Coordinator: Quaker Voluntary Action
In February 2024, I started working for Quaker Voluntary Action (offsite link), also known as QVA, on a part-time basis. QVA is a small charity (charity number 1083412) which runs retreats in the UK and abroad that make a practical difference to the host and a spiritual difference to the participants. Our main programme is our Working Retreats programme, in which participants live in community, carry out voluntary work (usually something like gardening, painting and decorating, or light construction, and usually for the host venue), and participate in facilitated sessions around a Quaker theme. Each day begins and ends with Meeting for Worship, and Quaker values are upheld throughout.
We run Encounter Retreats which are similar to study tours, for example we have previously run an ecology study tour in Slovenia. We also run Online Retreats, which are primarily for education around a specific topic, for example we ran an online education day about the history and conflict in Palestine and Israel.
Our team is made up of one employee (me!) and a team of Trustees, including two Co-Clerks (similar to a Chair) and a Treasurer. We also employ freelance facilitators to run our programmes, from time to time.
In my first year, I was known as the Working Retreats Coordinator and the main focus of my work was:
- Plan and organise our retreats;
- Recruit facilitators to run, or run with me, the retreats;
- Advertise our programmes;
- Upkeep of our website;
- Handle bookings and payments;
- Overall operational oversight for the organisation.
In January 2025, my role was developed to suit the needs of the organisation. As the landscape and public attitude towards residential events has changed since the COVID-19 pandemic, we needed to respond to these challenges. This meant the support the charity needed was not only in administration but also in governance.
My job title is now Coordinator, to reflect the fact that my role is not solely focussed on retreats any more. In this new role, I am responsible for:
- The items listed before;
- Providing secretariat support to the Co-Clerks;
- Supporting the growth and development of the organisation, which has included the employment of a second member of staff to handle media and communications;
- Sourcing grant funding, for example I led a successful application for £2,500 to cover the Communications Assistant role for 6 months;
- Developing partnerships with Quaker and non-Quaker organisations in order to diversify our programme;
- Developing strong policies; and,
- Supporting the Trustees by leading the charity through organisational change to ensure a strong future.
For more information about QVA, please visit our website, or you can contact me at kitking@qva.org.uk
Trustee: Quakers in Britain
In January 2024, I was appointed as a Trustee of Quakers in Britain, formally known as Britain Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), charity number 1127633. I am part of a team of 14 Trustees, which include a Clerk (similar to a Chair) and ex-officio Treasurer.
In my first year, I served as the Anti-Oppression Champion for the organisation. In this role, I held oversight responsibility to ensure our governance, strategy, and policies were not just inclusive, but anti-oppressive. Examples of work I did in this role include:
- Contribution to the drafting and approval of the Trans and Non-binary Inclusion Policy;
- Contribution to the drafting of the Menopause policy;
- Regular meetings with departments to discuss EDI work at QiB and joining departmental meetings across the year;
- Receiving reports from the Workplace EDI Coordinator and discussing results of EDI organisational testing; and,
- Serving as an ex-officio member of Employment Committee.
In January 2025, I was released from the role of Anti-Oppression Champion and appointed to the role of Assistant Clerk (in other organisations this is usually called Vice Chair). I work closely with the Clerk of Trustees and the Recording Clerk (similar to CEO) to help shape strategy, enable development, and support management of the organisation. This work is lead by the Clerk and supported by the Assistant Clerk. Examples of tasks I have carried out in this role include:
- Co-drafting agendas;
- Clerking (chairing) and minuting agenda items in meetings, in accordance with the Quaker Business Method;
- With the Clerk, drafting and delivering reports to Britain Yearly Meeting (to whom Trustees are accountable) and Meeting for Sufferings (the standing representative body of BYM);
- Providing support for a successful funding application for £200,000 to support work on protecting the right to dissent;
- Meeting with other Clerks of other bodies and committees for worship and chat, to foster strong bonds, build friendships, strengthen our working relationships; and
- As part of a team of clerks, providing sign-off on public statements, such as statements on Gaza, trans inclusion, climate justice, and child poverty.
For more information about Quakers in Britain, please see our website or you can contact me at KitK@quaker.org.uk
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