Action west chair opportunity volunteer roles
South West London Law Centres (SWLLC) is an independent registered charity providing specialised legal advice and assistance covering Wandsworth, Merton, Croydon, Kingston-upon-Thames, Richmond-upon-Thames and Sutton in South West London.
Our vision is a future where people who cannot afford a lawyer:
- Have equal access to assert and enforce their rights;
- Are empowered to benefit from everything a healthy society has to offer;
- Are treated equally with dignity and respect.
You will play a critical role in helping SWLLC to grow and prosper. If you have a passion for access to justice and believe that you can improve the impact the SWLLC can make, then we look forward to hearing from you.
What will you be doing?
Our previous chair stood down after an extended term of 6 years. They helped oversee the law centre during the pandemic and its aftermath during which we have seen the law centre continue to flourish in a very challenging environment. We are looking for a new chair who believes in what we do and is prepared to lead and act as an ambassador for the charitable trust so that we can continue to do this work. We currently have a strong trustee board of varying skills and tenures and the day to day management of the law centre is delegated to a small team. This team is small for what the law centre is trying to achieve. We need you to bring your expertise, energy and networks to the law centre. The role isn't glamorous, it's unpaid, and it's sometimes unacknowledged, but it is rewarding. You will play a critical role in helping SWLLC to support over 6,000 people a year, who would not otherwise have access to legal advice. We are very proud of the impact that we have had over the last 50 years, and continue to have. SWLLC continues to operate in a challenging environment, the work of the law centre is regulated and audited by a number of external bodies, our finances continued to be challenged by static legal aid, grants and donations, despite this we have continued to flourish, but the need for our services is greater than we can provide. The main areas that our trustees board can support alongside the role of governance of the law centre are:
- Finance
- Fundraising
- Human Resources
- Communications and Marketing
- IT and facilities
- Community Engagement and Community Activism
Time commitment:
6 Board meetings per year. Take place through a mixture of in person and online meetings in the evenings (usually midweek between 6pm – 7:30pm). The Chair will also need to have regular meetings with the Chief Executive, and Senior Management Team outside of these regular board meetings. Such meetings will typically be brief, online and arranged at a mutually convenient time. The Chair will also need to represent the Charity at various events and meetings with key stakeholders. Our head office is based in Croydon with other offices in Clapham Junction and Morden. We expect the role to take around 1 -2 days per month.
What are we looking for?
Principal responsibilities:
Strategic leadership
- Act as representative of the whole board and not its defacto head
- Provide leadership to the charity and its Board, ensuring that the Charity has maximum impact for its beneficiaries
Governance
- Ensure that the governance arrangements are working in the most effective way for the Charity
External Relations
- Act as an ambassador for the cause and the charity in partnership with the CEO
Efficiency and effectiveness
- Chair meetings of the Board of Trustees effectively and efficiently, bringing impartiality and objectivity to the decision-making process
- Ensure that Trustees are fully engaged and that decisions are taken in the best, long-term interests of the Charity and that the Board takes collective ownership
Relationship with the Chief Executive and the Senior Management Team
- Establish and build a strong, effective, supporting and a constructive working relationship with the Chief Executive, ensuring s/he is held to account for achieving agreed strategic objectives
Personal Qualities:
- Personal gravitas to lead a significant organisation demonstrating a strong and visible passion and commitment to the law centre, its strategic objectives and cause
- Exhibit strong inter-personal and relationship building abilities and be comfortable in an ambassadorial role
- Demonstrate tact and diplomacy, with the ability to listen and engage effectively
- Strong networking capabilities that can be utilised for the benefit of the law centre
- Ability to foster and promote a collaborative team environment
- Ability to commit time to conduct the role well, including travel and attending events out of office hours
Experience:
- Experience of operating at a senior strategic leadership level within an organisation
- Successful track record of achievement through their career
- Experience of external representation, delivering presentations and managing stakeholders
- Significant experience of chairing meetings and events Knowledge and skills
- Broad knowledge and understanding of the legal sector and current issues affecting it
- Strong leadership skills, ability to motivate staff and volunteers and bring people together
- Good understanding of charity governance and finance issues Terms The charity’s Chair (and board members) will serve a four-year term to be eligible for re-appointment for one additional term.
What difference will you make?
The impact the Chair will have is to ensure the continuation of the law centres' successful mission
Law Centres are community-led, not-for-profit organisations that help local people to understand and enforce their legal rights. Their services are free, and they attempt to target the people who most need them – people who are at risk of discrimination and ill-treatment and those who are least able to protect themselves, for example because they lack the money to hire someone with legal expertise to help them. We are currently celebrating our 50th year. SWLLC s is one of the larger Law Centre in Great Britain covering six London boroughs – Croydon, Kingston, Merton, Richmond, Sutton and Wandsworth. Our catchment area covers 1.7 million people. We now operate from 3 branch offices. We help over 6,000 people each year with a face to face service covering 3 broad services.
- Expert casework and representation in the social welfare law covering community care, debt, employment, housing, immigration/asylum, public law, welfare rights and cost of living support
- Emergency representation as part of the Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme
- Pro Bono Clinics
Amongst the results we achieve that make us proud of what we do are:
- the prevention of homelessness
- the prevention and reduction of poverty
- the protection of family life by reuniting people living in the UK with those living abroad
- the prevention of torture and death beyond our borders by the provision of advice and representation to people fleeing persecution
- the prevention of ill-health by successfully challenging unfit living conditions
- the prevention of mental ill-health by assisting people to deal with their personal debts
Before you apply
If you would like an initial discussion before putting in your application please message through the Reach Volunteering Platform and Senior Management Team will be on contact to further discuss the role and the opportunity. A panel of trustees and senior management team will review your application. If we consider that your skills and experience are a good fit with the Law Centre, you will be invited for an informal discussion with the panel about our work and the trustee role. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, and we encourage early submissions.
Thank you!
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
First Give – providing hope for the future
Today’s young people care deeply about social issues. But while 88% of 10–20-year-olds want to make the world a better place, far fewer are taking part in meaningful social action.
First Give was founded ten years ago to change that. Our mission is simple: ignite a spark of social conscience in young people and give them the chance to make a difference.
Through our school-based programmes, we’ve supported nearly 250,000 students to connect with local charities, take social action, and understand the power of giving. The impact is clear:
- 98% of students better understand local social issues
- 90% are more likely to take social action again
- 95% of teachers say we succeed in inspiring a sense of social conscience
Despite this, we’re only reaching 7% of state secondary students in our key regions. We need to go further.
Route to a Million Campaign
We’ve set our sights on something bigger. By 2034, we want one million young people to experience the power of giving through our programmes.
To make that happen, we’re launching an ambitious fundraising campaign—Route to a Million—to raise an additional £1.5m over the next three years.
This is a pivotal moment. With the right support, we can expand our reach, scale our model and dramatically increase our impact.
Who we’re looking for
We need a bold, strategic Chair to lead the new Campaign Board and help bring this vision to life.
You’ll bring:
- Senior leadership experience and strong business acumen
- Influence and networks that can unlock significant support
- A passion for empowering young people and driving social change
As Chair, you’ll:
- Shape and drive the fundraising strategy
- Open doors and generate new funding opportunities
- Build and lead a high-impact Campaign Board
- Act as a lead ambassador for First Give and the campaign
- Be willing to give, as well as ask others to
- This is an opportunity to play a defining role in a campaign with a lasting legacy—for young people, for communities, and for the future of giving in the UK.
Time commitment and support
- Around 1-2 days per month, including some evening events
- A three-year term
- Based in London with in-person Board meetings at our West Hampstead office
- Full support from the First Give team to ensure your time is impactful
If you believe in the potential of young people to drive change, and you have the drive to lead this campaign, we want to hear from you.
Recruitment Agency
21 - 50
We’re an executive search firm working across third sector, education and membership sectors to transform leadership and inspire change.
Thank you!
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Submit your application as normal and our system will anonymise it for you. Your personal information will be hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
We are seeking an experienced Charity Chair to lead our dynamic, fast growing charity supporting children with SEND in the early years to get the very best start in life. This is an incredible opportunity to drive national change and improvements alongside our CEO, influencing at the highest levels and continuing to expand our work and impact.
We are extremely proud of the growth and impact of Dingley’s Promise over the last three years of Russ Fowler’s tenure as Chair. We’re supported by a dynamic and multi skilled Trustee Board, and have repositioned the charity from a small local provider of specialist early years nurseries, to a national charity that is now the largest provider in the country. We have delivered our specialist inclusion training to over 20,000 early years educators in mainstream settings across England, and are heavily involved in influencing the imminent reforms across the education sector in relation to early years and SEND.
This is a pivotal point for the charity, and we are seeking an experienced, strategic and business minded individual who is ambitious about the impact that Dingley’s Promise can have. We are regularly being offered new opportunities to grow our influence and impact, and are very aware that we have to manage this growth in a responsible and realistic way. We are looking for a new Chair who knows what it takes to drive a national organisation forward, and who is excited about the potential for the organisation to continue to grow and ensure more children and families than ever before have the support they need in the early years.
I look forward to meeting someone who will work in partnership with me as CEO and lead our Board of Trustees to shape the charity’s future growth. I value those who challenge me to think outside of the box, who drive continual reflection and improvement, and who hold me to account as the CEO of an influential national charity representing the voice of children and families. You will play an important part in taking the charity to the next level, helping to increase our impact and influence through your knowledge and connections, and ensuring that we stay on track and accountable to our aims at all times. It’s an incredible opportunity for the right person, who will get an incredible amount of fulfilment from working alongside me to help this dynamic charity to reach its potential. If this sounds like something you could be passionate about, please do get in touch.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Changing Lives, One Step at a Time ✨
Julian House is a charity committed to supporting the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in our society. Through a range of life-changing projects, we help thousands of people each year—providing pathways out of homelessness, offering refuge from domestic abuse, and supporting individuals into employment and independent living.
Our mission is simple: to transform lives by delivering high-quality housing and tailored support services, empowering people to build brighter, more stable futures.
Role: Board Member (Trustee)
Role type: Trustee - Volunteer
Location: Bath
The Role:
We're looking for a passionate and dedicated individual to join our Board of Trustees!
As a trustee, you'll play a key role in shaping our strategy, providing strong governance, and ensuring we stay true to our mission. You'll help guide our long-term vision, support leadership, and ensure our resources are used effectively to maximise impact. This is a fantastic opportunity to make a real difference and help us adapt, grow, and create lasting change.
Apply now by submitting your application, including your CV and a supporting statement.
Key responsibilities include:
- Fulfil the legal duties of the trustee role.
- Define the strategic direction and agree on business and financial plans.
- Oversee risk management at Julian House, ensuring potential risks are identified, assessed and effectively mitigated.
- Shape and champion the culture of Julian House, ensuring that all decisions and behaviours align with our core values and that these values are deeply embedded throughout the charity.
- Monitor and evaluate performance, ensuring that all actions and resources are effectively directed toward achieving Julian House’s charitable objectives.
Commitment
Trustees serve an initial three-year term (extendable up to nine years) and attend four in-person board meetings annually in Bath or Bristol. Meetings start at 4 PM and last around four hours. Trustees also join at least one committee or the subsidiary board, with four online meetings per year (5:30 PM start, 2.5 hours). Additionally, there is one full strategy day each year.
What we are looking for:
We are seeking a dedicated individual with exceptional communication skills to champion our cause. The ideal candidate will possess strong listening abilities, be receptive to feedback, and appreciate diverse perspectives.
Creativity is essential—you should think innovatively, bring fresh ideas, and be willing to challenge the status quo. If you are a natural influencer with a passion for making a meaningful impact, we would love to hear from you.
In addition, we are looking for individuals who can bring at least one of the following specialisms to the board:
- Deep understanding of charity fundraising, most likely from having held senior leadership fundraising positions in charities.
- Deep understanding of charity retail, most likely from having held senior leadership retail positions in charities.
- Strong networks and relationships with donors, sponsors, and partners, with the potential to leverage connections to benefit Julian House.
- Direct lived experience of the types of services that Julian House provides.
Please note, that board experience is not a requirement, the selected candidate will be assigned a ‘buddy’ on the Board and will be fully inducted into the trustee role.
Trustee appointments are subject to eligibility and vetting checks, if you would like further information on this please get in touch.
Get in touch
If you have any questions about this role, please get in touch with the recruitment team at Julian House. We look forward to speaking with you soon!
Please note: We reserve the right to close our vacancies once the perfect candidate has been found. We recommend submitting your application as soon as possible so that you don’t miss out!
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Your invitation to join the Bath Phil Family
As a new trustee, you will be welcomed by the Board in to this exciting and fulfilling voluntary role and be encouraged to contribute ideas and decisions, and sparing a few hours each month. We meet every two months in Bath (with the option to join remotely usually) to review progress against our strategy, current activities, new initiatives as well as our financial health and development plans. Occasionally, individual trustees attend rehearsals, workshops and meet within thematic sub-groups and we ask that trustees commit to attending meetings and occasional concerts and events.
About you
We are seeking Trustees who have an interest in orchestral music and are willing to take the lead, supporting the General Manager and executive team, in particular:
- Fundraising and development: to help develop our fundraising strategy with experience in fundraising from diverse sources private donors, trusts foundations and public funding to corporate partners, social impact investment and philanthropy.
- HR including EDI: to further develop and embed our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion policy, along with our other HR policies.
- Branding, Marketing and PR: to strengthen our existing expertise, bringing new insights, networks and ideas to promote our activities.
We also welcome people with
- Experience of working within an arts (or arts marketing) organisation: to provide contextual knowledge of the sector and understanding of arts business models.
About Bath Phil
Bath Philharmonia is a professional orchestra based in Bath and touring South West England. We reach over 12,000 people each year (including 4,500 free gifted tickets to local audiences to encourage them to discover a live orchestra for the first time). through a combination of concerts and projects in communities, with a specialism in working with young carers to help them build personal confidence and supportive relationships through making and performing their own music.
Celebrating its 25th Anniversary this year, 2025, and winner of The Federation of Small Business (FSB) Community Award for the South West 2024 and Bath Life Arts & Creative Award 2024, the orchestra is on an exciting journey. A recent highlight has been the release of our Christmas single Love is Enough composed and sung by Young Carers which reached #37 in the charts. The impact of our decade-long project with young carers was shortlisted for a prestigious Royal Philharmonic Society Award – the BAFTAs of the classical music world.
Our Vision is to transform lives through the joy of live orchestral music – and you’re invited to help us achieve this. If you too believe in the power of music, we’d love to hear from you. You’ll be joining a committed and dynamic team to support the further development of the orchestra and enable yet more impactful programmes with young carers, primary and secondary schools, disadvantaged young people and support formusic leaders.
Interested in becoming a trustee of an award-winning arts organisation transforming the lives of young people and developing a new generation of audiences across Bath and the South West? Come and join the Bath Phil Family! Please get in touch for a confidential chat or download our application pack for further details. Thanks for your interest in this exciting opportunity and we look forward to hearing from you.
How to apply
If you’re interested in becoming a Trustee with Bath Philharmonia, please download our Trustee Recruitment Pack, before emailing us to outline how your skills and experience could contribute to Bath Phil’s Board of Trustees, along with your contact details. Feel free to include a CV or link to online profile and apply in which ever format you find most comfortable including written statement, short video, audio recording.
The deadline for applications is 5pm on Wednesday 14 May 2025, with interviews scheduled to take place in Bath on Thursday 22 May 2025.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Sherborne Museum is a thriving community museum that seeks to represent the rich heritage of the town and the key events that shaped its history and development over the years. It plays an important role in the local community, with a lively programme of events and a developing education and outreach service.
We're looking to recruit a new Trustee to help ensure good governance and provide strategic direction to the charity as we embark on the next stage of the museum’s development. We are especially keen to appoint someone with skills or experience in buildings/property management, who will lead on the implementation of our new routine maintenance plan and advise/support the Board on the care of our Grade II Listed building, the Abbey Gatehouse.
Serving as a Trustee is a great way to support Sherborne Museum. It also provides exciting opportunities for professional and personal development, an opportunity to build networks, gain career building experience, and contribute to a dynamic team striving to make a difference.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.