One of our Members, Richard, shares his experiences of getting involved in ARC’s Fundraising Working Group.

I was slightly apprehensive about getting involved in ARC’s fundraising working group, as I hadn’t had much fundraising experience, but my mind was soon put to rest by the kind and supportive nature of my fellow volunteers. It turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made.

It’s not just  a chance to work alongside a passionate and dedicated bunch of people; taking part in  fundraising for ARC provides an opportunity to learn skills you may not get elsewhere. Of course, you can pick and choose which activities you get involved in (if a particular fundraising event isn’t your bag, there’s always plenty of other projects and activities to get stuck into). And you can have control over your own fundraising projects, from event and project management, to video editing and grant writing! The varied and exciting nature of the fundraising group means there’s always something for everyone. Behind every fundraising effort is a great idea, and behind every great idea is a motivated group of people who work together to pull it together. If you’ve an idea, we can help make it happen. And if that great idea hasn’t come to you YET, you will still be a valued member of an amazing team.

Getting involved with fundraising also means getting the opportunity to try a lot of cool things, such as attending the summer’s top gigs (for FREE) with ARC, or coordinating a crowdfunding video like the one that raised thousands of euro in the space of a few days, enabling us to make March for Choice 2018 accessible for all. If event planning is exciting to you, you might get to meet celebrities like Maria Doyle Kennedy, who performed at an ARC event in 2017. Or maybe you prefer something behind-the-scenes!

Don’t worry if you don’t think you have the right ‘experience’ to be part of our fundraising crew. All you really need is enthusiasm and the desire to fight for free, safe, legal and local abortion for all who want or need it. Over the coming months, we’re going to be busy writing grant applications, developing a volunteer toolkit and continuing to host quizzes and other events in order to raise money to support the fight for abortion rights across the island of Ireland. We can’t do this without help, so we’d love to have you on board.

It’s easy to get involved; just fill out this simple form and we will be back to you within a few days.