Freelance Fundraiser Brief
Introduction
The Vale and Downland Museum has recently launched the Fifty Years Campaign, celebrating the museum's fifty years in its current home and promoting the requirement for financial support to keep it going for another fifty years. As part of this we have launched a 100 Club, Patron's Scheme and Sponsorship options. We have had a small level of success with the initial launch, but we now require support in order to gain as much benefit from the campaign as we can.
About the Museum
The Museum sits at the heart of the local community; our aim is to foster a sense of belonging and a sense of place. We work hard to maintain free entry to the galleries, and provide an extensive programme of activities for all. In the last year the museum has welcomed over 55,000 people through the doors and strives to appeal to as wide a range of people as possible.
We welcome schools from across the region to explore how life has changed and get hands-on with object-based activities. We offer an extensive programme of holiday activities that appeal to children and families of all ages, alongside our regular gallery activities aimed at children.
We have an active Friends group who provide support to the museum and their own programme of events as well as a fantastic team of volunteers. Our volunteers share their skills, enjoy socialising and offer support to the museum in a variety of ways, showing their passion for the museum and its place within the local community.
The museum is open 6 days a week, all year round from 9:30am – 3:45pm. It operates a gift shop and coffee shop on site as well as being the tourist information point for the town.
Scope of Work
It would be fantastic if we could work with someone with knowledge of the local area, who would be able to make connections in the local and wider community. We are particularly looking for support with attracting local business sponsorship and individuals/businesses who would like to join the museum as a patron. We would expect the time to be used to develop key relationships, and enlist new members for the relevant packages.
In addition, we have an (externally funded) budget to host a patron and sponsors event at the end of January 2026. We would appreciate support from the fundraising freelancer in the organisation of this event, in coordination with the Museum Manager and Trustee Officers. We are open to what this event may look like considering the time restraints.
We would expect that a lot of the work will be undertaken remotely, but we will agree a work plan and identify when meetings are required (either on-site or remotely).
Vale & Downland Museum
Church Street
Wantage
OX12 8BL
Tel:
Budget
We have an externally funded budget of £7000, based on £350 a day for 20 days. This does not include travel, but does include VAT if required. The freelancer will be responsible for their own income tax and National Insurance contributions as this is a self-employed role. To access personal data, you must be registered with the Information Commissioner's Office.
Timing
We are happy to work with the appointed freelancer to manage the timescale of the project, but we would like to start asap as the funding is only available until the end of January 2026. We are happy to agree a payment schedule that suits both the museum and freelancer.
How to Apply
Please apply by the 13th September by email, with up to two sides of A4, outlining how you would respond to the brief. Please include how you would split your time to manage the workload. What your first steps would be and how you would move forwards throughout the project. Please outline how your previous experience would help you in with this project, either in a freelance capacity or employed position.
We will assess applications based on the following criteria:
To what extent is the proposal's approach or methodology appropriate and shows an understanding of the brief, the organisation's context and constraints? (40%)
·To what extent is the proposal value for money? (30%)
·To what extent does the applicant have relevant experience? (30%)
We will request referees after shortlisting applicants.
To enquire or apply, please contact Museum Manager Lisa Gale:
Timescale
Applications deadline – 13th September
Shortlisting – week beginning 15th September
Interviews – week beginning 22nd September
Start date – week beginning 29th September
End date – 31st January 2026
Job Type: Freelance
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Wantage OX12 8BL
Application deadline: 13/09/2025
Expected start date: 29/09/2025