A big thank you to each and every one of our Volunteers this Volunteers Week 2021

To celebrate Volunteers Week 2021, Anna Guzman, who has been volunteering with the Huracan Foundation for the last six months has written the following article. We would also like to say a big thank you to her for all the help she has given and the time she has committed to the Foundation.

1st -7th June is Volunteers week in the UK and is an opportunity for us to say a big thank you to the volunteers without whom we couldn’t run any of our projects, and for us to spotlight the important and varied roles they play within our organisation.

Our growing community is very much dependant on people giving their time, energy and skills to help us change the lives of hundreds of children around the world through football.

Over the year they have been involved in a number of areas ranging from website development, writing articles, marketing & comms, website SEO to researching funding opportunities, as well as being critical in supporting our Project Leaders.

And on the ground, our Project Leaders are also supported by very committed volunteers – often in relatively challenging circumstances given the lack of training they have received. We know for example that in Uganda, many of Charles’ coaches have not received training themselves but through their energy and willingness they have ensured that the project can continue and have provided huge motivation to the children.

Indeed none of our projects would have evolved without the help, support, great contribution and time given by our volunteers. That’s why we would like to take this opportunity to thank them, and if you are looking for new opportunities to give back, in an organisation that helps children through education and football, we are always looking for help across many areas. The Huracan Foundation has the ambition and the ability to change many lives through football in different parts of the globe, do get in touch if you are keen to help the charity grow!

We spoke recently to one of our volunteers Andy, based in the UK, who has been a huge help to the Foundation since 2019:

Why did you choose The Huracan Foundation to volunteer?

So, having just had a quick search through my inbox, the first contact I had with The Huracan Foundation was in early 2019. Mary had reached out to my company Red Badger for support, and with football and education both being topics particularly close to my heart, it felt like a perfect match.

What are your main tasks?

A small team of us rebuilt the Huracan Foundation website at the end of 2019, and since then I've helped out with maintaining the site - creation and addition of updated content, building new sections etc - as well as more broadly with some of the longer term digital strategy (most recently with an SEO review of the site at the beginning of 2021).

Why do you think it is important to volunteer?

I feel it's important to volunteer as I've been lucky enough to grow up in an environment of relative privilege - having never been denied an opportunity simply by virtue of who I am, my background or my situation. Unfortunately, we live in a world where many people are unable to say the same, and I feel very strongly about bridging that gap and opening up options for people who may previously have been denied them.