A Year At KidsOut!

Hello!

My name is Max and I am (sadly) just about to finish my internship here at KidsOut, where for the past year I have been working as Fundraising Executive (and briefly Events Assistant).

If I had to sum up my year at KidsOut in one word, it would be ‘varied’ and if I had to sum it up in 3 words it would be ‘very, very varied’.

From spending a week in the KidsOut van going up and down the country collecting toys, to chucking paint and selling merchandise at the Colour Dash, to chasing up runners (get it?) for our sponsored events, to working all our local and corporate networking events, no week has been the same in the KidsOut office!

Primarily working on the Giving Tree, I was blown away by the generosity of the companies and organisations who donated mountains of toys and gifts. The endless hours spent counting tags or waiting in traffic (Oxford Street at Christmas…), and loading van after van, was all made worth it knowing that every child in a Women’s Aid refuge could be given a toy over Christmas.

Giving Tree ToyBox packing. I have never been so excited to see floor space!
Giving Tree ToyBox packing. This is how excited we were to see floor space!

 

For me, KidsOut’s aims are simple but so important; providing fun and happiness to those who need it most. For many of us, myself included, we can take our happy childhood memories for granted; weekends spent playing in the park, stacking up on sweets for a trip to the cinema, huge birthday parties with all your friends. These memories define our childhood. However, for thousands of children up and down the country, the reality is totally different. These are children who have had to escape domestic violence, or live their life in daily poverty, or have suffered with a life limiting illness. KidsOut’s Fun Days and Toy Boxes provide these children with something to look forward to and something to look back on. Simply put, they allow them to be children and just have fun.

I started the year having only known what I’d read on the website, but, working alongside a small team of passionate and caring staff and seeing the incredible impact of the charity’s work, I can safely say KidsOut will always hold a special place in my heart and I will continue to support it in any way I can.

Thank you to all the amazing staff and volunteers for making this a year I will never forget. A special shout out goes to my fellow interns, Nitesh, Naomi, and Julia.

London Ball
Working hard at the London Ball…
Caught red-handed at Colour Dash.