Volunteer Christmas Fair Coordinator

Role Description

We are looking for one or two Christmas fair coordinators. Our Christmas Fair is a large festive community fundraising event held at Warmley Community Centre, running across a single Sunday in late November from 10.30am to 4pm. It brings together our own Bristol A.R.C. stalls alongside third party stallholders, and includes a festive pet photoshoot, a dog show, live music, a bake sale, raffle and tombolas, refreshments and children’s activities. It is one of our key community events of the year and a really lovely day out for local people and their pets.

This is an event coordination volunteer role leading on the organising of the fair, with the help and support of the Philanthropy and Partnerships Manager and the Fundraising Partnerships Officer in the office, as well as some other volunteers supporting the event.

This will be the fair’s second year, so a full and detailed handover is already in place, along with ongoing support from the two staff members named above and a group of volunteers who have helped to organise it before.

 What would I be doing as a Christmas fair coordinator Volunteer?

As part of this role, you will be:

• Leading on the overall planning and coordination of the Christmas Fair, keeping everything on track in the months leading up to the event.
• Being the main point of contact for the venue, Warmley Community Centre, including agreeing the room layout and putting together a floor plan for the day.
• Assisting in recruiting, supporting and coordinating the team of event volunteers, including helping to run volunteer information sessions, allocating roles, creating the volunteer timetable, and keeping everyone informed and confident in the lead up to the day. 
• Recruiting and liaising with third party stallholders, including managing their bookings, stall fees, agreements and raffle prize donations. 
• Coordinating our own Bristol A.R.C. stalls and attractions, such as the children’s activities, the pet items shop, the bake sale, teddy adoption, the raffle and tombolas, and refreshments.
• Organising the key attractions that make the day special, including the festive pet photo shoot, the dog show and the live music, working with the volunteers and contacts who help to run them.
• Securing donations of prizes and items from local businesses and community groups for the raffle, tombolas and other stalls.
• Leading on the promotion of the event alongside the staff team, including posters, banners, local press and social media, and keeping track of where everything has been shared.
• Organising the preparation in the run up to the fair, such as the volunteer craft and prep evenings, sorting the floats and card payment setup, and getting the signage, floor plan and logistics ready.
• Overseeing the smooth set up and running of the event on the day, coordinating the volunteer team so that everything runs well from start to finish.
• Helping to make sure the event is safe and well run, including the risk assessment, first aid cover and allergen requirements, again with the support of the staff team.

What’s important for me to know?

Whilst the role is a lead coordinator position. There will be ongoing support from the Philanthropy and Partnerships Manager and the Fundraising Partnerships Officer, a detailed handover from last year’s fair, and an existing group of experienced volunteers who have helped to run the event before.

A lot of the groundwork is already in place from the first year, including templates, supplier and stallholder contacts, venue arrangements and tried and tested ways of doing things, so the volunteer would be building on solid foundations rather than starting from scratch. 

This would be a brilliant opportunity for someone looking to gain hands-on experience in event coordination and community fundraising, or for anyone who simply loves the idea of leading a joyful, festive event that raises vital funds for the animals in our care.

How are the shifts arranged, and how often would I volunteer?

This is a short term role running from September to late November, Initially your shift would be typically once a week, on the same day at the same time. We’re looking for someone who is available on a Thursday, preferably.  Occasionally during this time this role will involve some evening availability, mainly for speaking with the wider volunteer team and for the craft and preparation evenings in the lead up to the event. You would ideally be available for the full day of the fair itself, which runs on a Sunday in late November, with an early start for set up. 

What other dates do I need to be available for?

Subject to shortlisting, we shall be holding informal volunteer interviews for this role during the middle to the end of August

Initial on-site training for the role will be due to begin on the week of the 1st of September.

Who will I be volunteering with?

• Our Philanthropy and Partnerships Manager and the Fundraising Partnerships Officer, will be the people you will volunteer alongside directly
• The office is also where the marketing and communications team work.
• You will be volunteering alongside a team of events volunteers and staff at the fair.

What skills and attributes might I need for this role, ideally?

Experience, enthusiasm and a willingness to get involved is always useful, and we would welcome hearing in particular about how you are:

• Organised, with the ability to keep track of lots of different moving parts and plan ahead over a number of months.
• Confident and friendly when working with people, as the role involves speaking with staff, volunteers, stallholders and the venue, and being a welcoming point of contact throughout.
• A natural coordinator who is happy leading a team of volunteers, allocating roles and keeping everyone informed and motivated in the lead up to the day.
• Good communication skills, both written and in person, for things like stallholder bookings, volunteer emails and promoting the event.
• Calm and adaptable, especially on the day itself, when things can be busy and the occasional last minute change is all part of it.
• Reliable and proactive, able to take the lead and keep things moving with the support of the staff team.
• A genuine enthusiasm for the work of Bristol A.R.C. and for creating a welcoming community event for local people and their pets.
• An interest in event organising or fundraising.

What can I hope to get out of the experience?

• We will offer you the training and guidance you need in your role. This will include general information, as well as specifics about volunteering as an event coordinator.
• The chance to experience coordination an event
• Ongoing support from the Finance team and a designated Volunteer Supervisor, as well as the Volunteer Coordinators
• We hope you will enjoy using your existing skills or gaining new ones, and getting to know the members of our team
• The chance to learn about animal rescue and the ‘behind the scenes’ aspects of an animal welfare organisation
• Occasions to make new friends or connections through your volunteering

I haven’t had much experience. Can I still apply?

We welcome applications from anyone, and even if you have not had a lot of experience in event coordinating, we would be happy to hear from you. We know that lots of skills are transferable, although we are particularly keen to hear from people who have some experience or qualities relevant to this role.

What else might I need to consider, before I apply?

• The shift will be mainly spent in the Finance office. There will be some tasks which involve basic manual handling, or walking across the site – although the majority of the role will be desk-based.
• If you are interested in applying for this role please note that we close for applications on the 21st of August
• This role is from September to November and we hope that our volunteers will stay with us for that period, as we think this will allow the chance to get the best out of the experience. 
• We welcome applications from anyone over the age of 18 years old

If this role doesn’t feel quite the right match for you, we have a wider variety of roles that we advertise for periodically on our website, or you can contact us at volunteering@bristolarc.org.uk