Voluntary Service Overseas

What’s the context and purpose of the role?
The I Do Kids Fund was set up in 2008 to help improve the living standards of disadvantaged children in China and to promote volunteerism. The Fund is planning to set up and run the first charity shop in Beijing. They want to develop the shop as a platform for fundraising, improving interaction and communication among the public, media, individuals and NGO’s. The shop will be based in the very centre of Beijing so you’ll be involved in launching not just a shop, but also a whole concept in this vibrant city. The nature of the role will ensure that you become part of the local community and will not only pass on your skills to local people, but will learn from the experience personally and professionally. Through this role you’ll support of the development of volunteering to fight against poverty and disadvantage in China, through capacity building and awareness raising at a local level.

What does the role involve?

And the rest…
You’ll be living and working in Beijing. You’ll be working in the office with 3 other staff members at I Do Kids Fund, but will also spend a lot of your time around the city. You’ll be provided with accommodation close to your place of work and will be able to enjoy the many attractions of this incredible city in your spare time. In Beijing you’ll find every kind of entertainment possible from the arts, eating out, sports and relaxation. Why not try some early morning Tai Chi to set you up for the day?

We’ll ask you to commit to 3 - 12 months to make a sustainable contribution to our development goals. In return, we’ll give you comprehensive financial, personal and professional support. We'll provide you with extensive training before your placement, and our financial package includes a local salary, return flights, accommodation, insurance and more. When you return to your home country, we'll help you to resettle and many of our returned volunteers stay involved with us long after their placement ends.

You’ll be an experienced manager who has worked in setting up small-scale businesses or charity shops. You’ll have experience of developing partnerships with businesses for marketing or fundraising and will be comfortable working in a cross-cultural development. You’ll need creative and organisational skills to lead this project and your excellent negotiating skills will be invaluable, as you’ll have few resources to work with. You’ll need to train managers and staff to look after and develop the shop after your placement ends, so training skills will be vital. Most importantly you’ll have experience of working in the charity shop business, this is a new concept in China, so you’ll need to ‘sell’ the idea to the general public as well as help to manage the shop itself.

How to Apply:

Online application at www.vso.org.uk/volunteering
For applicants outside Europe please visit www.vsointernational.org to find your nearest recruitment base.
Enquiries: enquiry@vso.org.uk or +44 (0)20 8780 7500