At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a brand refresh for Cedarwood, creating a cohesive identity and accessible design.
- Company: Cedarwood, a community charity serving the Meadow Well estate since 1980.
- Benefits: Gain valuable experience, make a real impact, and enhance your portfolio.
- Other info: Flexible hours, remote work, and the chance to influence a community-focused organisation.
- Why this job: Help a vital charity build trust through effective design in a community that needs it.
- Qualifications: Experience in brand design with a strong portfolio and knowledge of accessibility standards.
Cedarwood has served the Meadow Well estate in North Shields since 1980. Our website, reports and signage now look like different organisations. We are relaunching the site and want the brand settled first: logo, palette, type and guidelines we can maintain ourselves.
For The People Who Use Cedarwood
Meadow Well is one of the most deprived neighbourhoods in England. The people who walk through our door are often deciding whether to trust us with something difficult: a benefits decision that has gone wrong, a week with no food in the house, a young child they are worried about. That decision gets made in seconds, and how we look is part of it. A poster that reads as improvised, or a website that does not match the building, gives someone a reason to keep walking. A charity that looks organised is a charity people trust to actually sort the problem out.
There is a practical dimension too. Around 1 in 12 men has a red-green colour vision deficiency, and our current palette fails badly on that axis. Getting the accessibility right means our timetables, signage and forms work for everyone who needs them.
For our funding
We secured more than £173,000 in unclaimed welfare benefits for local residents last year, delivered 1,270 home cooked meals, and ran early years sessions attended 3,352 times. All of that is grant and contract funded, and every bid competes against organisations with communications teams. When our impact report, our website and our application pack look like one confident organisation, our case gets read on its merits. We are also mid-way through a capital redevelopment and a place-based funding programme, both of which will require us to persuade partners and public bodies. The brand is doing that work whether we have designed it or not.
For our team
We are a staff team of 9 with no designer and no marketing budget. At the moment, colleagues making a flyer or a social post are guessing. A clear identity with usable templates gives the whole team the ability to produce good work without asking anyone's permission, and it holds after any one person leaves.
What You Get Back
A finished, visible identity in the world, used daily by a 45-year-old charity, with a client who will make decisions quickly and give you a proper hearing.
What are we looking for?
- Essential
- A working brand designer or brand strategist with identity work in your portfolio.
- Confidence with a wordmark.
- Working knowledge of colour and type systems, including accessibility.
- The ability to hand over properly.
- Desirable
- Experience of charity or public sector brands.
- Web design experience or comfort working alongside our web developer.
- Familiarity with Canva.
The kind of person this suits
- Someone who will disagree with us.
- Someone comfortable designing for a real place rather than an abstract audience.
- Someone who can work with a client who moves quickly.
Not Required
You do not need to be local, and you do not need charity sector experience. You do not need to commit to the full 20 to 30 hours. A shorter contribution would still move this on considerably.
What will you be doing?
The situation Cedarwood has served the Meadow Well estate in North Shields since 1980. We run early years sessions, a social supermarket, a bistro, a meal delivery service, welfare and energy advice, learning programmes and activities for older adults, from one open door community centre. The work has grown quickly and the identity has not kept up.
What We Already Have
This is a shaping job rather than a blank page. We hold full new website copy written and signed off, a settled tone of voice, a working colour system built on a generative rule and tested against WCAG accessibility standards, and a draft set of brand guidelines covering logo usage, typography, co-branding and governance.
What We Need You To Do
- Review what we have and tell us honestly what is working and what is not.
- Resolve the logo.
- Finalise the colour palette and a type pairing.
- Draw lock-ups for our named services.
- Produce 3 worked examples.
- Hand over editable source files and logo masters in SVG, PNG and EPS.
How We Would Work
You would work directly with our Chief Executive. We can convene a reaction panel of residents, staff and a trustee to test options. We can be quick on decisions and we will not disappear on you.
Time commitment
We estimate 20 to 30 hours across 2 to 3 months, flexible around your work. If that is more than you can give, we would still value a shorter piece.
Why it matters
A charity that looks organised is a charity people trust with a benefits problem, a hungry week or a young child. Good design on this estate does practical work. It also makes every funding bid and partnership pitch we write easier to win.
Designer to lead our brand refresh - Volunteer in North Shields employer: The Cedarwood Trust
Cedarwood is an exceptional employer, offering a unique opportunity to make a tangible difference in the lives of residents in the Meadow Well estate. With a strong commitment to community service since 1980, we foster a collaborative and supportive work culture where creativity thrives, and every team member's input is valued. As a volunteer designer, you will not only enhance our brand identity but also contribute to meaningful projects that directly impact those in need, all while working closely with our dedicated Chief Executive in a flexible and responsive environment.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Designer to lead our brand refresh - Volunteer in North Shields
✨Get Involved with Local Charities
Volunteering for local charities or community projects is a great way to build up your portfolio and make connections. Many organisations need help with graphic design, so dive in, make an impact, and get your work seen!
✨Join Design Communities Online
Hop onto platforms like Behance or Dribbble where you can showcase your designs and connect with other creatives. Engaging with design forums or joining social media groups can also help you find volunteer gigs and learn from others in the field.
✨Attend Local Design Meetups
Don’t underestimate the power of mingling! Look for design meetups or workshops in your area. These are perfect for networking, and you never know who might be looking for a volunteer designer like you to help on their next project.
✨Showcase Your Skills with a Personal Project
Create a standout piece that showcases your style—like redesigning a local poster or branding for a community event. This not only adds to your portfolio but also grabs attention when you reach out to organisations—plus, you can always share it on our website when you're ready to apply at places like The Cedarwood Trust for future opportunities!
We think you need these skills to ace Designer to lead our brand refresh - Volunteer in North Shields
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Best Work:As a graphic design volunteer, your portfolio is your golden ticket! Make sure to include a diverse range of projects that highlight your creativity and technical skills. Whether it's branding, illustrations, or web design, show us what you can do and let your style shine through!
Craft a Personalised Cover Letter:We love a good story! In your cover letter, talk about your passion for design and why you want to volunteer with The Cedarwood Trust. Share what you hope to learn and how you can contribute creatively — it’s all about that personal connection!
Highlight Relevant Skills and Tools:Don't forget to mention the design software you're familiar with, like Adobe Creative Suite or Figma. Bring attention to any specific techniques or styles you excel in — these details can make a big difference in our decision-making process!
Be Upfront About Availability:Since it's a volunteer role, let us know how much time you can dedicate. We're looking for commitment, so whether you can spare a few hours a week or a couple of full days, it helps to clarify your availability from the get-go!
How to prepare for a job interview at The Cedarwood Trust
✨Showcase Your Creative Portfolio
For a graphic design volunteer role, we definitely want to make sure we've got a stellar portfolio to show off. Pick out your strongest pieces that reflect your style and the type of work they might need at The Cedarwood Trust—think both finished designs and your creative process, like sketches or brainstorms.
✨Get to Grips with Their Brand Guidelines
Before the interview, let’s dive into The Cedarwood Trust's branding—how do they communicate visually? This helps us tailor our conversation and demonstrates that we’re already thinking about how to contribute to their projects. Knowing their colours, fonts, and style will score us extra points!
✨Prepare for Design Challenges
Expect to tackle some design challenges during the interview. This could mean creating a mock-up on the spot or discussing how we would approach a particular design problem they throw at us. Let’s practice thinking on our feet and articulating our design thought process clearly.
✨Passion for the Cause Matters
Since this is a volunteer role, let’s make sure we convey our passion for the work they do at The Cedarwood Trust. Share why we're excited about this role and how our skills align with their mission. The enthusiasm we bring can make a big difference!
