for too. Networking may be tedious, but the benefits can be life changing. With the internet, networking has become easier. I started becoming interested in my cause around 15. I spent a lot of time on the internet and met a lot of my activist friends through online debating. This was a good way of learning the sector, the big players, the arguments, competitors and key issues. I made contacts with many people who worked in organisations that I eventually went onto work for. They relied on my online character, my profiles, my arguments, my commitment. This all came in handy after I graduated. I remember drunkenly calling an online friend who worked for a think tank and told him I hated working at the opticians. I really wanted to break into this space and he put me forward for an interview. The rest is history. Twitter is activist heaven. Even the Queen is on twitter. It’s probably the most valuable profile you will need to network. Start retweeting things you find interest and relating to your cause. You will often retweet people who work in the organisations you are interested in working for. Start tweeting about things you are passionate about, this will attract other activist who often have a large network that you will want to tap into for opportunities in the sector. Again, consistency is key. This may seem like slow work but think about it like you are planting a seed to eventually eat the fruit.

Friday 27th July we facilitated our first workshop, Open Data for Everybody: A Beginner’s Guide to Understanding Open Data. This was the first in a proposed series looking at Open Data, and was hosted by Sandwell MBC, in association with iSandwell. Thankyou all involved for organising.

I’d also like to thank everyone who participated and got involved, we had a great session and I think we all learned a lot about the region, myself included. Within the workshop we covered what Open Data is, why it is important and what you can do with it. We also looked at great examples of where it is being used effectively in the UK and overseas, examples of where best to find it across the UK, and the type of people and organisations that use it, as well as the aim of Data Brew itself.  We also had a few activities and insightful discussions...

Our first activity looked at finding data in the Sandwell region...

We split the room into two groups to document their thought process and it was really interesting to see where they compared but moreso how they contrasted. Both sides drew on the good that the Sandwell Council of Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) is doing for the region, as well as the likes of iSandwell, Sandwell Council itself and the Council run Sandwell Trends site (www.sandwelltrends.info), and also Police.UK which we featured in the workshop.

It was also great to see some obvious sources crop up, that didn’t seem obvious at first, like using internet search engines such as Google, utilising Zoopla for local information surrounding houses for sale or rent, as well as Wikipedia, online newspaper articles and local media, libraries, schools, universities, unions, charities and more. 

Both sides of the room agreed that more needed to be done to ensure people get access to data, and understand how easy it is to obtain. 

At Data Brew we feel we have a duty to ensure that not only is open data accessible to people but that they also understand it can be used to create change for social good. A big part of this is knowing what is readily available out there, which was also brought up by the group, and we aim to make sure that people have more awareness of the various places you can obtain data and what you can do with it.

We also gained feedback following the session and asked about improving awareness in the area...

With 90.9% of the room rating this ‘Very Important’ this just further solidified the need for greater awareness of Open Data in Sandwell, and we will work on this going forward.

Our second activity looked at the confidence in using open data in Sandwell...

It was interesting to see here that one group looked at the confidence of using open data, whilst the other looked at the factors affecting confidence, so this was really great to contrast.

One group remarked how confidence in using Open Data is limited, people are more comfortable using statistics as fact and not necessarily to create change, and more awareness is needed of places or people that have used data in the past to create change. There are many factors affecting confidence as can be seen above but both groups agreed that more training is required to help with confidence in the accuracy of data, understanding the importance of it and what you can do with it, and making sure skills are up to date. 

We also asked a couple questions as part of the feedback following the session in relation to our participants/organisations and the sort of Open Data they are interested in, and how they would use it, and a very valid point echoing some of the thoughts of the last activity were made regards using open data to not simply validate statements but to create solutions to needs/challenges highlighted by the data, and I think that’s a very important thing to keep in mind.

If you are a third sector organisation, or local activist and would like access to the information slides from this workshop please email [email protected] and we will provide you with a download link.

This free introduction to Open Data will be available soon to other local council authorities over the coming months, so keep an eye on our twitter for updates!

By Gareth Davies - Head of Data Brew

So I was tasked with writing for the third sector, so I chose to write a letter from a Donkey Sanctuary. The letter is split up into two parts, an informal part aimed at the children who receive the benefits of donkey adoption, and a more formal to-the-point section for the parents/guardians who pay for the adoption. The piece is written from the perspective of the donkey to give the letter an interpersonal feel.

Hello,

My name is Cedric and I’m a donkey. You’re probably wondering how a donkey can write a letter in English, and the answer to that is: donkeys are more clever than you might think!

I’ve been working all my life on beaches, giving rides to children just like you. But now, because I’m too old to do that, I have decided to retire. When I stop working, I need new owners to look after me, and because I don’t work anymore, this costs a bit of money.

Because you’ve decided to adopt me, you’re helping the lovely people at the Donkey Sanctuary to give me a home and lots of yummy food! With your monthly donation, you’re not only helping me out, but loads of other donkeys just like me who need the sanctuary’s help.

You’ll also be receiving a monthly letter in which I’ll be keeping you updated with what I’ve been getting up to now I’m all moved in to the sanctuary. Because you’ve adopted me, you’ll be receiving some great donkey-related goodies. I hope you enjoy your new stuffed toy, all of us at the charity think it looks just like me!

As well as that, you’ll receive these cool benefits:

Free entry to our visitor’s centre

A brand new photo of me every month

A card on your birthday

A certificate of adoption

A goodie bag with a pen, a badge and much, much more!

That’s what you’ll be getting throughout the year. If you want to keep in touch with me for longer, then you’ll have to ask your parent/guardians permission. At the bottom of this letter there’ll be more information available to them.

But again, thank you for adopting me, I’m looking forward to my new life!

See you next month,

Eeee Orrrr Cedric the Donkey

(That’s my signature!)

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Dear Parents/Guardians,

We at the Donkey Sanctuary really appreciate your continued donations. However, as more and more donkeys are needing our care, we still need more help. There are many ways in which you can help us out.

1.     Tell a friend. Do you know any other parents with children who you think would love our adoption programme? If you could refer them to us, you can receive a £5 Argos gift voucher.

2.     Donate a little bit more each month. A little goes a long way. For just £3 extra a month we could do so much more to help the donkeys, such as increasing living space and employing more helpers. If you want to donate a little bit extra, then fill in the form that came in this adoption pack.

3.     House a donkey. Unfortunately, we don’t always have the room to house new donkeys, and in some circumstances, we’ve had to turn some away. If you have the space and expertise in looking after any of these beautiful animals, then head on over to our website for more information.

Anything you do to help the donkeys is massively appreciated.

Thank you for your support,

Jumping through hoops

We were recently discussing the pros and cons of the increasingly popular ‘Dragons Den’ and on-line (or live) voting processes as methods to decide who gets funding.  There are advantages – many groups struggle to really show their passion and story in traditional application forms, and for those who have English as a second language, or where most members have lower literacy levels then forms can be really challenging.  For those whose passion is evident when they talk about their project, and who are comfortable to stand up in front of others then the Dragon’s Den or Soup events can be a real opportunity.  For those with a large ‘supporters’ group (eg a sports club), then on-line votes where you get people to vote for your project can work.

BUT these public votes come with the potential for public humiliation, how do you feel when you walk away having presented your project to have been told face-to-face that yours just wasn’t as ‘good’ as someone else’s….  How do you feel when your project on-line (or in the supermarket voting systems) doesn’t get the support that another one does – and everyone can see the result.  At least with a form, you can blame the funder or the form, and you don’t really have to share that decision with many people.

Increasingly, it feels like as a sector, there are more and more hoops to jump through, dances to perform and boxes to tick, to gain support or funding.  

 Maybe it’s time to take back control – think about the methods that are best suited to YOUR organisation – do you have people who are good at writing?  Or at talking about your project?  Do you have volunteers or supporters who enjoy arranging fundraising activities?  Do you have a building/venue that lends itself to events?  Do you have good links with a local school or business?  Does your project have wide appeal (e.g. children, animals), or is it currently relevant (e.g. mental health, dementia)?