For my volunteering section ,for my Gold DofE, I decided to do a year of volunteering with Edukid. Initially, I had little knowledge or understanding on the aims and objectives of the charity which I would go on to learn and research over the coming weeks. I gained knowledge about the UN sustainability and Development Goals as well as what Edukid is working to achieve as a charity. Furthermore, I got to see examples of where the help of a charity has made significant impacts to the lives of others such as their recent Food Programme in Peru where they are providing balanced and healthy meals to children in education which has resulted in the children having seen growth benefits and better learning which actually resulted in the school performing outstandingly well in their district Olympics.

After I had been informed it gave me a solid foundation to start fundraising. When I first thought of the fundraising , I  thought that I would be told to raise money for the charity in general and then they would select what cause it would help however, I found that I would get to research specific causes and choose where my fundraising went. The three areas I selected were to:

1. Fund the growing, sewing and reaping of bananas in Peru
2. Provide healthy school meals for children in Cambodia
3. Create wells and Bore Holes in Uganda

The charities format was a key part that made my journey volunteering so enjoyable as it researching each area allowed me to see what change my fundraising would specifically make and create a personal connection to these specific areas which fueled me when organising, preparing and completing my charity events.

My first event was a 15,000 ft tandem jump which I spent around 2 months researching, planning and advertising in preparation for. I have always wanted to go skydiving and thought that it would be the perfect opportunity to raise money. It was one of the best experiences of my life and the satisfaction that something so exciting and enjoyable was still able to help those in need gave me an enormous sense of pride.

My second/final event was to complete a Para 10* in the army reserve time of 2 hours. I chose this event as I wanted to complete an event that took lots of physical conditioning and preparation to complete. I spent hours weekly training for the event for about 9 weeks. On the day of the run I gave it everything and managed to exceed my goal of the Army reserve time to qualifying in the regular soldiers time of 1 hour and 50 minutes , as I completed it in 1 hour and 48 minutes.

In conclusion, I have found volunteering extremely rewarding as not only have I been able to benefit the lives of those in need around the world, but I was able to improve myself physically and mentally. I also loved the support I was given by the charity as Edukid gave me freedom to decide and deviate from their week by week breakdown for the Gold DofE as long as I believed that it would work best for me and my fundraising. This freedom allowed me to explore personal interests or goals and make it a way to help others.

A huge thanks to Edukid and my assessor Kate for all the consistent guidance and my amazing experience.

Heber

Having been lucky enough to volunteer with Edukid out in Cambodia, I decided when I embarked on my  Gold Duke of Edinburgh journey that I wanted to continue supporting them.  When out there, I saw the poverty that children have to live in every day; dirty housing, lack of clean clothing, and for many, a challenge in accessing education due to financial reasons.  Seeing how Edukid helps and gives children the opportunity to get qualifications and go on and lead fulfilling lives really inspired me into continuing to support them. 

I decided that over the course of 12 months, I was going to raise money for education packs for children in Cambodia, in an aim to ensure that as many children as possible can access education with the required equipment.

I raised money through many different ways, with my two main fundraising events being a coffee morning in my village and completing the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge, with my smaller efforts being ‘odd job days’ for neighbours and friends.  In total, I managed to raise £791.86.

Whilst the organisation of the coffee morning was a challenge at times, I would say that the walk was the toughest part.  It took a lot of physical and mental strength to keep going and try and make it round before it got dark!  Despite this, I really enjoyed the experience and it is something that I will definitely remember for years to come!

The experience of volunteering for Edukid has been brilliant; knowing I am genuinely making a difference to people’s lives is such a great feeling to have been part of.  If your considering volunteering with Edukid, I couldn’t recommend it more.  You will be making a difference to people’s lives, and having seen in person some of the conditions people are living in, it is vital that as many people support Edukid as possible so they can continue to provide support and aid.    

About a month ago, as part of my Edukid DofE volunteering, I hosted a Charity Christmas Market and Disco event at my school, Queen Mary’s High. This would be my third charity event of my volunteering time, and after the success of the first disco I did in the Autumn, I decided to hold another, with the added element of a market inside the venue as well, to raise additional money. 

I expected the event to do well- but never could have predicted absolutely smashing my target of £80 by over 400% and raising £328 for University Scholarships in Uganda and Cambodia! This made me incredibly proud, but also meant a lot to me as I knew that, from beginning the road to University myself, it would make a big difference for both these students’ lives and their futures in less fortunate countries than my own.

The event was stressful to say the least, with decorating, setting up tables and chairs, and sorting out vendors, including Samosas, Carved Decór and Hot Chocolates, but absolutely was worth it, as I saw the whole school get involved, from teachers to year sevens to sixth-formers! I would definitely recommend running a large charity event like this at your own school or workplace, as it can have a big impact, especially around the holiday time. In the meantime, I will be planning my next fundraiser for the charity as part of my DofE volunteering, and am excited to build upon my funds for this excellent charity.

Speak soon,

Freya

Year 13

Queen Mary’s High, Walsall

Hi,

I just wanted to share that I have completed my first fundraiser event as part of my Edukid remote volunteering for my Gold Duke of Edinburgh award! After weeks of planning, it all came together on the 10th October, where around 50 people came and enjoyed the personalised selection of music, free snacks and refreshments, and the merchandise available for sale, which included custom pin badges as well as glow-sticks. When collecting all of the donations, including the entrance fee, I found out that I was able to raise an impressive £66.25 for the charity!

I chose Edukid for my volunteering project, as it would fit in well with my schoolwork, as it is remote, but also because I am passionate about making change in the world and creating more equality where it is needed. This is why I would like my raised money to go towards Inclusive Education projects, which will support children’s special educational needs and diverse abilities in Cambodia, Peru and Uganda, which I feel especially passionate about as I have special needs at school myself, and want every child to access such opportunities as I have.

Challenges with my fundraiser included getting people involved, as I originally wanted to do a silent disco, which not many were interested in. For my solution, I decided to do a classic disco instead, charging a reasonable price of £1.00, which got many people to become interested in the event, who will likely support my next event as well.

For one of my later events, I plan on doing another disco, as it was fun, relatively simple to organise once I had the venue and support team, and people were genuinelly interested in coming to another one.

Until next time,

Freya, Queen Mary’s High School, Walsall.