Area volunteer roles in ferryhill, county durham

We are looking for a Campaigns Volunteer to raise awareness and campaign so that decision-makers know about and can address the needs of everyone affected by MND. 

“I love being a campaigns volunteer for the MND Association, it means I can give something back to the MND Community, who along with the Association provide a lot of support for people like me” - Ian Lev   

What is campaigning?

These are some of the things you could do as a Campaigns Volunteer! Our team will be here to support you in whatever you’re doing. 

• Sharing the MND Association’s campaigns on social media. 
• Contacting local councillors to improve services for people living with and affected by MND in your area. 
• Talking to MPs and other decision-makers about what MND is and why it’s important that people have access to high quality health and care services. 
• Working with MND Association staff to identify issues and gather evidence for campaigns. 
• Help to change laws to improve the lives of people living with and affected by MND. 

This role will suit you if:

• You want to make a positive difference for people living with and affected by MND. 
• You’re interested in learning and improving your campaigning skills. 
• You’re a good communicator. No matter where your interest lies, be it writing e-mails or talking to people, sharing stories or providing us with feedback, you have so much to offer! 
• You are computer literate and have access to email and the internet, or someone who can help you with this. 
• Willing to work autonomously but also link up with others when needed. 

‘Campaigning really works! It’s not as hard as it may sound – just be yourself and you’ll be making a positive difference for people living with and affected by MND.’ - Judith Rice 

What’s in it for you?

• A chance to make a difference to the lives of those living with and affected by MND.
• Get access to a range of training events where you can develop campaigning skills and network with other Campaigns Volunteers. 
• Join a friendly and dedicated team. 
• Exclusive early access to our campaign plans and developments in our campaigning. 
• Opportunity to connect with, learn and share with other Campaign Volunteers in our Facebook group!

How flexible is the role? 

The time required is flexible, but we would hope Campaigns Volunteers would commit to a minimum of 1-2 hours per week.

We do understand that this role may need to fit around your family, studies, caring or other commitments. 

Dreams Come True – Chair of Board of Trustees

Terms: This is a voluntary role and is therefore unremunerated

Length of tenure: The Chair’s tenure is for an initial period of three years.

Dreams Come True, a national charity which creates life-enhancing and life-changing experiences for children with serious and life-limiting conditions and who live in social deprivation, is seeking a new Chair for their board of trustees.

For over 30 years, Dreams Come True has been transforming lives through their unique mission and dream programme, bringing joy and lasting impact to thousands of children every year from the UK’s most socially deprived areas who have serious illnesses, life-limiting conditions or disabilities.

The charity helps to transform individual and community dreams into reality, and is committed to scaling up their work by forging new partnerships, innovating their fundraising approaches and enhancing the dream programmes to ensure that every dream granted has a lasting and transformative impact. They are now seeking a new Chair to help lead them into the next chapter of this journey to broaden reach and impact.

This is an opportunity for a compassionate and visionary individual with proven leadership skills and the ability to guide the board and executive team in achieving strategic objectives.  The ideal candidate will have significant experience on a charity board, either as a Chair or as a trustee, with a personal empathy to the mission of Dreams Come True. They will also bring strategic oversight and governance expertise, and a wider involvement with the voluntary sector and well-established networks would be highly desirable. A solid understanding of finances, particularly within the charity sector, to support sustainability and growth will be essential, alongside strong diplomacy, interpersonal and negotiation skills. They will also need to understand the challenges and opportunities of a growing charity.

The new Chair will work closely with the CEO and a talented and committed board of trustees to ensure the charity continues to deliver life-changing dreams, builds on their successes and looks to the future with ambition and optimism.

Please click through to access and download our Candidate Pack for more information [PDF] including application details.

CLOSING DATE: Monday 31st March, 9am GMT.
 

PLEASE NOTE: We will be longlisting applications as soon as we receive them, so please apply early to register your interest. 

We are seeking to recruit two trustees who will bring different viewpoints, expertise and experience to further strengthen our board. As a Trustee, you will play a vital role in helping us achieve our mission. We are seeking passionate and skilled individuals from a range of professional backgrounds to help shape our future. Whether you bring experience in HR & people, marketing & comms, governance, finance, legal, fundraising, operations, service delivery or another area, your insight and strategic guidance will strengthen our organisation and support our continued growth and impact.

Candidates must show a commitment to our values and our approach to working in partnership with experts by experience. You must have a willingness to commit the necessary time and effort and to apply your experience and expertise. In addition to the general duties of a Trustee, we are looking for candidates with expertise and experience in:

• HR and People
• Marketing, Communications and Public Relations.

This is an incredibly exciting time to join us as we launch a bold new strategy and embark on a re-brand that will strengthen our voice and impact.

At Z2K, we are driven by a clear and urgent mission: to end poverty for the more than 1 in 5 people in the UK who experience it. Through frontline advice and representation, we work to secure adequate incomes and freedom from high costs, while campaigning for systemic change. And we do this in partnership with those who have lived experience of poverty, ensuring their voices are at the centre of everything we do.

As a Trustee, you will play a vital role in achieving this vision. With people and culture, as well as brand and communications, central to achieving our strategic objectives, we are seeking passionate and skilled individuals to help shape our future. Whether you bring expertise in HR and people leadership or marketing, communications, and PR, your insight and strategic guidance will help us build a thriving, inclusive organisation and amplify our message for change.

Trustee – PR & Marketing Specialist

Help shape the future of deer conservation and education

The British Deer Society (BDS) is looking for a passionate and experienced professional to join our Board of Trustees, bringing expertise in PR and marketing to help us expand and diversify our reach.

Why join us?

As a Trustee, you will play a vital role in guiding BDS, ensuring we achieve our mission to educate, inspire, and advocate for deer welfare. You’ll provide strategic oversight, support our executive team, and help grow our membership by engaging diverse audiences across age, gender, and background.

About the role

Our Trustees share collective responsibility for the governance and administration of the charity. This includes ensuring BDS has a clear strategy, that our goals align with our vision, and that we operate effectively and ethically. Trustees act as a group, working collaboratively to support and challenge the leadership team.

What we’re looking for

We seek a Trustee with:
✔ Expertise in PR and marketing, ideally with experience in membership growth and audience engagement
✔ A strong understanding of governance and strategic oversight
✔ A passion for conservation, education, and wildlife advocacy

By joining BDS, you’ll have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the future of deer conservation and education in the UK.

Interested? Apply now and help us take BDS to the next level! 

Every child deserves the chance to succeed, regardless of their background. Action Tutoring is a charity dedicated to closing the attainment gap and creating a more equitable future for young people.

We're building a diverse community of tutors passionate about educational equity. We are seeking dedicated volunteers from all walks of life to tutor and support pupils facing socio-economic disadvantage in maths and English.

As a volunteer tutor, you’ll:

• Tutor a group of 1-3 pupils (primary or secondary), with options to support online or in-person.

• Dedicate just one hour a week for a 10-20 week programme.

We provide the resources - you bring your enthusiasm! You’ll use our workbooks to deliver your sessions.

Whether you're a university student, a working professional, retired or simply looking to give back, your hour a week can open doors to brighter futures for these young people and make a lasting impact.

What you'll gain:

• Comprehensive training (2-hour induction, technical training for online tutors, optional further skills training).

• Ongoing support from your dedicated programme coordinator.

• Structured session plans and workbooks.

• Travel expense reimbursement (up to £5 per session).

• Free DBS check.

• Optional tutor socials and buddy system.

We look for volunteers with:

• Solid subject knowledge in the area they wish to tutor, which may be demonstrated by a degree or grade B at A-level qualification (or equivalent) or relevant experience.

• The ability to explain concepts clearly and patiently.

• A commitment to supporting pupils’ academic progress.

We recognise that valuable experience can be gained through diverse routes. If your qualifications differ from those mentioned, we still encourage you to apply. Please highlight any relevant experience or skills in your application.

We welcome applications from volunteers across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. (Please note: This is a volunteer, unpaid position.)

Our programmes run during term time, and you can sign up at ay time throughout the year.

Our volunteers say:

" The Action Tutoring team has been fabulous in their support: timely updates, always available, closely following progress, and ready to intervene where needed, very professional indeed!"

"Volunteering is very rewarding. I would say the skills that one develops from teaching the pupils are transferable to any walk of life and make you a better person. I would highly recommend it."

The Student Publication Association (SPA) is recruiting charity trustees to assist its work in advancing the education of student journalists across the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

As a small, student-led charity, we support more than 330 member publications around the UK and Republic of Ireland, offering advice, training, and recognition at both our regional and national awards.

Our trustee board plays a vital role in our governance, ensuring that we remain within the boundaries of charity law, protecting the charity’s long-term stability, and supporting our student executives.

For this round of applications, we are particularly keen to hear from applicants with expertise relevant to the journalism industry.

No previous experience in journalism or as a charity trustee is required — but we do ask that you share our commitment to the advancement of student journalism.

We strongly encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds to apply. This includes, but isn’t limited to BAME, LGBTQI+, disabled, and care-experienced communities.

About The Role

As a small volunteer-run charity, we anticipate the role would take up an average of 1-2 hours a week, although this may increase during busier periods for the SPA, such as around our annual national conference (SPANC).

As a trustee, you will be a collaborative and supportive team player who will:

• Attend monthly oversight meetings with the executive committee and other trustees;
• Attend other meetings and 1-2-1s as needed on an ad hoc basis;
• Offer guidance and support to the executive committee throughout the year to help them achieve their goals, particularly in your area of expertise;
• Ensure that the charity is carrying out its core purpose, that resources are managed responsibly, and that activities comply with our governing documents;
• Support the delivery of our national conference, including attendance at the weekend itself during the Easter university holidays;
• Where possible, attend our induction day, for new executive members each year.

This is a volunteer role, but all reasonable expenses will be covered. The term for these appointments will be three years.

You will be part of a trustee board of ten people; four elected trustees, four appointed trustees, and two ex-officio trustees from our student-led executive committee.

Role Title: Graphic Designer

Role Purpose

Quilombo UK is looking for a Graphic Designer to join the team. Quilombo UK is a not for profit social enterprise that challenges people to think differently and bridge gaps between communities, with the aim of building a culturally rich society, where differences are accepted and celebrated. As chosen among 160 other organizations to work in collaboration with the Home Office on the “Building a Stronger Britain together” project, you will be joining a team, which not only supports the community but also stands up to extremism in all of its forms.

Quilombo UK works in collaboration with QMC Capoeira School, giving you the chance to support QMC Capoeira which is one of the most awarded Capoeira Schools in UK (UK Coaching Awards, Gillette Sports Awards, Kingston Council Sports Awards).

By joining QuilomboUK you will be supported and guided by experienced staff and volunteers, who are willing to share their skill set and will provide you with great opportunities for development in many different areas.

Ideal candidates will use their passion to promote Quilombo UK and raise its profile, while attracting new members. They should create engaging and on-brand graphics for a variety of media.

Main Responsibilities

• Study design briefs and determine requirements
• Schedule projects and define budget constraints
• Conceptualize visuals based on requirements
• Prepare rough drafts and present ideas
• Develop illustrations, logos and other designs using software or by hand
• Use the appropriate colours and layouts for each graphic
• Work with copywriters and creative director to produce final design
• Test graphics across various media
• Amend designs after feedback
• Ensure final graphics and layouts are visually appealing and on-brand

Essential Skills

• Proven graphic designing experience
• A portfolio of illustrations or other graphics / CV
• Familiarity with design software and technologies (such as Photoshop, Illustrator, Adobe Suite)
• Flexibility and openness to work on a variety of tasks
• Focused, organised and able to prioritise and execute tasks independently
• To show professionalism at all levels and in all environments
• Strong team player
• A keen eye for aesthetics and details
• Excellent communication skills
• Degree in Design, Fine Arts or related field is a plus
• Must be UK resident

Desirable

• Committed to working with the community with a passion for helping others less fortunate

Job Type: Volunteer

The Historic Towns and Villages Forum (HTVF) is seeking new trustees to help the Board make the most of a transformative stage in its history. HTVF became a registered charity in 2024, and over the last year has undertaken a review of its mission, vision and strategy, with two new Executive Co-Directors.

About us: The Historic Towns and Villages Forum (HTVF) is an independent charity with a mission to promote the prosperity, sustainability and heritage of historic cities, towns and villages for the benefit of all.

We provide support, training and information to organisations (including local authorities, town and parish councils, civic and amenity societies, and consultancies) as well as individual professionals, students, and members of the public engaged in the planning and management of historic cities, towns and villages. We aim to help them conserve the character and significance of historic places, while realising their full social, environmental and economic potential. We do this through events, research projects, publications, and partnerships.

What we’re looking for: We are seeking a minimum of three individuals with experience in one or more of the following areas to join our Board of Trustees:

• Senior professional leadership in a Local Authority
• Placemaking and urban regeneration expertise
• Marketing and fundraising
• Financial management
• Community and political engagement
• Research programme development and management

For these roles we also value:

• Innovative Thinking: HTVF is entering a new phase of development. A creative and forward-thinking approach to challenges and opportunities is sought from our new intake of trustees.  The ability to facilitate the Forum’s engagement with other organisations and groups would be helpful too.
• Geographical Spread: We aim for a wide geographical representation and welcome applications from across the UK, bearing in mind some meetings will be face-to-face in either London or Oxford.
• Inclusivity: We also aim to reflect the diversity of the communities with which we engage, and welcome applications from people of all ages and backgrounds who can bring the skills and experience identified above.

In this round of recruitment, we are looking in particular for an Honorary Treasurer. All new trustees will receive a comprehensive induction to the role and the work of the Charity.

Help children as Trustee of an innovative, enterprising Tees Valley Charity that is increasingly supporting children in care through fostering and a planned residential provision. Join an agency that transforms children's lives.

What will you be doing?

You will join us at an exciting time as we pursue growth of fostering and residential services, as well as growth of our early help offer. 

You will work across the Charity and the subsidiary fostering company (which we will amalgamate back into the parent Charity). 

You will have a particular focus on helping the fostering agency drive growth, ensure regulatory compliance, and deliver excellent care for children and support for foster parents. You will provide support and challenge to the management team.

You’ll contribute 2 to 6 hours a month. The Charity board meets every 8 weeks (shifting to quarterly after September) and the fostering board meets every 8 weeks. 

You’ll join a Charity that’s brought £millions of investment into Tees Valley and that helps over 1000 local people a year. We’ve been runners up at the national Charity Governance Awards and ‘community’ winners at the Hartlepool Business Awards. 

We are looking for experienced professionals who share our values and want to help. 

What are we looking for?

At this time we are specifically looking for Trustees with some of these areas of skills or experience:

Business development 

Safeguarding management

Fostering or children's residential care or childrens social work management 

Financial management 

What difference will you make?

We want to help children and family members heal from trauma, primarily through helping them develop a network of nurturing, loving and appropriately challenging relationships with people in their close and wider communities. Any small surplus we make from helping children in care will be diverted into work to help families stay together and thrive. You will join a team that strives to make this difference. You will help ensure the Charity keeps a strong focus on children and young peoples needs whilst being sustainability and ensuring the agency manages the risks associated with growth and investment in new services. 

Before you apply

After expressing an interest through the site, we'd welcome an initial conversation with our CEO and/or Chair. After that, we usually  take applications to the Board for consideration. This is usually quite a quick process. 

We are looking for two dynamic and self-motivated fundraising interns to join our team across the next 6 months. We are looking for:

1. A trusts and foundations intern
2. A campaigns intern 

More details regarding both roles are found below!

About EduSpots

EduSpots is an innovative, dynamic, and community-orientated UK and Ghanaian registered charity which connects, trains, and equips grassroots voluntary educators (named ‘Catalysts’) to drive community-led change through education spaces named ‘Spots’. Our vision is of a world in which communities unite to create the futures they want to see, through education.

Since 2016, through collaborating with over 400 local voluntary community educators and actors – named ‘Catalysts’ – who take a central leadership role in the development of the network, we have supported 50 communities in creating and running community-led and owned education spaces named ‘Spots’’. Together, we are developing a model for a community-led education space with accompanying network engagement that could have global relevance. Read our model of change document here.

Our Ghana-based team creates collaborative learning opportunities through three leadership programmes for Catalysts which are increasingly facilitated by the EduSpots app: the Ignite, Catalyse and Inspire Mentoring Programmes. These enable the Catalysts to lead EduKidz (early years education), DigLit (digital literacy), EcoSTEM (STEM and environmental education) and Ignite Equity (gender equity) clubs for learners typically aged 3-16, alongside locally designed education projects, reaching over 10,000 learners of all ages annually. Read our 2023 Annual Report here and our recent independent evaluation here.

We are in an exciting period of our development, having more than doubled our income, programme breadth and reach in the two years, with a recent independent evaluation by Expectation State offering further evidence in support of our model’s outcomes. We have been recently selected for two accelerator programmes, who are supporting us as we consider the scaling potential of our model.

We won the Tes International Award in 2018 and the Big Give Supporters’ Choice Award in 2022, and we were recently selected as a finalist for the 2023 Their World Scale-Up Innovation Prize. In 2021, our Founder was a Finalist in UNESCO-backed The Varkey Foundation’s $1 million Global Teacher Prize.

We are excited by our future. 

About this role

Location: Remote working (any location)

Reporting to: Trusts and Foundations Manager

Hours: 8 hours/week, flexible

Salary: Voluntary, expenses paid where relevant

Key areas of delivery 

We have two internships opening currently:

1. Trusts and Foundations Intern 

This intern will work closely with our experienced trusts and foundations manager, to support the research process behind identifying trusts and foundations that align with our work, and building a strong case for support of our work.

They will be given the opportunity to learn about grant writing, and in time, complete funding applications with supportive feedback, also contributing ideas to the fundraising team strategy more widely in a friendly, open team environment.

2. Campaigns Intern 

Following the launch of the Bike 2 My Roots Campaign, where Ghanaian cyclist, Emmanuel Adjei is aiming to cycle 10,000km from Munich to Accra this summer, we are looking for an intern to support with management of this campaign, including supporting the organisation of the ‘spin-off’ events as we encourage cyclists across the world to cycle, and fundraising, alongside him!

For this role, you will need strong social media and communications skills, with an aptitude for relationship building and the proactivity to reach out to people for support, across the cycling community and beyond! If you love cycling, that would be an added bonus! 

For both roles, candidates should be flexible and be ready to develop basic Canva design skills if you don’t have these skills already. You would join all team meetings and our in-house professional development programme.

Personal specification 

We are looking for interns with the following:

• Strong communication skills – e.g. written and verbal in English.
• Strong IT skills – e.g. ability to use Microsoft Office, Google Drive, social media etc.
• An ability to work independently with minimal support, with the proactivity to reach out to team members when necessary.
• A genuine interest in learning about education and international development
• A team player, willing to listen to others and respond to feedback quickly and input into the EduSpots community.
• An ability to use Canva design software is desirable, or else a willingness to learn.
• A genuine passion for making a tangible impact on educational opportunity through this role
• A desire to be part of a supportive and passioante education community, with a specifc interest in community-led change.
• Be willing to communicate via WhatsApp and use Google drive

We would like the selected interns to start immediately, and by the start of June. The internship is flexible in timings, but likely for 6 months with a 3 month review period. 

Please send a cover letter and updated CV addressed to the CEO, Cat Davison by Tuesday 6th May explaining your key areas of experience, interest and motivation for applying for one of both of roles.

We believe that every child should have access to a quality education at a safe, inclusive school, with the opportunity to become a truly global citizen… do you too?

It’s an incredibly exciting time at African Adventures Foundation as we develop the vital programmes we deliver at the 34 partner schools we work with in Ghana, Kenya, and Zanzibar.

We have ambitious plans to help drive greater impact at our partner schools, and are looking to strengthen our existing Trustee Board that’s full of energy and experience!

 Do you have experience in charity governance, delivering projects in an African culture and context, or delivering WASH or female empowerment/education/menstrual health programmes?

If so, read on… we’d be keen to hear from you about becoming one of our amazing volunteer trustees! 

Introduction to African Adventures Foundation

African Adventures Foundation is a registered charity set up in 2013 to provide support to 34 schools in developing areas of Ghana, Kenya and Zanzibar.

These schools provide education, health and food security, and social support to young people whose access to these basic services would otherwise be very limited. African Adventures Foundation helps by funding food security programmes, the construction of important school facilities, and hygiene projects that will benefit children’s health and education.

Our mission is to provide more children with a quality education and better opportunities in life.

 All trustees are responsible for governing a charitable company and directing its management and operation. They must also ensure that the trust complies with all legal and statutory requirements.

Trustee Responsibilities:

The role of a Governance & Delivery Trustee is to ensure the Foundation complies with its charity obligations, maximise impact through effective in country project delivery, and bring valuable insight into the specific cultural and operational context of working in Africa.

We are looking for two Trustees to bring specific expertise to the overall Trustee Board alongside the Chair, Fundraising, and Treasurer Trustee positions.

Governance (role specific)

● Understand and represent the needs of the charity’s governing framework on behalf of the Chair and board.

● Recommend relevant changes or documentation, and identify any areas od noncompliance to be addressed within improvement plans.

● Act as spokesperson and figurehead for African Adventures Foundation internally and externally concerning our charity governance.

 Delivery (role specific)

 ● Contribute to governance, approval, and impact assessment processes at board level for the successful delivery of Foundation projects.

● Provide best practice advice, support, and oversight to the projects being delivered on behalf of the board as required.

Context & Culture (role specific)

●    Bring experience, knowledge and good judgement relating to the culture and context of the communities and territories we operate in.

● Bring an understanding of delivering charitable projects in an African educational context to board level.

● Bring an understanding to Trustee Board level, of delivering WASH programmes and Female empowerment, education, and menstrual health projects.

General (all Trustees)

 ● Support and provide advice on AAF’s purpose, vision, goals, and activities while working alongside the trustee Board, founder, and African Adventures personnel.

● Approve operational strategies and policies and monitor and evaluate their implementation, adding to overall good charity governance.

● Support broad decision-making, risk management, and charity planning through a range of platforms and processes.

● Keep abreast of changes in AAF’s operating environment through your external experience.

● Be fully prepared to attend, participate and contribute in Board meetings and Trustee events.

● Act as AAF ambassador applying your skills, experience and knowledge in a range of scenarios including government, fundraising and networking events.

● Use independent judgment, acting legally and in good faith to promote and protect African Adventures Foundation’s interests, to the exclusion of their own personal and/or any third-party interests.

● Support the Chair with administrative tasks as required.

 What we are looking for:

● Attention to detail.

● A good knowledge of charity governance and willingness to challenge.

● A good understanding of delivering charity/NGO projects.

● A good understanding of operating and/or overseeing delivery in an African culture and context.

● Background in WASH and/or female empowerment, education, and menstrual health projects.

  Essential qualities and attributes of all our trustees

● Willingness and ability to understand and accept their responsibilities and liabilities as trustees, and to act in the organisation's best interests.

● Ability to think creatively and strategically, exercise good, independent judgement and work effectively as a board member.

● Effective communication skills and willingness to participate actively in discussions.

● A strong personal commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

● Enthusiasm for our vision and mission.

● Willingness to lead according to African Adventures Foundation’s values.

● Commitment to Nolan’s seven principles of public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty, and leadership.

 Terms of appointment

 ● Trustees are appointed for a 2-year term of office, renewal for 2 further terms to a maximum of 6 years.

● This is a voluntary position, but reasonable expenses will be reimbursed.

 Time commitment (estimated at one day every month)

● Attending quarterly Trustee Board meetings. Currently, these are alternating between online and in-person at HQ near Southampton, UK. 

● Flexibility to respond swiftly to the occasional ad hoc issue and Trustee comms

● Attending occasion workshops and fundraising & networking events as per availability.

We are looking for people to bring energy, enthusiasm and commitment to the role and broaden the diversity of thought within our board.

Social Anxiety Alliance UK is a young and developing charity looking for an experienced Trustee.

It may be possible for someone with a dedication and passion for helping those with social anxiety to apply for this role providing they are aware of the governance issues relating to the role (please read the charity commission document "The essential trustee")

Social anxiety involves an excessive fear of social situations. Sufferers will often fear being embarrassed or worry about being negatively evaluated by others. Anticipatory anxiety and situational avoidance are common, and individuals may endure social situations with a high level of discomfort. The scope of the anxiety may be focused on specific types of social situations or generalised to almost any social encounter.

We are the first UK charity dedicated to Social Anxiety.

What will you be doing

· Contribute towards the good management of the charity by carrying out key responsibilities as follows:

· To ensure that the charity complies with its governing document, charity law, company law, and any other relevant legislation or regulations.

· To ensure that the charity pursues its charitable objects as defined in its governing document.

· To ensure that the charity uses its resources exclusively to further its objects.

· To contribute towards setting the charity’s strategic direction and to evaluate performance and progress against agreed targets.

· To uphold the reputation and values of the charity.

· To commit to read papers in preparation for meetings and attend regular board meetings.

What we are looking for

· An understanding and acceptance of the legal duties and responsibilities of trusteeship.

· A willingness to devote the necessary time and effort to their duties as a trustee.

· Willingness to act in the best interests of the organisation.

· An ability to work effectively as a member of the team.

· Willingness to prepare for and attend monthly Board meetings.

· Willingness to participate actively in discussions.

· Enthusiasm for the charity’s vision and mission.

· Empathy for the challenges faced by people affected by social anxiety.

· A strong commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.

· Integrity and honesty.

· Good, independent judgement.

Experience or interest in some of the following areas:

· • Charity management, governance, compliance, law, or the dedication to learn about governance and what it takes to be a Trustee

What difference will you make

As part of our board, you will help to support and develop the charity and set its strategic direction. You will have the opportunity to offer your unique skill set, experience and enthusiasm to help us to achieve the charity’s mission and goals:
To foster a society in which social anxiety is widely understood, where there is easy access to appropriate information, support and treatment so that no one has to face social anxiety alone.

Board meetings and projects

We are a friendly board and we hold our meetings monthly online in the evening, typically on a Tuesday at 7pm to 8:30pm.

We would hope that Trustees can contribute to some other charity tasks and projects as the need arises. 

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in the start up of a new charity that seeks to create a wide reaching operational activity that develops employment and volunteering opportunities that truly take in to account all neruodiversity and ensuring that people feel they are valued in their role as well as reducing working hours while not reducing salaries.

We are very much a new concept within the charity and business world, what we aim to do is not focus on just one business activity and force people to work within it but to grow along side our teams and develop new business opportunities based on the skill sets and abitions of our teams.

Below are the details of the general responsibilities of a trustee within Living Reasons and the 12 areas we wish to recruit trustees in so that we can start to develop the charity more and start the process of registering and ultimately launching the charity within the next 12 months.

Nonspecific trustee criteria (all trustees must meet this criteria)

1) Ability to understand how the charity works in the public interest and ensure that all activities the charity carries out always fulfil this requirement. Bringing in to question any activities that may not fall within the charity’s public interest obligation, to the other trustees.

2) Agree with and agree to always work within the charity’s governing document and within the law. Making sure that the charity always operates within the governing document and within the law.

3) Act within the charity’s best interests by agreement within the other trustees on the board and following all trustee processes including decision making and voting. Avoid conflicts of interest with the operation of the charity and bring any potential conflicts of interest, to the attention of the trustee board as soon as possible.

4) Manage the charity’s resources responsibly, including ensuring the charity’s assets are used for the charity’s purpose, not take any inappropriate risks, do not over commit to the charity, taking special care when investing or barrowing and ensure the charity complies with any funding restrictions.

5) Always act with reasonable care and skill.

6) Ensure that the charity is always accountable, ensure that the charity is able to demonstrate it is compliant in law, well run and effective. Where responsibility has been delegated, trustees must ensure that the charity still remains accountable.

7) Must not be an undischarged bankrupt or be in an IVA.

8) Must not have any unspent convictions or be on the sex offenders register.

9) Must not be banned from being a company director or trustee.

All trustees will be required to attend 1 full board meeting every quarter which may be in person or over online video calling.

1 additional meeting annually that will also be at the same time as the annual general meeting must be attended.

There may be further meetings if you are on other committees or are voted on to the executive board of trustees (this is not mandatory and is a further voluntary commitment that you can nominate yourself for election).

We are looking for 12 trustees in total, once we have key trustee roles filled, we will then register the charity and move forward as we continue the recruitment process. The three main trustees we would like to have in place before registering the charity are: Operational, Financial and Income Generation. This does not mean we are not recruiting the other 9, we just won't register until after people with these skills have been recruited. Below are the twelve areas of knowldge we would like to gain trustees in. These cover all aspects of the activities the charity will carry out:.

1. Operational – overall knowledge of the day to operation of the organisation

2. Financial – an understanding financial planning and reporting

3. Creative & events

4. Research

5. Income generation

6. Education

7. Human Resources

8. Services

9.    Outreach (Social Media & Marketing)

10.     Legal

11.    Health

12.     Volunteering

This is a brand new idea and concept for a charity and business activity and requires a team that are forward thinking and are not restrained by previous ways of working, putting people at the heart of what we do, this is a charity that is supply a service for people who have struggled in the work environment as it is but will be directly generating the income for the charity as well, our service users will be our employees, trainees and volunteers and that needs to be seen as a positive move forward by anyone involved in the charity from day one.

If you would like to be part of a new and innovative way of working, please submit a CV and Cover Letter explaining which trustee role you would be interested in and why this role would be suitable for you. 

Jason, the person starting this charity has autism, ADHD, as well as mental health issues and physical conditions that are dibilitating and has spect 20 years in the charity retail industry and has loved his time working in them but has found it increasing more difficult to work in the environment due to, what he considers undue and unnecessary pressures that hinder rather than help the charity sector to reach its full potential and he feels that, key to changing this for the better is understanding the neurodiversity of humanity and catering for it in the workplace. This is how Living Reasons was developed as an idea and now he needs to find people to bring the idea to life. 

Volunteer Fundraising team leader

Thank you for your interest to become a Fundraising Team Leader Volunteer at Cats Protection!

Cats Protection is the UK’s leading feline welfare charity and our vision is a world where every cat is treated with kindness and an understanding of its needs.

Cats are at the centre of everything we do and our objectives are: homing, neutering and educating people about cats and their care.

We help thousands of cats across the UK each year thanks to our network of dedicated volunteers, employees and supporters.

A bit about this role:

As a charity we are able to help thousands of cats each year thanks to the generous donations we receive from members of the public. Our fundraising team leaders have the exciting and varied role of inspiring our fundraising volunteers to plan and deliver local fundraising events. Using their passion and imagination, they oversee a small team of fundraising volunteers who come together to raise the vital funds needed to cover costs such as veterinary bills and food. Our fundraising team leaders support their team of volunteers in all aspects of their roles, making sure our volunteers are happy, confident and supported.

What can you expect to be doing?

· Supporting and encouraging a team of fundraising volunteers

· Planning fundraising events and activities with your team

· Allocating tasks before and during fundraising events

· Keeping financial records from fundraising events

· Encouraging and promoting a professional image of Cats Protection 

· Following policies and guidelines and ensuring licences and permits are obtained for events

What are the benefits to you and the cats?

You will develop new skills, expand your knowledge and make a significant contribution to improving the lives of cats and kittens by helping raise funds and awareness through organising local events. You will also meet new people, make new friends and be part of a dedicated team of volunteers.

We're looking for someone with:

· Great people skills and the ability to bring out the best in others

· Excellent organisational skills

· The ability to prioritise and delegate

· An appreciation of the importance of handling money and charity resources responsibly

· Fine-tuned communication skills and a passion for engaging with people within your local community

· Basic IT skills to use Cats Protection systems - training and support can be provided

· Committee volunteers need to be aged 18+

Time expectation

Our fundraising team leaders usually spend three to four hours per week in this role, which is flexible and can be shared by more than one volunteer if needed.

Support, guidance and keeping you safe

At Cats Protection we believe our volunteers should be happy and confident in their roles. We provide support and guidance from our National Cat Centre and through our regional and local volunteer groups and teams. We offer engaging online and face-to-face training, expenses and have policies and processes to help volunteers get the most out of their time with us.

The wellbeing of our people is important and at Cats Protection we are committed to safeguarding children, adults at risk and all those that we come into contact with as part of our activities.