Befriending Volunteer Volunteer Roles

Would you like to support people who have served in the Armed Forces? You don’t need a military background, just patience, and an ability to get on with people from different backgrounds and age groups. If so, this could be the role for you.

What is a Visitor?

SSAFA Visitors provide support to isolated people living at home or in residential care. Whilst a friendly chat about the old days over a cup of tea is an important aspect of the role you will also be able to recognise any other support needs and explore how to link your client into their local community.

Why do we need you?

We’ve been supporting the Armed Forces community since 1885. Our clients come from all backgrounds and age groups and may have served in WW2 or in a more recent conflict like the Falklands or Afghanistan.

There are SSAFA branches throughout the UK and overseas who support local volunteers to deliver services to veterans, serving personnel and their families. Some branches are divided into smaller divisions to ensure the best local service delivery. Each branch has a team of volunteer caseworkers, support volunteers, executive roles, and fundraisers.

With the gift of time and a listening ear you can improve someone’s quality of life for far longer than the hour or so you might spend with them. We need you to join your local SSAFA team to help us to help more people!

When would you be needed and where would you be based?

The essential part of the role is visiting clients, so you will need a driving licence and access to a vehicle or another way to travel to meet clients at home or elsewhere.

Some volunteers will visit more people than others. Whilst you will visit a client on a regular basis for a period, you will not be developing the kind of relationship where you would provide personal care, handle money or support someone in an emergency. SSAFA can help clients to arrange other types of support if needed.

What would you be doing?

• Contacting clients and arranging to meet them regularly at their home or care home for uninterrupted conversation.
• Letting the divisional secretary know of any concerns for your or the client’s safety.
• Arranging for a SSAFA caseworker to assess the client for other support as required.
• Chatting, making a cup of tea, playing cards, looking at photo albums, military mementos etc
• Helping your client to think about ways to reduce their isolation and support them to put these into practice.
• Keeping in touch with your branch so they know your availability.
• Keeping up to date with training and SSAFA news so that you are best able to support clients.
• Volunteering within the standards and values of SSAFA including observing our policies such as the Volunteering policy and Data Protection policy (these will be covered in your training and local induction.)

The remit of this role may change over the next 12-18 months depending on the outcome of a trial currently being undertaken.

What could you gain from this volunteering role?

• Support people in your community with a military background using your patience, time, and empathy.
• Support from your local SSAFA branch and the wider SSAFA community
• Experience, training, and skills that you can highlight on your CV and in job interviews.
• Better physical and mental health – studies show that volunteers live longer and experience lower levels of stress and depression.

What training and support would you receive?

• Role specific training to prepare you for your voluntary role – confidentiality and boundaries, friendship, and befriending. This training would take approx. 4 hours.
• Mandatory on-line training modules to complete at home, so you are up to date on how to keep clients, their families safe and personal information safe.
• Local Induction
• Access to the Volunteer Support Team based at our central office.
• Reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses
• Volunteers will be covered by SSAFAs Public Liability Insurance whilst carrying out the role.

What are we looking for?

• Friendly and approachable people with good listening skills, patience, and a cheerful attitude
• Good spoken English
• Ability to be respectful and non-judgemental with clients, their family, other agencies and SSAFA colleagues.
• Ability to keep within the boundaries of the role with regards to friendship, finances etc.
• Reliable attitude, contact clients promptly, keep regular appointments, update the branch regarding your availability.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and keep information safely (within SSAFA policies)
• Willingness to travel by public transport or car to appointments with clients.

We welcome volunteers of all backgrounds, abilities, races, sexual orientations, socio-economic backgrounds, and of all faiths and none. SSAFA are committed to making reasonable adjustments to support volunteers with disabilities, so they have access to the same opportunities and experiences as volunteers who do not.

Minimum Age: 18

Safer Recruitment: SSAFA undertakes a systematic approach and utmost care at every step of the process of volunteer recruitment, selection, and retention to ensure that those recruited are suitable and appropriate. Measures taken at points along this journey work together to make volunteering at SSAFA a positive and safe experience.

References Required: Yes. We will ask for two character references, this can be a former employer or someone that know you well (other than a relative)

Is a criminal record check required? Yes, this is provided by SSAFA at no cost to the potential volunteer This role requires an enhanced check.

*A disclosure certificate that contains convictions, cautions, warnings, reprimands, or other information may not automatically mean that you are not able to volunteer. All certificates will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and, where possible, a modified or alternative role will be offered.

Volunteer Independent Visitor (IV)

Would you like to befriend a child or young person in care to achieve the outcomes that matter to them in their lives, by building a strong bond and supporting them to experience a range of activities?

Yes?

Then our Volunteer Independent Visitor role may be right for you!

You could make a difference by:

Supporting a child or young person who may have little or no contact with their parents or other family members.

This service offers support to a child or young person by:

• Matching your hobbies and interests to that of the child or young person
• Being a positive role model who can enable a child or young person to take more productive paths in their lives
• Being a ‘trusted person’ that a young person can talk to and to share their concerns with, with a view to supporting them to get their desired outcome

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for friendly people aged over 21 who are good communicators to join our volunteer team. They will be reliable, compassionate, caring, respectful and understanding.

You do not need to be an expert; empathy matters more than academic qualifications or experience and we are keen to hear from people from all walks of life.

All we ask is that you are keen and able to:

• Understand the circumstances of children and young people in care and put the needs of children and young people first
• Utilise excellent communication skills and be comfortable conversing with children and young people
• Commit to children and young people’s rights and welfare
• Complete and submit relevant paperwork and forms
• Be computer literate and have access to emails and Microsoft Teams on a device
• Attend quarterly supervisions and volunteer meetings with our volunteer management team
• Attend necessary internal and external training
• Adhere to our volunteer policies and procedures
• Maintain strict confidentiality
• To commit to three or four hours a month offering a commitment of 2 years
• Travel using public transport or your own vehicle (for which you should have a full

UK driving licence)

What you will receive in return:

• Training opportunities
• An opportunity to develop your skills and experience in the health and social care sector
• Support and encouragement from our volunteer management team
• Out of pocket expenses
• Testimonials or a reference to support your career progression
• And most of all … a rewarding experience

OUR VALUES

Quality: We deliver high quality advocacy - we have over 20 years' experience of providing expert, person-led advocacy.

People: We put people at the heart of everything we do and want to enable them to make positive change in their lives.

Respectful: We are a respectful team - we treat everyone equally and make sure everyone feels valued, respected and listened to.

Trust: You can trust us and know that we will keep your information confidential and safe.

Independent: We are independent of councils and health services and we are on your side.

Learning: We never stop learning - we learn from the people we support, our partners and each other.

To support the housing staff team with a range of functions in order to ensure the smooth running of the hostel based in Comet Way, Hatfield.

Tasks could include but are not limited to:

·Supporting with the resident’s café by building a rapport with clients and serving teas and coffees

·Assisting clients in ad hoc admin tasks such as booking appointments

·General befriending 

·Identifying resident training needs and signposting as necessary

·Misc. paperwork

·Recording contact on a database

·Escalating any concerns to the line manager 

Skills you will need:

·Be a good listener with the ability to show empathy

·Passionate about working with people from diverse backgrounds

·Willing to work with challenging people and situations

·Good communication skills in English; in person & over the phone

·Reliable, punctual, organised and able to maintain confidentiality

·A willingness to learn new things and get stuck in

·Ability to work as part of a team and attend team meetings

·Working knowledge of local support agencies and IT packages

·Good organisational skills

Full training and an induction will be given as well as ongoing opportunities for your learning and development. We also have an exciting and varied calendar of events for volunteers and staff alike!

Please note you will be required to undergo a DBS check and we will require two references.

Summary

To support the housing staff team with a range of functions in order to ensure the smooth running of the hostel based in Northgate End, Bishop's Stortford.

Detailed description

·Assisting clients in ad hoc admin tasks such as booking appointments and IT support

·Befriending and mentoring

·Identifying resident training needs and signposting as necessary

·Administrative tasks to support clients when moving in/out as well as calling ex-clients to follow up and discuss outstanding concerns

·Misc. paperwork

·Recording contact on a database

·Escalating any concerns to the line manager 

Skills you will need:

·Be a good listener with the ability to show empathy

·Passionate about working with people from diverse backgrounds

·Willing to work with challenging people and situations

·Good communication skills in English; in person & over the phone

·Reliable, punctual, organised and able to maintain confidentiality

·A willingness to learn new things and get stuck in

·Ability to work as part of a team and attend team meetings

·Working knowledge of local support agencies and IT packages

·Good organisational skills

Full training and an induction will be given as well as ongoing opportunities for your learning and development. We also have an exciting and varied calendar of events for volunteers and staff alike!

Please note you will be required to undergo a DBS check and we will require two references.

Link Age Southwark is a vibrant local charity providing support to over 800 older people in Southwark who are feeling lonely or isolated. Our vision is for friendly local communities where older people and those living with a diagnosis of dementia can thrive in their later years.

All our volunteering opportunities are within the London Borough of Southwark, predominantly south of the borough - Camberwell, Peckham, Nunhead, Dulwich and around. 

Befriending is at the very heart of Link Age Southwark's services. Lots of the older people we work with are feeling lonely and in need of a little extra social company. Our fantastic volunteer befrienders visit an older person once a week, sharing a cup of tea and a chat together.

Demand for our befriending service continues to grow and we are looking for new people to join our existing team of volunteers so that we can support as many older people as possible. 

This role requires:

• volunteering for approximately 1 hour a week to visit an older person
• a commitment to volunteer for a minimum of 6 months
• a cheerful and friendly personality
• good communication/listening skills
• attendance at a volunteer induction and other relevant training opportunities
• completion of a full Disclosure Barring Service and character reference check
• a commitment to working within the policies of Link Age Southwark, in particular health & safety, confidentiality, safeguarding and equality and diversity

Becoming a volunteer with Link Age Southwark is a fantastic opportunity to meet new people and get to know more about your local community.

We cover all reasonable expenses and we are happy to provide references for volunteers who have completed 6 months of volunteering with us.

Please note that all our volunteering opportunities are within the London Borough of Southwark, predominantly south of the borough - Camberwell, Peckham, Nunhead, Dulwich and around. 

Deafblind UK members have combined sight and hearing loss and many can feel lonely or socially isolated. We offer a free telephone befriending service where we match volunteers with one of our members to have a weekly 30 minute chat together.

We are looking for confident, empathetic and friendly people who can hold a good conversation. You could be chatting about similar interests or learning about each other’s lives. Whatever the conversation you’ll be having a positive impact.

One 30 minute call seems really simple but having someone to talk to and someone to listen, could really make a difference to our members. It could be that you’re the only person they speak to that day, or even that week.

Our members love to chat with people who have had some life experience and stories to tell. You will need good communication skills and be able to strike up a conversation. You will also need to be reliable, patient with a naturally warm and friendly nature.

We will ensure you are supported throughout your journey with us, offering training and support at all times.

We are looking for a patient volunteer to visit a gentleman who lives in Newcastle. This man has learning disabilities. The visits will likely be short, enough time for a chat, a cuppa, and to check in on how he is doing.

This gentleman is supported by a dedicated team who regularly take him swimming, horse riding, out for walks and for meals in the local pub or café, which any volunteer is very welcome to join.

We offer a lifelong befriending service for adults with learning disabilities. Matching the skills and interests of passionate visitors with the specific hobbies and interests of the people we visit. Visitors visit six times a year to create a 1-2-1 connection, offer companionship, encourage people to do the things they enjoy and check-in on their wellbeing.

In many cases, the visitor is the only person in someone’s life who isn’t paid to be there for them. In this role you will spend quality time with the person you visit and could do a range of different activities like:

• Sitting and having a chat
• Checking in on their well- being
• Going out to a local cafe/pub for a meal/drink
• Enjoying a walk
• A craft activity at home
• Reading a book/magazine together

As a Mencap volunteer visitor you will be:

• Friendly and approachable
• Accepting of others who might be different to yourself
• Reliable and patient
• Passionate about supporting people with a with a learning disability.

As a Mencap visitor you will:

• Have the opportunity to help make a difference to the life of the person you visit
• Receive a personalised volunteer induction and training
• Have agreed out of pocket expenses reimbursed
• Meet new people
• Get on-going support, and feel appreciated and valued

About Mencap 

Mencap is the leading learning disability charity in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We work with people with a learning disability and their families to challenge prejudice and change laws, and we directly support thousands of people to live their lives as they choose. We have an ambitious vision for the UK to be the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives.

Volunteering with us is YOUR opportunity to help us achieve this, whilst having the chance to develop your skills, meet new people and join a passionate and dedicated team.

We are looking to appoint a new Trustee to the Board to support CHEER’s mission of providing advice, friendship and support to Elmbridge’s older community.

We’re particularly seeking someone interested in supporting charify fundraising across individual giving, coerporate and major donor fundraising and community fundraising.  However, we are also open to hearing from anyone with experience in business management, marketing, finance, human resources and/or older people and social care for other opportunities.

If you have an interest in the issues surrounding the elderly living in the UK, a desire to give those who need a helping hand somewhere to go to get help and support - we’d love to hear from you.

More on CHEER: CHEER is a registered charity serving the local community of Elmbridge for over 60 years. Our mission is to provide advice, friendship, and support to help older community in Elmbridge lead full, dignified and independent lives.  We do so through delivery of 5 core services (befriending, benefits, events, signposting and CHEER’s Parkinson’s group) designed to reduce loneliness and social isolation and alleviate financial hardship. 

We consistently achieve remarkable things with minimal resources and are often told we have changed people's lives relying on a dedicated team of staff, trustees and volunteers to deliver these essential and beneficial services. 

Our trustees are all volunteers, most of whom live or work in the local community, and all of whom use their skills, knowledge and experience to guide and govern our service, shape strategy, and give direction to the charity.  We are a small and friendly team, collectively responsible for CHEER and each enjoying the chance to contribute to our community. 

The main responsibilities of a trustee are:

· Formulating and reviewing CHEER’s vision, values, and strategic direction

· Establishing and monitoring policies to provide guidance for staff

· Ensuring compliance with the Charity’s governing document and the law

· Ensuring accountability to such bodies as the Charities Commission, donors, staff and volunteers

· Managing the Charity’s resources responsibly

· Contributing to the discharge of the Board’s duties and effective Board performance

· Promoting the charity and protecting its excellent reputation

· Appointing staff, giving them guidance and support

· Monitoring the Charity’s performance

· All trustees are expected to adopt Nolan’s seven principles of public life:  selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership

Would you like to have fun in your local area and get reimbursed for your time? We are always looking for caring and compassionate people to take out a local child or young person for fun activities.

Right now we are looking for applicants in the wider Newport area for a fabulous young person who enjoys the gym, boxing, cinema, food and chats. They would prefer a male, but we have other young people who would fit with a female volunteer.

Activities can include things like: playing football in the park, trampolining, cinema, food, swimming, climbing, play centres, beach, cycling, board game cafes, escape rooms, circus, shows, concerts, go karting etc.

We reimburse reasonable expenses, including travel, for you and your young person up to around £40 a month.

Preferred experience:
- Driving and use of a car due to sometimes rural locations. (We are unlikely to be able to find you a suitable match if you do not drive.)
- Ability to communicate in English.
- Basic IT skills for completing reports and submitting receipts via an easy to use App.

Benefits:
- Opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.
- Gain valuable experience in supporting children and families.
- Access to online training portal with hundreds of courses. - Access to local authority training.
- All travel and reasonable documented expenses reimbursed.

If you are passionate about helping others and making a positive impact, we would love to hear from you.

Area Lead (Multiple- locations)

This is an exciting opportunity to volunteer as part of a team to support the vital work of the UK Field Operations at Care4Calais, responding to the various needs of the hundreds of refugees we support through the difficult process of claiming asylum in the UK. We are currently seeking Leads in the following areas, Essex, Buckingham, Bedfordshire, Scotland, Reading, Central London, West London, North London, Gatwick, North East England, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and Manchester.

As an Area Lead, you will act as a point of contact between non lead volunteers and the Care4Calais UK Operations team. Working mainly via Facebook/Whatsapp groups, Google Drive, and Zoom, your primary function is to motivate, inspire and support volunteers to take actions. These actions include distributions of essential aid to asylum seekers, joining in and organising social activities, and befriending and supporting asylum seekers to access key services. You will be available to answer questions and provide support to volunteers, and to drive the group forward to achieve maximum impact and effectiveness. You will be provided with full training including Induction, Safeguarding, Distribution, Boundaries, and develop skills in volunteer management, fundraising, advocacy, and a deeper understanding of the UK Immigration process. These skills have led to many volunteers obtaining paid roles in the sector.

In addition, you will represent Care4Calais in your region and support the team to identify and develop local partnerships. You will acquire an in-depth understanding of Care4Calais policies and procedures and ensure they are adhered to for all local operations. You will also be responsible for keeping the UK operations team informed of activities in your area, as well as feeding back to your group any UK-wide information and updates, promoting strong communication, best practice sharing and rapid action.

Responsibilities 

• Attend induction, ongoing training and keep up to date with resources and procedure to ensure you can carry out the role effectively and efficiently.

• Able to work independently and manage your time effectively

• Supporting asylum seekers with a range of tasks including onwards referrals, signposting, emotional support

• Attend regular team meetings and contribute effectively 

• Following safeguarding procedures and reporting safeguarding incidents appropriately 

• Maintaining communication with the management team throughout your role, available for regular check-ins to ensure the best service is provided to our clients.

• Liaising with other professionals including local services and Migrant Help

Person Specification

• Organised and accurate with information, with an eye for detail. 

• Excellent communication skills and the ability to communicate with people who do not have English as their first language, working alongside interpreters to ensure clients understand the process

• An understanding of the traumatic experiences that our clients have been through and the emotional resilience to cope with this

• Ability to be a self starter and motivate others, solution focussed and able to work off ones initiative.

• Dedicated to justice and the rights of refugees and asylum seekers, and a commitment to Care4Calais’s values

• Professional and dedicated to ensure that the best interests of the clients and Care4Calais are represented at all time

• Ability to use spreadsheets, Google Workspace, messaging platforms and secure databases.

Desirable Criteria:

Care4Calais is dedicated to cultivating a diverse and inclusive work environment and recognises that this is invaluable to our ability to serve the communities we support. 

We therefore welcome and encourage applications from diverse backgrounds including from Black, Asian and Minority-Ethnic communities, people from refugee and migrant backgrounds, and people with lived experience of the UK immigration system. 

• Proficiency in one or more of the languages spoken within asylum seeking communities, such as but not limited to: Arabic, Farsi, Pashto, Dari, Kurdish Sorani, Tigrinya, Amharic.

The Dementia Wellbeing Service provides practical and emotional support to help older people live independently and safely at home for as long as possible, stay socially engaged, and carry on doing what they love. The service supports Camden residents over the age of 55 in the early or moderate stages of dementia. The coordinator works with the client, their family, or carers to produce a personalised wellbeing plan.

Staff and volunteers for this service are located at our Henderson Court Hub in Hampstead.

What does the role involve?

Volunteers assist the Dementia Services Manager with all administrative aspects of delivering the services including communicating with people referred to the service.

What will you get out of it?

• You'll be making a difference to the lives of older people.
• You'll gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact on older people’s lives.
• You'll have an opportunity to build confidence and skills in engaging with people.
• You'll gain administrative experience such as updating databases, dealing with correspondence and dealing with enquiries.

Role of a Home-Start Trustee

Home-Start is a voluntary organisation in which volunteers offer regular support, befriending and practical help to families with young children who are under stress in their own homes, helping to prevent family crisis or breakdown. Trustees collectively oversee the work of the organisation and are legally responsible for all aspects of its operations.

Within the Board, individual Trustees have specific roles that enable them to use their individual skills and experience to lead in particular activities. Each role has specific responsibilities that a Trustee will lead on to enable the Board as a whole to operate more effectively. 

Home-Start Barnet (HSB) Trustees give a high level of commitment and reliability in their roles and work very closely with the staff team to enable HSB to deliver a high quality and well-respected service. Trustees are empowered to make well informed decisions through training and reporting systems. 

What do Home-Start Trustees do? 

Trustees work collectively, to hold HSB in trust for current and future beneficiaries by:

• Attending quarterly Board meetings and any additional sub-committee meetings to keep informed and plan an active role in decision making for Home-Start Barnet
• Providing leadership and direction for the charity within the ethos and values of HSB 
• Ensuring that the charity has a clear mission and strategic direction and is focused on achieving these 
• Ensuring that the charity’s governance is of the highest possible standard 
• Being responsible for the effective performance and management of the charity 
• Ensuring that the charity complies with all legal and regulatory requirements, the objects of the charity, the governing documents and quality standards 
• Undertaking an ambassadorial role for Home-Start
• Attending ongoing support and training sessions as necessary to enable them to fulfil the requirements of the role

What are the responsibilities of a Home-Start Trustee? 

Home-Start asks all Trustees to commit to the Home-Start ethos and to understand and implement relevant Home-Start’s policies which will be explained at the Trustee induction.

Trustees work collectively to: 

• Set the strategy and undertake the strategic management of the charity
• Ensure that the charity pursues its objects as defined in the governing documents 
• Ensure the charity accounts for its activities to its funders, the relevant Charity Regulators, its members, the local community and others 
• Ensure that the charity applies its resources exclusively in pursuance of its objects
• Ensure the financial stability of the charity 
• Ensure proper accounting records are kept 
• Ensure the proper investment of the charity’s funds
• Ensure that the major risks to which the charity is exposed are reviewed annually and managed
• Ensure the organisation has appropriate risk assessment procedures in place and appropriately mitigates against perceived risks 
• Ensure the effective and efficient administration of the charity 
• Approve the charity’s policies 
• Ensure the charity fulfils its responsibilities as a good employer and is an effective manager and supervisor of staff and volunteers 
• Ensure the charity is appropriately insured 
• Protect and manage the property of the charity 
• Monitor and evaluate the work of the charity and to contribute to quality assurance self-assessments and reviews 
• Safeguard the good name and ethos of Home-Start Barnet

What Duties are involved in being a Trustee?

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Scrutinising board papers in advance of meetings
• Approving the strategic plan annually and monitoring progress against it 
• Determining and approving the annual budget and monitoring progress against it 
• Preparing and approving the annual report and accounts 
• Ensuring compliance with the Home-Start Agreement and Quality Assurance system
• Acting within the spirit and in accordance with Home-Start’s equality of opportunity and diversity policies and procedures 
• Signing acceptance and understanding of the Home-Start Safeguarding/Child Protection Code of Conduct annually

Individually to:

• Regularly attend Board meetings 
• Play an active part in the trustees’ meetings and deliberations 
• Exercising due care and attention and using reasonable skill in dealing with the charity’s affairs 
• Use own skills, knowledge and experience to help the trustees reach sound decisions 
• Avoid any conflict of interests and declare areas where they may arise
• Reflect annually on the board’s performance and your own performance as a trustee
• Take part in Quality Assurance self-assessments and reviews 
• Ensure that major decisions and policies are made by trustees acting collectively
• Work within the organisations policies and procedures

What is the time commitment? 

• Attendance of quarterly Board meetings held at HSB offices
• Attendance at the Annual General Meeting
• Attendance of any sub-committee meetings for any additional work taken on
• Attendance of training when required
• Work at home to deliver the requirements of the role (estimate 3 hours a month)

What will Home-Start do for me? 

In return for your hard work and commitment, you will receive: 

• Excellent preparation for your role, through the induction programme course 
• Information required for you to fulfil the role appropriately
• Opportunities for self-development and ongoing training
• Social events and the opportunity to get more involved in the charity if you would like (e.g., fundraising, promotional events) 
• The opportunity to be involved in a vital local service and to be part of a national network 

This is exciting and rewarding work which requires energy, commitment, reliability, creativity and a sense of humour.

Person Specification

Essential

• Time to commit to meetings, preparation and additional tasks to fulfil the role of Trustee
• Understanding of and commitment to Home Start Barnet’s work and ethos
• Reliability
• Have a positive, non-judgmental attitude to working with people of any gender, family status or sexual identity, or who are from any ethnic origin, culture, or religion, or who may have a disability 
• Have a clear understanding of the confidential nature of the service and safeguarding in the context of family support
• Have good communication skills including an ability to listen 
• Have a warm and open personality and a sense of humour 
• Be able to work as a member of a team 
• Be prepared to attend any training needed to deliver the role. 

Training can be provided if there is no prior knowledge or experience of the following:

• Understanding of the Legal responsibilities of a Trustee
• Understanding of effective charitable Governance

Desirable

• Local knowledge
• Knowledge and experience relevant to the operations of Home-Start Barnet
• Role specific experience to inform an aspect of the Board of Trustee’s responsibilities

This role is advertised as part of TPP's Free Giving Back Services. This volunteer advertisement copy has been supplied to TPP and applicants apply direct to the organisation. Please contact the organisation directly if you have any questions about this volunteer role.

Our trustees play a vital role in making sure that Upbeat Communities achieves its core purpose. They oversee the overall management and administration of the charity, and they also ensure we have a clear strategy and that our work and goals are in line with our vision. Just as importantly, they support and challenge the leadership team to enable Upbeat Communities to grow and thrive, and through this, empower refugees to thrive.

Through regular meetings, strategy days and written reports provided to the board, trustees are able to set the direction of the organisation, develop its strategic objectives and support and keep the staff team accountable in delivering on these
strategic goals.

Trustee meetings are currently held every 2 months either in person in Derby or online (hybrid). We have an annual strategy away day and trustees are also invited to be part of our sub-committees. Trustees are requested to be available to attend occasional ‘unscheduled’ meetings or engage in email communications which address urgent business as it arises, join working groups when needed and spend time preparing for meetings by reading and considering the papers circulated before meetings.

Benefits of Being a Trustee

We believe being a trustee of Upbeat Communities offers a number of fantastic
benefits:

• Strategic decision-making that positively impacts the lives of over a thousand
• asylum seekers and refugees every year
• Supporting an innovative, talented and passionate staff team as they develop
• our work and explore new services and ways of working
• Being part of a committed and focused trustee team working to see the charity
• grow
• Using your skills, experience and passion to contribute to an effective and wellfunctioning
• board
• Opportunities to learn new skills and experiences to contribute to your own
• personal development

Duties

Any individual acting as a trustee for Upbeat Communities would be required to
carry out the following:

• Promote the vision, mission and values of the charity
• Ensure Upbeat Communities and its representatives function within all legal and
• regulatory requirements applicable, and in line with its constitution, continually
• striving for best practice in governance
• Determine the overall direction and development of Upbeat Communities
• through good governance and clear strategic planning
• Approve operational strategies and policies, and monitor and evaluate their
• implementation
• Oversee Upbeat Communities’ financial plans and budgets and monitor and
• evaluate progress
• Review and approve the charity’s financial statements
• Ensure that key risks are being identified, monitored and controlled effectively
• Provide support and challenge to Upbeat Communities’ Chief Executive in the
• exercise of their delegated authority and affairs
• Contribute to regular reviews of Upbeat Communities’ own governance.
• Attend Board meetings, and be adequately prepared to contribute to
• discussions.
• Use independent judgment, acting legally and in good faith to promote and
• protect the charity’s interests, avoiding any personal conflict of interests
• Take appropriate professional advice in all matters where there may be a
• material risk to the charity
• Maintain confidentiality about all aspects of the trustee’s business

Finance Specific Duties

• Lead on the strategic financial management of the charity at board level
• Liaise with our outsourced finance team (including our Finance Director)
• Chair the finance sub-committee (which meets 6 times per year ahead of every
• board meeting)
• Maintain a clear grasp of the charity’s financial position and ensure full and
• timely financial transparency and information disclosure to the board
• Support the board of trustees in financial decision making processes
• Review and approve annual budgets
• Advise on banking and investments
• Take an active role in the financial audit process
• Contribute to the financial management of our trading subsidiary (Upbeat
• Enterprises Limited)