Charity work: How to get involved

Meet Ailish, 25, from Oxford, and find out about life as a patient support and engagement team administrator at the British Heart Foundation. Part of our Bitesize world of work series.

In my job, I can take an active role in improving people's lives.

What is your job?

My team works to involve patients in all of the work the British Heart Foundation does. This is because we want to make sure everything we produce – from online videos to information booklets – is what patients actually want to see.

This is done through events and engagement activities like our young support programme and grant scheme. Through the scheme, people can request funding from us to help them with studies into diseases.

Ailish at work. — Image caption,
Ailish has always liked working with people and volunteered at a primary school when she was doing her GCSEs.

What skills do you use at work?

People skills and being able to talk to people are massive in this job! I have to speak to lots of different people, such as carers, researchers, or young people. I also have to be very understanding of different people’s health conditions and what they may have been through in the past.

I have to balance lots of different projects so it's good to be organised and have good time management.

Was this the job you always wanted to do?

I wanted to be a midwife when I was younger. At school I enjoyed arts subjects. I studied Textiles at university and when I graduated I started working for an embroidery company.

However, I found the work environment wasn't for me and I wanted to try something different. Working for a charity, we work to help other people and I like working for a company that does good.

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Top tips

If you can, volunteer in industries that you are interested in. You'll find jobs you never knew existed
There were a lot of jobs that I didn’t think I could do because of my dyslexia. Ask for help and you will get to where you want to be.

Ailish is responsible for administrative tasks in a charity. A charity is sometimes called a not-for-profit organisation. A similar job to an administrator is an admin assistant. Admin assistants give support to businesses by organising meetings, typing documents and updating computer records.

What to expect if you want to be an admin assistant

Admin assistant average salary: £14,000 to £28,000 per year
Admin assistant typical working hours: 38 to 40 hours per week

What qualifications do you need to be an admin assistant?

You could get into this role via a college course (such as a Level 2 or Level 3 Diploma, or a T-level in Management and Administration from 2022 - England-only), an apprenticeship, working towards the role, volunteering, or applying directly if you have relevant experience.

Sources: LMI for All, National Careers Service,

This information is a guide and is constantly changing. Please check the for the latest information and all the qualifications needed and the for more on T-levels.

Find out more on the Prospects website about the role of an .