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This new initiative is aimed at helping people who are keen to become fundraisers, but don’t yet have the experience that charities are looking for.

The Charity Career Start Programme helps charities fill the experience gap and offers people wanting to join charities a chance to gain the experience they need by offering a ten week placement at a major Scottish charity. Participants also receive induction, training and mentoring on the sector generally and in specific roles such as fundraising, marketing or event organisation.

For the charity involved, it gives them a chance to help raise the skill levels within their own organisation and provides them with access to new recruits who have already been trained in the basics of working in the sector and in the role that needs filled.

Initially the placements will be in fundraising roles, but we hope that the programme will expand to incorporate placements in marketing, administration, finance and IT roles.

The first placement under the scheme was 24-year-old Fiona Manning who joined Edinburgh-based charity Poppy Scotland in September 2007 after failing to find a job through lack of experience. Manning, a graduate of St Andrews University, said: “I had enjoyed fundraising as a volunteer and decided that I wanted to join the profession. I had applied for a lot of jobs, but each one told me they liked me, but that I needed experience. I’m so pleased that Poppyscotland gave me a chance to gain that experience”.

Fiona graduated from the Career Start Programme and has just recently been appointed Fundraising Assistant with The National Autistic Society Scotland.

We are now looking for people to take part in the programme and join a charity in Scotland. For further information contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 07941 851589.