Volunteers wanted with Marketing and Fundraising knowledge and expertise.

with Dales and Bowland CIC

Dales and Bowland Community Interest Company is currently looking for people with some Marketing and Fundraising knowledge, skills and expertise to work with Directors to develop marketing and fundraising strategies to deliver their ambitious Business Plan for 2021-23 and to put the DalesBus network on a more sustainable path.

Background

Dales and Bowland Community Interest Company (D&BCIC) was formed in 2007 as a volunteer-run, not-for-profit social enterprise to manages the “DalesBus” network of weekend public bus services into and around the Yorkshire Dales National Park and Nidderdale/ Forest of Bowland Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

D&BCIC is managed by a voluntary Board of Directors which includes members with experience in finance and accountancy, bus operations, administration, transport economics, plus former chairs of the Yorkshire Dales Society and Friends of DalesBus. Directors are involved with the day to day activities of managing of the DalesBus network and are assisted by a wider pool of volunteers who help with things like distribution of publicity materials and updating of bus stop displays.

The Board generally meets at least three times per year and reviews detailed information on operations, patronage, finance, and marketing. On the basis of this information it approves plans for services and marketing activity.

DalesBus serves a wide range of catchment communities across the North of England, including the urban areas of West Yorkshire, East Lancashire, and Teesside. The network has expanded over the years and now supports fifteen summer services linking all the surrounding urban areas to the Dales, with services to Malham, Upper Wharfedale, Wensleydale, Swaledale and Nidderdale. These include services scheduled to connect with other bus and train services, in particular on the Leeds - Settle - Carlisle line. In winter months five services run, serving Upper Wharfedale and Wensleydale.

DalesBus also provides a much-valued service for local communities within the Dales who otherwise would have no transport on Saturdays, Sundays, and Bank Holidays, thereby further isolating those without access to their own transport. Over 30,000 passenger journeys were made on services managed by D&BCIC in 2019-20.

Skills or experience required?:

Marketing Support

Currently D&BCIC uses a range of channels to promote DalesBus and its summer and winter services – printed materials, Twitter, Facebook and media releases – as wells as its well-used and publicised website www.dalesbus.org

A volunteer with some marketing knowledge, skills and expertise is sought to assist the Board in reviewing and developing its marketing strategy to support the planned service and passenger growth of the DalesBus network over the next three years and also to address the negative effects of the Covid-19 social distancing measures and messaging on public perceptions of public transport – particularly buses.

Fundraising Support

Each year D&BCIC has to raise around £100,000. Over the last five years there has been a significant drop in funding support from the public sector and D&BCIC has had to devote increasing time and effort to seek funding from commercial sponsors, charitable trusts, local charities, local businesses and individual donations as well as organising fundraising events. This has enabled most of the network to be maintained but much of the resulting funding is only short-term and on a one-off basis, so does not provide security for the future.
A volunteer with some fundraising knowledge, skills and expertise is therefore sought to assist the Board in developing a fundraising strategy to secure public sector, longer-term funding, and the future of the DalesBus network.

Board Vacancies

There is a possibility that suitable successful candidates may be invited to join the Board as Directors.

Frequency of opportunity: Ongoing

Can this opportunity be home based?: Yes

What are the areas of interest?: Fundraising, Marketing & communications

Type(s) of cause supported: Environment, Transport

Where is the opportunity located?: Across North Yorkshire, Craven, Harrogate, Richmondshire

Includes out of pocket expenses?: Yes

How many hours per week is this opportunity?: Hours will vary through the year depending on the timetable for planning and marketing of the summer and winter services.

You can volunteer for this opportunity at the following times:

	M	T	W	T	F	S	S
Morning
Afternoon
Evening