Author: Aimee Jones

Fundraising for charity is an excellent way to give back to the community and support causes that are important to you. Whether you want to raise money for a local charity or a national organisation, there are many fundraising ideas for charity that can help raise large amounts of money. 

Here at Seashell, we know the importance of fundraising and how vital it is for charities to fundraise. So we’ve put together a range of ideas of how you can lend a helping hand and fundraise for causes and charities close to your heart. 

The best fundraising ideas for charity

If you’re looking for some fundraising ideas that have proven to be successful in the past, we’ve got the perfect list of inspiration for you. 

There are certain challenges, events, and activities that have been proven to generate a significant amount of donations, so we thought this would be a good place to start.

Sponsored walks, runs, or bike rides

One of the most popular fundraising ideas is holding a sponsored event. This could be a sponsored walk, run, cycle, a sponsored silence, or even a sponsored head shave. 

These are often the most popular fundraising events that people host as they are a great way to get the whole community involved. Not only do sponsored events raise awareness for the charity in question, but they also do a good job of encouraging people to donate money. 

Another bonus of this kind of fundraising event is that people will have fun, challenge themselves, and get fitter; all while raising money for a good cause.

Charity auctions

Another fundraising idea is to hold a charity auction. 

This could be an online auction or a live event. It’s a great way to raise money for charity while also providing people with the opportunity to bid on unique items or experiences. 

A popular way of generating items for the auction is to get local businesses involved. You can ask them to donate items or services, or you can reach out to friends and family for donations. 

Popular auction items often include art, antiques, food and drink hampers or even a weekend away in a luxury hotel – this one is sure to get people bidding for the chance of a weekend away! 

Raffles

Raffles are simple yet effective fundraising tools. Get together a range of prizes that can be raffled off in exchange for a monetary donation.

These prizes could be gathered from donations from the local community or even local businesses. Prizes often range from a bottle of wine to a fancy meal for two at a nice restaurant.

Charity car washes

A super simple way to raise money for charity is a charity car wash. 

Simply get together a team of volunteers, some buckets, sponges, and car shampoo and you’ve got everything you need to get cracking and wash some cars. 

The key to this idea is to choose a popular location in the community, a car park for example, or offer a door-to-door option. Wash cars for a reasonable charge and you will see people lining up to get it done. This might not be the most ‘out there’ idea but it is sure to be lucrative for your given charity.

Charity bake sales

Bake sales are a fantastic fundraising idea for charity. They are easy to organise and can be done at home, at work, or at a local event. 

Get a team of bakers together and ask them to donate cakes, biscuits, cookies, and other baked goods to sell, and then charge people a fee per item. It’s a win-win situation as you get to raise money for your charity and people get to take home a yummy baked treat!

Charity fun runs or marathons

A more adventurous idea could be a charity fun run, while marathons are another popular fundraising event. 

This could be anything from climbing a mountain to running a marathon, or walking a certain amount of miles in a given time period (such as 50k in a month). It’s a great way to enable people the chance to challenge themselves physically while raising money for a good cause. 

Make the most of social media

Social media has become an incredibly powerful tool for fundraising in recent years.

You can set up a fundraising page on websites like JustGiving and share it on your social media profiles. This allows people to donate money easily and quickly. It’s also a great way to reach more people than you would have without. 

You can also use social media to promote your other fundraising activities, such as sponsored events or charity auctions.

Fundraising at Seashell

Here at Seashell, fundraising is a crucial part of what we do. Through events, such as lotteries and charity balls, we can continue to make a difference to those within our community and continually improve our facilities.

Over the years, we have held a range of fundraising events to ensure we can keep providing the services and facilities that we do. Only last year, we conquered the Yorkshire Three Peaks as a team and raised a total of £37,500! The money raised from this event helped us to provide essential equipment and experiences to the children and young people we educate and care for at Seashell.

This year, we are hosting the ‘Shellebration Sponsored Walk‘. This is taking place on Saturday 17th June for an eight mile (approximately) walk through the gorgeous Cheshire countryside. The walk will start and finish at the Seashell campus in Cheadle Hulme and is on track to raise a large amount of money to help us with our charity efforts. 

There are many fundraising ideas to choose from when it comes to raising money and we hope this list of fundraising ideas for charity inspires you to raise some money for a cause close to your heart.
For more information on how you can get involved in supporting us, get in touch on 0161 610 0100 or email us at info@seashelltrust.org.uk.

Working in the charity sector can be an incredibly rewarding career path. Making an impact on people’s lives each day brings you a strong sense of fulfilment. If you have considered working within the charity sector but are unsure if this is the right fit for you, we are here to help. At Seashell, we have put together this guide on how to work for a charity, the steps it takes and what sort of jobs we offer. 

How to work for a charity – Getting started

Working within the charity sector can be a fantastic choice of career path, whether you are starting out with your first career or are interested in a full change of work environment. Not every day is easy when working in charity, but you will find a rewarding sense of fulfilment within your work that few other career choices can provide. 

If you are interested in getting involved in the charity sector but are unsure of how to take those first steps, take a look at our previous blog which goes into further detail about how to work for a charity. You will find advice on what training or experience you may need when working for a charity and how to attain this. 

Jobs at Seashell

Jobs within the charity sector are varied, so you are bound to come across a position that suits your qualities and skill set. Below are some examples of jobs that are commonly seen on our vacancies page. 

At Seashell, we provide specialist care to children and young people with SEND and teach them essential skills to prepare them for the future. You will be able to get a sense of what is required when working at Seashell with the following job descriptions. 

Learning support assistant

The role of a learning support assistant involves working directly with our students to help their learning and progress during their time at Seashell. This entails working within one of the following four courses: Preparation for life and work, Autism support, Sensory and Supported Internship. 

As a learning support assistant, you will work with one of our teachers to support with lessons and learning activities. This will include preparing the classroom for different sessions with resources, encouraging good classroom behaviour and attending to the needs of students during their breaks, lunchtimes and community activities. 

Residential support worker

In addition to our schools, we have 17 home-from-home, four-bedroomed houses for children and young people who reside at Seashell. As a residential support worker, you will be involved in providing hands-on support for our residents via one-to-one daily care.  

No two days are the same in this position. So being a residential support worker requires flexibility and enthusiasm. Seashell will equip you with the skills and knowledge to confidently support our children and young adults. 

Student careers adviser

We are as invested in the lives of our students moving forward from their time at Seashell as we are during their time in our care. Therefore, we rely on our careers advisers to provide essential support to our students in helping them transition to the world of work.  

Your role will involve identifying career plans for our students, supporting students with their work placements, and liaising with parents, carers and local authorities with regard to students’ future careers. 

Working with Seashell

We are always eager to welcome new members to the Seashell team. With a long-established history of providing thorough care to people with complex needs, joining our team will place you within an environment where both you and our children and young adults will thrive.  

We hope you now understand how to work for a charity and what you can expect from an average working day in the charity sector. 

If any of the job roles mentioned above or on our vacancies page appeal to you, get in touch with us on 0161 610 0100 or email us at info@seashelltrust.org.uk. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have about working in our various positions.

When it comes to deciding on a charity to support, it can be difficult to narrow it down to a particular one. With so many to choose from and many causes worth helping, it can sometimes be a little confusing to pick what feels like the right charity for you. To give you some guidance, we have put together this guide on how to choose a charity to support to make the process that little bit easier. 

Choosing a charity to support

There are many well-established charities that are making a difference in the world each day. However, the vast majority rely on the support of people like yourself. When deciding how to choose a charity to support, there are several steps you can take to make the decision process a little more straightforward.  

Consider the following points below to ensure you choose the right charity for you. 

1. Does it align with your values?

From the many different charities that you can support, be sure to choose one that aligns with your values or those of your business. If you or your team feel engaged and personally identify with the charity’s mission, it will be more motivating to get involved with it. You can then help to make to the difference that you want to see within society. 

2. Consider the charity’s scope

Are you looking to support a charity that works overseas or are you looking to support one in your local area?  

When thinking about how to choose a charity to support, the previous point above may be relevant here. If there is a pressing issue happening elsewhere in the world that you feel needs to be addressed, choose a charity that operates internationally.  

Alternatively, you can choose a local charity and get involved with supporting your local community and issues within your area. 

3. Do your research

When you begin to come to a decision about what charity you would like to support, you should do your research on them to get a real sense of what the charity you are considering does.  

Have they made a real difference within their field?  

Additionally, try researching what past donors, volunteers and employees have said about the charity to get a sense of how it functions.  

What is the best way to support a charity? 

Now that you know how to choose a charity to support, you must next consider in what ways you would like to support your chosen charity.  

There are several methods of supporting a charity that are all beneficial in their own right. By getting involved with a charity, you can help to make a profound difference in people’s lives.  

At Seashell, previous supporters have helped our cause with these methods: 

Fundraising

One of the most supportive ways of supporting a charity is to get fundraising. Charities often rely on donations as a means of continuing to make a difference within their community, so fundraising can have a huge impact.  

Whether this means getting involved with a fundraising event that your chosen charity has organised or even organising one yourself, fundraising can be a great opportunity to raise money for a cause you believe in and often have fun doing so! 

At Seashell, we have lots of fundraising events lined up that you can get involved with. Pencil them into your calendar and get involved! 

Volunteering 

Volunteering is another great method of helping out a charity. It is a very rare circumstance that a charity isn’t in need of a helping hand or two, so offering up your time to aid their service can be incredibly beneficial to them. 

There are also several benefits to you when you partake in volunteering. You can get experience working within the charity sector, meet new people, and have fun while trying something new. 

Donating

As non-profit organisations, charities are always in need of financial support to help them to continue their work. Through donations, you are able to make a direct impact on people’s lives.  

Your donations may fund a new facility, provide someone in need with a meal, or give someone the urgent medical care they need. With charities like ours that support children with SEND, continued support and donations help to change the lives of young people and give them the support they need to flourish.  

Supporting Seashell 

At Seashell, we are always incredibly grateful for the support we receive, no matter how big or small. If you come to support Seashell after considering how to choose a charity to support, we can benefit lives with your help.  

People like you help us to continue what we do and constantly improve our services to benefit the lives of children and young people for the better. 

Above are just some of the examples that you can use to support Seashell and similar charities, but you can find more information on how to get involved on our website. 

If you would like to get in touch with Seashell to find out more about supporting us or for help with any other queries you may have about us and our services, contact us on 0161 610 0100 or email us at info@seashelltrust.org.uk. 

Working for a charity can be an immensely rewarding career choice. Not only will you be helping to make a difference in the lives of others, but you’ll also gain invaluable experience and skills that can be transferred to other aspects of your life. In this article, Seashell explains why working for a charity could be the best decision you ever make.

The rewards of working for a charity

Why work for a charity? Well, while there isn’t a single one-size-fits-all answer to that question, there are numerous benefits that come from working in the charity sector. So if you’re interested in making a career change or taking your first tentative steps into the world of work, and are looking for a fulfilling career path, we’ve compiled a list of the five main reasons you should consider working for a charity like Seashell.

1. Making a difference in the world

Feeling like you’re making a difference in the world can be extremely rewarding. Whether volunteering or forging a full-time career, working for a charity provides an incredible opportunity to make a positive difference in other people’s lives. Where else could you find that level of job satisfaction? When you work with Seashell, you’re guaranteed to make a difference in the lives of children and young adults with complex needs.

2. Knowing you are helping others

Working for a charity like Seashell is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have. Knowing that your efforts are empowering and enriching the lives of our students and residents is rewarding and inspiring. In addition, a career at Seashell can provide you with a wealth of invaluable skills and experiences. Helping others has been proven to stimulate positive mental health benefits, making charity work a win-win occupation!

3. Learning and developing new skills

Learning and developing new skills is a great way to further your personal growth and career potential. When you join the Seashell team, you will be challenged and rewarded in equal measure. You’ll be able to strengthen your skill set daily, especially in regards to communication, teamwork and patience. Learning and evolving on the job is a sure-fire route to success and satisfaction.

4. Meeting new people and making friends

Working for a charity is a wonderful opportunity to meet like-minded people and make lifelong friends. It allows you to unite around a shared purpose of working towards something greater than yourself. Working at Seashell allows you to learn and grow with those around you, creating meaningful friendships. The potential to make meaningful connections is a major benefit of charity work.

5. Opportunities for career advancement

Working for a charity presents unique opportunities for career advancement. Many skills you will develop working in this environment, such as problem-solving, working under pressure, serving multiple stakeholders, and working collaboratively with a team, can serve you well in any field. However, the rewards of working at Seashell and the opportunities to progress will likely keep you motivated for many years to come.

What it’s like working at Seashell

So, now you have five gilt-edged reasons why working for a charity is a worthwhile pursuit. But don’t just take our word for it. We spoke to several team members to find out what it’s like to work at Seashell.

Wesley Ratcliffe is our Cycling Development Officer. Working out of our new Bradbury Cycling Centre, Wes is committed to creating inclusive cycling projects within Seashell and the community. He said: “There are many things I enjoy about the job. I feel fully supported by the team around me and have plenty of opportunities to access further training and qualifications, which will enable me to be an even better version of myself.”

Lucy Basing Roberts is a member of the college Occupational Therapy Team. Lucy’s role involves assessing students’ needs and providing equipment, strategies, and therapy sessions. She said: “I really enjoy my role at Seashell as I have the opportunity to get to know the students and create interventions that are tailored to their specific needs. I also work within a really supportive team, and it really feels like all staff at Seashell are invested in each student.”

Make a difference with Seashell

Working for a charity like Seashell offers many benefits, not least the satisfaction you’ll gain from making a difference, helping others, learning new skills, working in a supportive team environment, and advancing your career. If you’d like to make a difference in the lives of children and young people with SEND, Seashell is actively recruiting across multiple rewarding roles. We would love to welcome you to the team!

Browse our current vacancies and volunteering opportunities to find your perfect role. For more information about Seashell, please get in touch on 0161 610 0100 or email info@seashelltrust.org.uk.

Fundraising for charity is a fantastic way to show your support for worthwhile causes. With the right attitude and know-how, you can make an incredible difference in the lives of those in need. We believe everyone has something special to offer, which is why we provide a range of opportunities to get involved in charity fundraising opportunities here at Seashell.

Read on to find out how you can aid the vital support we provide to children and young adults with complex learning difficulties, disabilities, and additional communication needs.

Why get involved in charity fundraising?

There are several fantastic reasons to get involved in charity fundraising. By raising money for a charity close to your heart, you can make a huge difference in the lives of people who need it the most. Not only will your fundraising efforts directly impact the beneficiaries of your hard-earned funds, but fundraising initiatives are also a great way to bring your friends, family, colleagues and community together.

How to support Seashell in our bicentenary year

In 2023, Seashell is celebrating our bicentenary. To mark 200 years of supporting children and young people with complex needs, from our earliest years as a school for deaf children to the ongoing £50 million redevelopment of our school and campus, Seashell will be providing plenty of fundraising opportunities throughout this momentous year. So if you’d like to support our work, we’d love to have you on board!

With our donors’ invaluable support, we aim to provide an extraordinary place for extraordinary people, for another 200 years to come. Here’s how you can get involved in charity fundraising with Seashell:

Challenge Events

Every day our dedicated team helps our students and residents with complex learning difficulties to meet everyday challenges and achieve their goals. So why not set yourself a challenge and reach your own fundraising goals? Seashell offers various challenge events throughout the year that allow you to test your mettle and raise some valuable funds for our life-changing services.

Why not run for Seashell at the London Marathon, Great Manchester Run or Wilmslow Running Festival? Or, if cycling is more your thing, you could ride for us at the Tour de Manc. Take the adrenaline up a notch by jumping two feet first into a Seashell Skydive, or take on our Charity Dragon Boat Challenge. For something more sedate, join us on our Shellebration Walk or at our annual Seashell Golf day at Wilmslow Golf Club.

There really is a challenge event for everyone!

Corporate Support

The global pandemic profoundly impacted the fundraising activities of many charities. At Seashell, the direct effect of that period of enforced inactivity led to a shortfall of around £300,000 in postponed events. So the invaluable support of our corporate fundraising partners has never been more important. If your team or entire business would like to provide corporate support, we would relish the opportunity to work with you.

We’ve devised several opportunities for businesses and their staff to support the work of Seashell. Whether it be remote fundraising or remote volunteering for those who have permanently embraced the WFH culture, to team building and PR opportunities, on-site volunteering at our Cheadle Hulme campus, sponsorship packages and gift-in-kind donations – there are plenty of ways to get involved in charity fundraising at Seashell.

Trusts and Foundations

Grants from trusts and foundations are an essential revenue stream for our SEND charity. The vital donations of partner trusts and foundations have funded many significant projects, capital developments and specialist equipment. With your support, we can continue providing the best education, care and facilities to enable our students and residents to achieve their full potential and live their best lives.

Seashell Lottery

The Seashell Lottery offers another fantastic opportunity to get involved in charity fundraising. From as little as £1, players have the chance to win up to £25,000 in our weekly prize draw. Run on our behalf by Unity, the nation’s fundraising lottery scheme, the Seashell Lottery is a fun and discreet way to support our cause without breaking the bank or a sweat! How would you spend that top prize if you won?!

How can you get involved in charity fundraising with Seashell?

At Seashell, we have many ways for you to get involved in charity fundraising. You can either participate in one of our fantastic challenge events, or organise your own unique initiative. However you support us, every penny you raise will go towards providing world-class education, care, and support to children and young adults with complex learning difficulties, disabilities, and additional communication needs.

Your fundraising efforts help support our Transforming Lives Appeal, raising vital funds for our £50 million Project Transformation, one of the UK’s biggest and most ambitious special school capital projects. As well as a new school, we’re building a new future for thousands of children and young people with acute special needs. So any support you can provide means the world to us, no matter how big or small.

Download a fundraising pack to begin supporting #teamseashell today! If you’d like to discuss any ideas you may have or if you have any other queries, please contact us on 0161 610 0100 or fundraising@seashelltrust.org.uk. We’re here to help you help us!

Fundraising is an essential part of any charity or community that relies on the support of others to continue running and improving. Though fundraising helps a charity financially, there are also plenty of other reasons as to why fundraising is beneficial. Continue reading to find out why is fundraising important for charities like us and the significant impact it has on bettering young people’s lives.

Why is fundraising important?

Fundraising has a huge significance on our regular operation as a charity as we could not exist without the continuing support we see from our fundraising events, grants and corporate and community support. 

At Seashell, fundraising benefits the lives of children and young people massively and means that we are able to provide better care to more people as a result. We provide support for people with complex needs and their families who are able to thrive as a result of the positive environment we create. Our facilities give people the opportunity to learn key skills and have fun doing so. Additionally, our residential homes provide a comfortable and welcoming environment for respite care. Fundraising helps all these facilities to continue operating and provide young people with SEND the care and support they deserve. 

Though fundraising is important in a financial sense, it also helps to support our charity in other ways too. Fundraising means that we are able to share our message and goals with the wider community and help to raise awareness about the benefits of our services for young people with SEND. Through fundraising events, we not only gain financial support but increase the number of people who are able to help out and get involved after they learn about us and our values. 

To find out about our fundraising events in the future where you can get involved first-hand in making a difference in our community, take a look at our upcoming events section where you can always find a variety of events to get involved in.

The impact of fundraising

After our fundraising events take place, the massive benefits to our charity can be visibly seen and answer the question ‘why is fundraising important’. The funds that are gathered through the fundraising process directly impact our students and residents at Seashell for the better. With more funding, we are able to continually maintain and improve the facilities at Seashell. This means that new projects, such as our cycle track, can be developed to expand our ability to help develop our students’ core skills in an entertaining way. 

Fundraising will be particularly beneficial to support Project Transformation, one of the biggest special school capital projects in the UK that requires £50 million to fully transform our school buildings into a facility that effectively and accommodates the varied needs of our students. 

The support we have received from trusts and foundations has been particularly significant in helping to develop new projects for the benefit of our students and residents. Additionally, corporate support is also welcomed and appreciated as no matter if your company is big or small, developing a partnership with us is always beneficial for everyone involved. 

We have had a varied history of fundraising in different ways for people to get involved. Our weekly lottery draw has a lot of exciting prizes for you to get your hands on and you can even win up to £25,000 if you’re lucky enough. 

Alternatively, our challenge events are a fun and interactive way to get involved with fundraising if you want to get involved in person. We have a history of organising unique challenges where you can push yourself and benefit the lives of young people while doing so. Take a look at our range of this year’s upcoming challenge events to find the ideal one for you to take part in.

Fundraising at Seashell

We are always excited for people to get started with helping out with our fundraising at Seashell. With a long-established history of providing high-quality care to people with SEND, supporting us through fundraising will allow our community to fully thrive and be at its best. We hope you have gained valuable insight into why fundraising is important for our charity and have found a way that’s ideal for you to get stuck in. 

If you’d like to get in touch with Seashell to find out more about our fundraising opportunities, or if you have an idea about developing a fundraising opportunity with us, contact us on 0161 610 0100 or email us at info@seashelltrust.org.uk.

As a parent of a child with SEND, it is important that you can rely on support services for the benefit of your child, you and your family. At Seashell, we know having support is essential which is why we offer residential facilities for disabled children that teach them important skills and improve their lives. In addition to this, we offer a range of services that can help identify your child’s condition and needs in detail and also teach you how to best care for them. Continue reading this article from Seashell to find out more.

Our residential facilities for disabled children

At Seashell, our centre and our facilities are built to develop the skills of children with complex needs. For you and your child, it is essential that you are able to use residential facilities that are available to you to have respite care available when needed. This has benefits for the whole family as parents are able to have a short break from full-time care, while children are able to relax in a new and exciting environment. 

Our residential facilities for disabled children are run by a dedicated team of experienced professionals who can best support your child. As part of our residential care, our therapy and nursing is a key part of helping your child to develop when they spend their time with us. Each day counts while your child is at Seashell, so we make progress in developing targets, strategies and programmes to support all of our students.  

Additionally, we offer a family flat as part of our family services that can help you stay connected during your child’s Seashell journey. This flat is located close to our homes to provide that extra reassurance and features two bedrooms that can hold up to five people.

Assessment, Intervention and Training Services

While your child stays with us, there are a variety of assessment, intervention and training services that we offer in addition to our residential facilities. 

Our assessment services, such as our deafblind guidance and physiotherapy assessments, are run by our qualified professionals to help fully understand the abilities and needs of a child or young person. Afterwards, we are then able to offer recommendations on how to best care for your child and go on to improve their skills and independence. 

Our intervention services are on offer to help actively improve your child’s abilities and skills and empower them within the form of courses that can range from a few days to a few weeks. Some of these intervention services include our physio intervention and our Seashell Start initiative which helps the progression and abilities of children under five years old. 

The training services we provide help organisations and individuals to better understand how best to work with children who have SEND. These are not exclusive to, but have been useful to those working in the education, charity and social care sectors. Examples of our training programmes include our FASD awareness training, autism specific training and MSI intervenor training. 

Using these services can help your child not only feel comfortable and supported while they are here at our residential facilities for disabled children, but can also help you to better understand your child’s needs and how to best care for them in a way that will help them to progress and flourish.

Residential facilities and your child’s progression at Seashell

Our residential facilities for disabled children are intended to be there to assist you and your child and to get the most out of the range of services we provide. The assessment, intervention and training services we have on offer are there to help you understand how to best support your child and to help them develop too. 

If you’d like to get in touch with Seashell to find out more about what benefit our facilities and services can be to your family and to get help with any other queries you may have, contact us at 0161 610 0100 or email us at info@seashelltrust.org.uk.

If you are caring for a child who has difficulty with their senses, it is essential that you have access to the right care and support services. As a result of using the right programmes, you can help a child to develop their skills and improve their response and understanding of the world around them. At Seashell, we have specialist services run by experienced professionals to help you with providing the care and support your child needs. Continue reading to find out how to support a child with sensory needs using our range of helpful services at Seashell. 

Our sensory support services

As a charity that prides itself on supporting children with various complex needs, it is important to us that we are able to provide as much support as possible. Not only do we aim to deliver care ourselves, but we also want you to be able to learn skills so you can care for children with SEND appropriately too. 

That’s why for children with sensory needs, we provide a range of sensory support services. These include our assessment, intervention and training services for professionals who work in sectors such as the health, education and social care sectors and our Seashell Start services for parents and carers. If you want to know how to support a child with sensory needs, our range of services is sure to help.

Seashell Start

If your child is aged under five years old, we have a diverse range of intervention services that are designed to help your child learn essential skills and to support their development with Seashell Start. These involve both you and your child so that you can progress together within your mutual learning and relationship. Some of these include our Stay and Play, Sleep and Sensory feeding interventions that are available for you to choose from.  

Across these services, support is provided to children who have a range of needs such as communication difficulties, sensory needs and difficulty sleeping. By using our Seashell Start services, you can help your child to get support and aid their development at an essential early developmental stage that can set them on the right path for the future.

Assessment, intervention and training services

Deaf and blind support programmes similar to ours are not always easy to find, so we regard it as essential that these are provided for the benefit of children that struggle with these difficulties. Therefore, we take pride in the fact we offer an MSI deafblind intervenor course to help you work with and better understand the conditions and needs of deafblind children. 

In addition, there are a variety of assessment, intervention and training services that we offer if you would like to better understand how to support a child with sensory needs. 

Our deafblind guidance assessment is useful for understanding in detail a child with sensory needs’ condition and abilities in detail. This is carried out by a qualified teacher who is experienced in Multi-Sensory Impairment (MSI). By the end of the assessment, a full report that includes recommendations on how to best care for your child will be provided. 

As well as this assessment, we have a vast range of services to help professionals who work with children with sensory needs that you can use. These include our MSI Specialist Training Packages, MSI Intervenor Training, MSI Advisory Support and Personalised Learning Programmes (PLPs). Taking these training courses can be incredibly useful if you work with children with sensory needs. You will learn educational practices and specialised techniques to better communicate with the children in your care and to help them become more independent. 

Using these services can help your child not only feel comfortable and supported, but can also help you to better understand your child’s needs and how to best care for them in a way that will help them to progress and flourish.

Sensory support services at Seashell

If you are in care of a child and are seeking advice on how to support a child with sensory needs, our services will help both you and the children in your care understand each other much more effectively. The Seashell Start and assessment, intervention and training services we have on offer are there to help you understand how to best support your child and to help them develop too. 

If you’d like to get in touch with Seashell to find out more about what benefit our facilities and services can be to your child and to get help with any other queries you may have, contact us at 0161 610 0100 or email us at info@seashelltrust.org.uk.

A career in the charity sector can be very rewarding. Spending each day helping others can make you feel that you are having a real impact within your community. If you’re wondering how to get involved in charity work, you need to know what a career in a disability charity involves to ensure that you possess the correct qualities and skills. So if you’re looking for a career in charity or special needs jobs, find out more in this guide from Seashell.

How to get involved with charity work

When thinking of getting started in charity work, you need to be sure that you are aware of the requirements and realities of getting involved before you do so. As you may be aware, salaries in charities usually tend to be lower than other jobs in the private sector. As a result, you must be a person who has a genuine interest in making a difference within your local community and may have previously been a volunteer with special needs students or partaken in other charitable activities. The rewarding feeling from doing this, however, is what gets people interested and leads people to stay in charity work.

Before applying for a position, charities normally like to see within your CV that you are enthusiastic about caring for people. This doesn’t mean that you have to already have had masses of experience within charity work but you must have some other way of showing that you are the sort of person that would thrive within this environment. 

Volunteering for charity work is a good way to get a foot in the door if you have no prior experience. Often, local charities can benefit from an extra helping hand, and this will go a long way to getting some valuable experience to put on your CV. Having practical experience in community fundraising within the charity sector will be impressive to an employer and having this is usually favoured over solely having theoretical knowledge.

Qualities of a charity worker

The typical qualities of a charity worker are based on their ability to fit within the demanding environment that charity work can bring and to be compatible with the various people they will interact with daily. So if you’ve been wondering how to get involved in charity work, here are some of the typical qualities that may be expected of you:

• Flexibility and innovation 
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills 
• Organisational skills
• An upbeat and positive personality 
• Strong multitasking and teamwork skills 
• Enthusiasm for the job and the people involved 

Starting your career at Seashell

Seashell is a charity that endeavours to help young people with complex needs develop key skills and creates a safe and fun environment in which they can thrive. If you would like to start a career in charity, we have many different positions available for you to get started here. 

Before you have a look at our positions, browse our website to find out more about what sort of charity we are and our disability services in Manchester. To become even more clued up, we have plenty of information for you to read up on about what we do within our organisation to get an idea of what the day-to-day environment would be like.

When you’ve done that, be sure to check our website for vacancies at Seashell regularly as we are always looking for new team members. The positions we have are varied as it takes a diverse team to make sure all parts of the charity are running smoothly. Whether it’s at our specialist residential schools, Royal College Manchester or our residential care for learning disabilities, we have many vacancies available for people of varied career backgrounds so it is always worth looking to see if there is a position that’s right for you. 

If you aren’t able to find a position that suits you on our website, you can get in touch with someone from our recruitment team who will be more than happy to have a friendly chat with you about the options that we can provide.

Working with Seashell

Now that you know how to get involved in charity work, why not work alongside Seashell? We are always excited to welcome new team members at Seashell and offer amazing perks like the termly Seashell Central staff engagement initiative. We sell branded clothing, free drinks and snacks and invite people from a range of services to attend to speak about their priorities and communicate anything that they feel is important. We also have a variety of external guests, offering things like money advice and have even enjoyed visits from Manchester Bike Kitchen who fixed people’s bikes.

With a long-established history of providing high-quality care to people with SEND, joining our team will place you within a beneficial environment where both you and the residents of our community will thrive. We hope you have gained valuable insight into how to have a career in the charity sector. 

If you’d like to get in touch with Seashell to find out more about our positions and get help with any other queries you may have about us and our services, contact us on 0161 610 0100 or email us at info@seashelltrust.org.uk.