Join the board of directors
This year we have a space available for the Youth Director position on the board. Applications opened and we had two young people apply to stand.
The position will be filled by means of a vote during our community meeting at HEFF2024.
Here’s some info about the nominees to help you decide who to vote for.
Amber Iona
Hello, I’m Amber.
I’ve been home educated since I was 11 years old and am now 21. Currently, I’m studying Applied Social Sciences at university and will be pursuing a masters in Cyber Security next year. I’ve attended HEFF since its inception in 2016 and haven’t missed a single year—it’s truly my favourite week of the year. I joined the tech crew at 14 and have taken on more responsibilities each year, helping out in various capacities at the festival.
I want to join the board because, as an adult who was home-educated, I sometimes feel disconnected from the home ed community that was such a big part of my childhood. However, the more I get involved in organising the festival, the more I feel reconnected to this wonderful community. Serving on the board would allow me to give back to the community that raised me so well through home education. I want to help create and maintain the fantastic environment I experienced at HEFF for the next generation of home educated children.
Kirsty Lee
I have been going to the festival since 2017 and I have been helping out since 2018. I have assisted my parents organise the schedule and prepare the booklet for printing for several years. More recently, I have been working with the stage management and sound technology, which has shown me how much I would like to give back to the festival. The work the directors have done has inspired me to help out.
I have introduced many of my friends to HEFF, sharing my love for this festival. Moreover, I have experience of being a voice for young people. I have previously been elected as a representative for one of my theatre groups as part of the Members Committee. I have also become a Corporal in my local St John Ambulance unit in the last year, becoming someone people can talk with and give feedback to.
If I am elected, I would try to create more events aimed towards teens as in the past there has been a lack of this. I would liaise and get feedback from teen peers. There are not as many groups run for teens in general in the Home Education Community, and it is a vital time for teens to have support while also attempting to build friendships. I am passionate about encouraging teens to run workshops, enabling them to display their skills and abilities, so that they have a chance to showcase them and gain confidence while doing so in a safe and supportive environment.
Do come along and show your support to them both at the community meeting at HEFF on Sunday 18th Aug at 4pm.
The meeting is also a great opportunity to chat with other families, hear more about how the festival is run and ask any questions you have for the board members.
Have you ever considered joining the board?
HEFF is run completely by volunteers from the community, and that includes the board of directors. Each director commits to a three year term and so some years there will be vacancies available. The directors are voted for at the AGM during the festival.
What do directors do?
The board of directors meet via a conference call about once a fortnight to discuss and plan the organisation of the festival. There are a lot of decisions to make to ensure the festival is legal, runs smoothly and is fun. Directors are responsible for making decisions about ticket pricing, event policies, accounting, advertising and how the festival should look as well as much more throughout the build up to the festival.
Between the meetings each director takes on some part of what needs doing next. Each task is assigned according to the skills and available time of the directors. Skills in areas like accounting, procurement, customer support, and of course event planning are useful, but not essential. Many board members learned their role while on the job, so sharing experience and asking questions is the norm.
If you think you’ve got what it takes and want to get stuck in, we’d love you to bring your enthusiasm and ideas to the board and become a part of the team that will make future festivals better than ever. Of course, not all HEFF volunteers are directors, so if you feel you have something to contribute, but don’t want to take on the full responsibility of a director, we would still love to hear from you. You can drop an email here.
