Volunteering at 38 Degrees

Having spent five months volunteering with 38 Degrees, I thought i’d write a bit about my time here, as I’m sure many people are unsure about what volunteering involves and what experience you can gain.

I’ve worked at a large campaigning organisation before, but I really wanted to get experience somewhere different, where I could develop new skills and learn about other campaigning techniques.

38 Degrees could not have been more perfect! Being such a young and small organisation, I have been able to get stuck in at all levels, from learning about online campaigning, engaging with members, helping to organise events, researching potential campaigns, writing emails to members about our campaigns and much much more. I also led on the Save Kiana Firouz campaign, which was absolutely amazing as we won the campaign, and it really showed what a difference people-power can make!

I have definitely felt part of the team during my time here, and the office is a really fun place to work, with every day different from the last. It’s also been very satisfying seeing my ideas acted upon so quickly – the weekly team meeting where we all get to pitch campaigning ideas has always been the highlight of my week!

In three weeks time I will be starting an exciting job at Amnesty International, but I will be very sad to leave 38 Degrees and would recommend volunteering here to anyone who wants to gain excellent experience in a campaigning organisation, while also helping to make positive changes to the UK.

If you’re interested in volunteering with 38 Degrees, click here for more information.

This blog was written by Claire Jacob, who volunteered at 38 Degrees from March – August 2010.