FOR CHARITIES
Skilled young people deliver your project work.
You need work done but lack the budget to hire. We connect you with young people to complete defined projects. It costs nothing and takes only two hours of your time.
THE REALITY OF CHARITY WORK
The work piles up.
The budget stays flat.
You know you need help with design, social media, or research. General volunteers often arrive with good intentions but need more management than you can give.
Trailstones structures this differently. We match you with young people who want to build their careers. The work is scoped, defined, and owned by the student. You get a real deliverable without the burden of daily supervision.
A motivated young person
We match you with students who have specific skills in design, communications, or research. They are eager to prove their abilities and build their portfolios.
A scoped brief
We help you define a clear deliverable from day one. This prevents vague volunteering and turns the work into a portfolio piece the student cares about.
Zero cost
There are no fees or invoices for your charity. Our funding comes from educational institutions, keeping the service entirely free for you.
Minimal time commitment
You only provide a brief check-in at the midpoint and another at the end. The total time you spend is about two to three hours.
PROJECT TYPES
What the work actually looks like.
Projects are real, varied, and scoped for success. This is not just digital or design work. Here are the areas where students make an immediate impact.
Digital and communications
Social media campaigns, website copy, newsletters, fundraising appeals.
Creative
Photography series, video reels, poster design, exhibition materials.
Events
Planning fundraising events, community open days, volunteer recruitment.
Research and insight
Beneficiary surveys, grant research, competitor research, written reports.
Practical and environmental
Habitat improvement, path clearance, conservation surveys, planting.
Community and outreach
Awareness canvassing, running group sessions, befriending coordination.
Operational
Organising processes, data entry, stock management, archive work.
Fundraising
Sponsorship outreach, crowdfunding campaigns, collection events.
REAL EXAMPLE
We are opening a second community grocery in September. We have no marketing materials and no staff time to create them. A student spent three weeks with us. They designed twelve posts and wrote the captions. They also created a thirty-second reel and handed over a four-week scheduling calendar. Everything was ready to publish.
Student portfolio statement
Designed and produced a full social media launch pack. This included twelve posts, captions, a thirty-second launch reel, and a four-week scheduling calendar for the opening of a community grocery.
THE PROCESS
How it works.
Post your project
You describe what you need help with. We give you a simple template and help you shape it into a clear brief with a defined deliverable. It takes about fifteen minutes.
We find the right person
We match your brief with young people whose skills and interests fit the project. You review the shortlist and confirm the match.
The work happens
The student works to the brief independently. You have two brief check-ins with your named coordinator. We are the first call if anything is unclear.
A reference and a portfolio piece
When the project is done, you write a short verified reference. The student has something real to show any employer. You have the work done.
What we are asking from you.
We do not expect you to manage this like a regular employee. We handle the heavy lifting. Total estimated time is roughly two to three hours across the entire project.
- One scoping conversation to agree on the brief. This takes thirty minutes and we help you prepare.
- Two brief check-ins during the project. These take fifteen minutes each.
- One short written reference on completion.
- A named coordinator who can answer occasional questions by email.
- If something is not working, Trailstones is your first call, not you.
Common questions
Neutralising the most common reasons a charity would hesitate.
We have had bad experiences with volunteers not following through.
This is different because the student is building a portfolio piece they care about. Every project has a defined brief and deliverable. There is a named timeline. If something is not working, we step in.
Our work involves vulnerable people and safeguarding is complicated.
Projects can be entirely off-site and digital. Social media, design, research, and communications do not require on-site presence. We keep the brief tailored to your safeguarding position.
We are too small.
Smaller charities are exactly where this work makes the most difference. A student contribution matters more here. The relationship is closer and this makes for a better outcome for everyone.
What is the catch and why is it free.
Trailstones charges schools and colleges, not charities. Charities are the essential supply side of the work. Keeping it free for charities is the plan permanently, not just during the pilot.
Where we operate
We are starting across Yorkshire in 2026 and expanding from there.
North Yorkshire
East Riding of Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
Charities outside these areas are welcome to register their interest for future expansion.
Get started today.
It takes under fifteen minutes to set up your first brief. There is no financial commitment and no long term obligation.