Children support volunteer volunteer roles in finsbury park, greater london

Volunteer Mentor – Make a Difference in a Young Person’s Life

What if one hour a week could change a young person’s life - and yours too?

About Us

MAPS Mentoring is an award-winning early-intervention project that supports vulnerable children and young people in the London Borough of Sutton. Our dedicated volunteers provide a safe, supportive space for young people facing challenges such as low self-esteem, difficult family relationships, abuse, bereavement, or self-harm. Through mentoring, we empower mentees to unpack their experiences, build confidence, and find their voice.

About the Role

We’re looking for Volunteer Mentors to join our MAPS Mentoring team. As a mentor, you’ll meet with a young person in Sutton for 1-2 hours weekly for up to a year. Meetings are flexible and can take place in the evenings, weekends, or during the week for our older mentees, or for in-school mentoring.

No prior experience is needed - just a genuine desire to make a difference in a young person’s life.

With a budget provided for food, drinks, activities, and travel, you and your mentee can choose what to do together. Whether it’s casual coffee chats, dog walks, or saving up for more adventurous outings like GoKarting, Thorpe Park trips, or even indoor skydiving, the choice is yours!

What We’re Looking For

Excellent communication and listening skills
Empathy, patience, and the ability to build trust
Sensitivity and understanding of the challenges young people face
A positive attitude and reliability
Commitment to meeting with a mentee weekly for up to a year
Willingness to undergo a DBS check and attend a full day of training
Prior experience working with young people is welcome but not essential

Why Volunteer with MAPS?

Make a lasting impact on a young person’s life
Gain valuable skills in mentoring and communication
Be part of an award-winning, supportive team
All expenses (food, drinks, activities, and travel) are covered

Ready to Get Started?

Enthusiastic, hands-on volunteers needed to help provide food to the community. A key role, you will work at the main hub of the food bank and help the food service run as smoothly as possible. An exciting opportunity to make a real, immediate impact to those in need of support. 

Hours: Tuesdays and/or Thursdays, 10:00-12:30, 12.30-15:00 or 14:45-17:00. 

Book shifts to suit your own schedule!

Location: St Michaels Church Hall, 37 Bounds Green Rd, London, N22 8SD

About Bounds Green Food Bank: 

Open since June 2020, we serve over 1,500 children and adults in the community. We are committed to improving lives by providing food and essential household items to build a healthy, hunger-free tomorrow. We strive to promote social inclusion by supporting people who find themselves in a crisis situation where they need assistance to feed themselves and their families.

The role: 

• Help with setting up the food service and replenishing goods when needed, including decanting and repacking items.

• Warmly welcome guests, serving them the appropriate number of items depending on their household size and needs.

• Follow food bank policies including Health and Safety procedures e.g. wearing gloves when handling fresh food and lifting boxes safely. 

• Keep the hall tidy throughout the food service e.g. tidying away boxes and neatly restocking items. 

Person specification: 

• Patient and flexible

• A team player 

• Understands and is sensitive to the challenges and difficulties faced by guests accessing the food bank e.g. food and fuel poverty, feelings of shame and embarrassment, language barriers.

Benefits:

• Flexible - book shifts to suit your own schedule!

• Give back to the community - one of the NHS’ 5 Ways to Wellbeing!

• Gain access to free workshops for volunteers and upskill on a range of topics (conflict resolution, mental health first aid, arts and crafts, and more)

• Join free social events for volunteers (such as picnics, walks, games nights and celebration events)

• Gain a sense of community and meet the huge team of volunteers

About us: GT Scholars is a charitable social enterprise that tackles educational inequality by giving ambitious young people the support, skills and strategies they need to achieve aspirations. We run a wide range of programmes that help young people achieve their academic and career aspirations, particularly those from less-privileged backgrounds. 

What makes us different? We run tutoring, mentoring & career insight programmes that help our scholars, aged 11-18, discover their strengths, develop their mindsets and design their own futures.

There are many charitable organisations and social enterprises offering programmes to improve the life chances of young people. 

However, our programmes use a unique 3:1 model which means that we’re able to sustainably use our profits to provide additional places on our programmes, to young people from low income homes. 

We believe that all young people are gifted and talented, regardless of their background. 

Our mission is to empower and develop the next generation of leaders and change-makers and we’re looking for volunteer tutors that are passionate about making a difference in young people’s lives!

If you are an undergraduate or graduate, you could make a difference by joining us as a volunteer tutor. As a volunteer tutor, you’ll need to:

• Have a passion for helping children and young people

• Provide online one-to-one tutoring support for 1 hour week

• Build pupil confidence in Maths.

• Have strong subject knowledge (confident enough to tutor up to GCSE)

• Work collaboratively with other tutors and mentors

• Have a minimum of an undergraduate degree or be working towards this

Volunteer tutoring can be extremely rewarding and volunteers with GT Scholars benefit from:

• A flexible schedule - you can choose online tutoring hours to suit your schedule

• The chance to grow your contacts and meet like-minded volunteers 

• The chance to make a real difference in the life of a young person.

Additional information: We’re looking for tutors that can commit to a minimum of 2 academic terms of volunteering.

We will need to conduct reference checks and you will need an Enhanced DBS for this role as you will be working directly with children. We can process this for you or you may submit one if this is less than 3 years old.

A pragmatic and dependable individual who takes a thoughtful, structured approach to their work and is motivated by supporting a charity with purpose. They are analytical, organised, and adaptable, able to balance attention to detail with awareness of the bigger picture, and communicate ideas clearly to help strengthen systems

Please send us your CV with a Cover Letter detailing why you would want this oppurtunity. 

Hours: Variable – depending on individual circumstances and what people can do

Location: Variable – we are looking to extend our reach of peer support walks throughout Yorkshire

Main Tasks:

We appreciate any volunteering help that you can offer YBTC and want to make sure that our

volunteers have a positive experience with us. We pledge to support you as much as we can.

We want to ensure that volunteering with us does not feel too daunting, so the exact tasks might

vary depending on your circumstances. However, some typical tasks may include:

· Support our regular wellbeing/peer support walks

· Welcome participants and help them feel comfortable, fostering a friendly and inclusive atmosphere

· Encourage conversations among participants, offering a listening ear

· Be attentive to the well-being of all participants during the walk

· Offer information on YBTC services

· Attending occasional training sessions or volunteer meetings organised by YBTC

We are looking for people who are:

· Are warm and non-judgemental

· Reliability – are punctual and committed to scheduled walks

· Collaborative mindset to work effectively with staff and volunteers

· Basic physical fitness to complete the walks, awareness of the needs of participants with

different mobility/health conditions

We can offer you the following:

· Full induction and ongoing training

· Ongoing support and supervision in your role

· Opportunity to learn new skills and meet new people

· The satisfaction of making a positive impact on those affected by brain tumours

Background

Founded in 2003 and originally named Andrea’s Gift and later Brain Tumour Research and Support

Across Yorkshire, Yorkshire’s Brain Tumour Charity (YBTC) is Yorkshire and Humber’s leading

brain tumour charity. Offering practical, financial and emotional support to both adult and child

brain tumour patients, together with their families.

We fund brain tumour research in Yorkshire; we hope this research, dedicated to identifying new

approaches to the discovery and treatment of brain tumours will improve outcomes for patients.

At YBTC we are a small team who are growing to meet the needs of those affected by a brain

tumour in Yorkshire. Around 15 new cases of primary brain tumours are diagnosed in the region

every week.

Our charity values are: Integrity, Compassion, Community & Ambition.

Our Vision/Mission

To improve the lives of people impacted by a brain tumour in Yorkshire through local support and research.

elop runs a programme of weekly and monthly LGBTQ+ social, support and wellbeing clubs, groups, meet-ups and events; provided by and for LGBTQ+ communities.

Joining our LGBTQ+ volunteer facilitator team you will be part of an enthusiastic and dedicated team who value & appreciate the benefit of face-to-face socialising & networking, supporting LGBT people to come together in a welcoming, safe and supportive environment with opportunities to meet new people, form new friendships, gain peer support and much more. 

Each of elop’s dedicated clubs, groups or meet-ups run planned activities that supports shared interaction, positive LGBTQ+ identities and a feeling of being valued.

Volunteering in this role will give you opportunities to contribute & support the planning & promotion of group programmes, help in organising & facilitating sessions, along with supporting & enabling the involvement, voice & inclusion of all members attending, ensuring a welcome, supported, safe and comfortable environment for all.

Our clubs, groups, meet-ups and activities are delivered on various days and times across the week and weekends, plus during the day and evenings, so there are plenty of opportunities to get involved. 

You may already have some previous experience of activity facilitation, which is fantastic; however it isn’t necessary to come with all the skills & experiences already on board, just a friendly or outgoing personality with good communication abilities, the rest you’ll be supported to develop. 

Respecting diversity, understanding and upholding professional boundaries and confidentiality are of course fundamental to all of our work and you will be required support this. 

What you can expect as part of Team elop is to feel proud of being part of our dynamic team & volunteer community, to develop confidence, have enjoyment and know your contribution really does make a difference.

We know life can be busy, but ask all group volunteers to make a 6 month minimum commitment or around 2-3 hours a week average. 

All our volunteer facilitators must positively identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual and/ or trans (Schedule 9, Part 1, Paragraph 1 of the Equality Act 2010 applies).

Are you a HR professional? Could you give an hour a week to tackle pregnancy and maternity discrimination? Then we need you!

We’re not going to sugar-coat it, things aren’t great for working parents and pregnant women. It can feel frustrating and a bit depressing at times, but by being part of the Pregnant Then Screwed volunteer team, you get to turn that frustration into something positive. In the last year the fantastic volunteers on our Advice Line have spoken to over 5000 women and parents, collectively providing around 40 hours of free support and advice every week. Hundreds of women and parents call our Advice Line every day, but with a small team of volunteers we are only able to answer a fraction of those calls—this is where you come in.

We are looking for brilliant HR professionals who want to help Pregnant Then Screwed tackle the Motherhood Penalty by becoming a Volunteer HR Advisor.

Our Volunteer Advisors give around 1-2 hours a week of their time to the Advice Line. They use their HR knowledge to offer a kind, empathetic support and advice to help people to identify and challenge pregnancy and maternity discrimination in the workplace.

About the role

Role Title: Volunteer HR Advisor 
Location: Home-based (UK)
Reporting To: Head of Support Services

Time Commitment

The Advice Line is open Monday-Friday, 9am-3pm, with various available shifts during those times. We ask volunteers to give 1-2 hours per week on the Advice Line for a minimum of three months. 

Alternative time commitments can be considered and discussed as part of your application, so please do include any information that might be useful in your application form.

Main Role Purpose

The Advice Line HR Advisors play a vital role in providing support and guidance to working parents facing unfair treatment or discrimination in the workplace via our advice line. Volunteers will offer advice, listen empathetically, and provide information about employee rights and available resources. This role is critical in empowering parents to make informed decisions and navigate workplace challenges effectively.

Essential requirements

• Minimum CIPD level 5 Diploma in People Management with one professional reference.
• Knowledge of employment laws, regulations, and policies related to pregnancy, maternity leave, and discrimination.
• Access to a mobile phone/laptop/tablet to receive calls. You will not be charged for calls and your number will not be shared.
• Access to a reliable and secure WIFI connection. Public WIFI is not suitable for this role.
• Excellent active and empathetic listening skills.
• Good written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to convey information clearly and concisely.
• A kind and welcoming telephone manner.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information with discretion.
• Comfortable using online communication tools.

Key Responsibilities

• Answer incoming phone calls to the PTS Advice Line from individuals seeking support and advice.
• Listen actively, empathise, and provide HR advice and guidance to support callers with their enquiries.
• Signpost to further information and other support organisations if necessary.
• Make referrals to our legal partner if required.
• Record all details of the call on our CRM system.
• Maintain professionalism in all interactions, adhering to all Pregnant Then Screwed guidelines and policies.

What you can expect from PTS

• The opportunity to use your skill set to tackle the Motherhood Penalty and make a meaningful impact.
• An onboarding and induction period which can be completed at your own pace.
• Support from the PTS staff team and volunteer network.
• Access to our Volunteer Training Hub.
• Opportunities to help us further develop and shape our Support Services.

Are you looking for a fresh challenge that makes a positive difference to the lives of Young People throughout the UK?

At Childline we are actively recruiting new Volunteers. 

What will I be doing?

• Your shift will consist of 3hrs30mns counselling, sandwiched between a 15mns brief before your shift and a 30mns debrief post shift. This is to ensure that you can start and finish your shift with any support you require from your Practitioners.
• On shift you will take contacts from Young People who rely on the service that Childline offers. Childline is not there to solve problems, we are a listening service for Young People and in each contact your role is to engage the Young Person, explore their situation and to support them in deciding their next steps.
• The contacts you would take from Young People can come in 3 ways. Traditional phone call contacts, live chats via instant response typed messaging or less commonly via 'PIBS' which are essentially emails sent by Young People in the knowledge the response will not be 'live' and instant.

What impact will this have?

• Childline is a unique service, valued greatly by the Young People who contact us.
• It provides a safe place for Young People to talk confidentially to our Volunteer Counsellors, an option that many of them do not have elsewhere.
• Young People rely on us being there for them 24/7. In an average month, Childline London takes approx. 1,500 live chats, 900 voice calls and 300 PIBs.
• However, the demand for the service often outstrips the supply as Young People who desperately need our service cannot always get through.
• That is why we are actively recruiting new Volunteers to be able to meet the need of all Young People who are in distress and need the support that Childline provides.

Training

• Childline offers a full 12 week online training programme to new Volunteers. This consists of one 4 hour session per week.
• During the training, you will meet other Volunteers in your cohort and have access to your 2 dedicated Childline Trainers.
• As part of the training, you will also go in person to the London Base for observation and mentored shifts which give you a face to face insight into how the Counselling Room works.
• You will also have access to a dedicated Volunteer Engagement Lead to give you a London Base tour (optional) and generally be on hand to answer any questions or queries you may have - big or small, if they matter to you they matter because you are giving your time to volunteer and Childline wants to offer you every level of support.
• Once you pass through training and become a qualified Childline Volunteer Counsellor, the development opportunities do not stop there. You will have access to a multitude of mandatory and optional training courses that are accredited and 100% free to all Volunteers.

Bright Futures UK is looking for compassionate and knowledgeable beauty professionals to mentor a young person living with long-term illnesses. 

What will you be doing? 

• Run six mentoring sessions online for one hour a week, supported by our Programme Team
• Offer advice and insights related to nail tech skills
• Help the young person explore potential career paths in the beauty/nail tech industry
• Share your own experiences and knowledge to inspire and motivate. 
• Adhere to safeguarding policies and report any concerns to BFUK

What are we looking for? 

• Expertise in beauty industry: Profound knowledge and experience in beauty, preferably in areas like nail design, techniques and trends. 
• Mentoring and Communication: Ability to mentor effectively, offering guidance and support to a young person with clarity and empathy. 
• Flexibility and Commitment: Willingness to commit to at least 5-6 weeks of 1-hour sessions 

What difference will you make? 

• By volunteering as a Mentor, you’ll play a vital role in empowering a young person to take control of their health and future, helping them to achieve their goals despite the challenges they face. 

As a charity that supports children and young people, we make safeguarding individuals our top priority. For this reason, all volunteers are subject to an enhanced criminal record and disclosures check. We also ask all volunteers to adhere to our Safeguarding, Equality and Confidentiality policies. These are nothing to worry about and if you have any questions, our team are happy to support you.

A charity  based in  Croydon, Surrey, London, UK is looking for volunteer Charity Volunteer Assistants; to volunteer 30 unpaid hours per week. The Charity serves a multi ethnic community especially people from Black and ethnic minority backgrounds. 

Responsibilities:

• To assist in the delivery of events (ours and those we are invited to), projects and our yearly summer community event.
• To assist in the daily collection and drop off of Greggs after day produce to various soup kitchens
• To assist in promotion of organisations services. eg flyer distribution, school workshops, etc.
• To assist in the delivery of essential services 
• To assist in our soup kitchen projects

Person Specification:

• Someone enthusiastic and passionate about charity work and committed to working towards the achievements of the charities objectives.
• Knowledege of Black and ethnic minority tradition/culture is preferable however not essential.
• Experience is desirable.

This is a non-paid one year temporary position however accommodation and maintenance will be provided.

All interested candidates are required to send us a letter of application, a resume, and contact to the email provided. If your application is accepted, you will be invited for a telephone interview. Any applications received after the closing date will not be considered unless we have been unable to find a suitable candidate for this vacancy.

Successful candidates will require a DBS/POLICE check and references prior to commencement.

The Opportunity:
Her Centre is seeking a dynamic Chair to help shape the future of our organisation
and lead our excellent board of trustees. This opportunity will involve working closely
with our CEO to drive change and ensure that our vital work continues to support
every woman in Greenwich who needs us. This is an exciting time of change, which
you will be embarking on with our CEO. You will be joining a dedicated board that
includes expertise from across the private and charitable sectors, the local authority,
and lived experience.

Our Work:
Greenwich has one of the highest rates of domestic abuse in London. Last year
alone, over 4,000 domestic offences were recorded in the borough: a shocking 35%
higher than the London average. Demand for our services has risen sharply: in 2017,
we received 321 acute high-risk referrals but by last year, this had more than
doubled to 780. The most common form of abuse reported is physical violence
(62%), followed by controlling and coercive behaviour (46%). However, the sad
reality is that many women face multiple and overlapping forms of abuse, including
sexual abuse and rape, threats to their children, financial control, and forced
imprisonment.
Last year, Her Centre supported nearly 1,000 women to find safety, seek justice, and
rebuild their lives. We also help children who witness abuse recover from trauma and
support teenagers facing exploitation or violence to recognise unhealthy
relationships and build self-worth. Her Centre is a safe and welcoming space where
all women are listened to and believed in an environment of trust and respect.
Please submit your Covering Letter and CV by Friday, 2 January 2026.

Role Description:
Board Chair

• Time commitment: 6-8 hours monthly. The HER Centre board meetings are hybrid

and currently held every two months.

• Location: Hybrid, in-person meetings at Clockhouse Community Centre, Defiance

Walk, London

Purpose of the role:
The Board Chair is responsible for leading the board, ensuring its effectiveness in
enabling the HER Centre to provide best-in-class service to HER Centre users,
providing strategic direction, and keeping the HER Centre as a leading agency
supporting women, particularly those in crisis due to abuse. The Board Chair focuses
the board on strategic matters, prioritising long-term goals and planning, including
approving the annual business, financial, risk, and operational plans. The Board
Chair also adheres to the Charity Commission's essentials of a trustee:
1. Ensure the HER Centre carries out its purpose for public benefit
2. Ensure the HER Centre complies with the governing document and law
3. Acts in the HER Centre’s best interest
4. Manage the HER Centre’s resources responsibly
5. Act with reasonable care and skill
6. Ensure the HER Centre is accountable
7. Reduce risk and liability

Main roles and responsibilities:
• Maintain high standards of governance, fostering transparency and ensuring the
HER Centre holds itself accountable to its service users and stakeholders.
• Ensure trustee awareness and compliance with legal and regulatory requirements,
including those set out in the constitution and the Charity Commission’s guidance
on trustee roles and responsibilities.
• Ensure that the trustee board annually reviews its structure, effectiveness,
delegations and key policies, and implements agreed changes as necessary.
• Manage trustee relationships to foster a positive board culture, including ensuring
the Board has the policies it needs.
• Liaising with the Board Secretary to arrange meetings and set agendas, and
chairing meetings to ensure these are well run and focused on delivering the HER
Centre’s work.
• Line managing the HER Centre CEO, by supporting, positively challenging and
holding them to account, including working with the Board to approve an appraisal
of the CEO.
• Act as a link between trustees, staff and the Service User Advisory Committee
• Act as a HER Centre representative and spokesperson as required
Term: Two years, renewable for a maximum of nine years.

Training and Induction:
You will receive an induction on the work of the HER Centre and meet the Trustees
and staff.
Payment and Expenses:
The Board Chair is a voluntary role. Agreed, out-of-pocket expenses will be
reimbursed.

About us: GT Scholars is a charitable social enterprise that tackles educational inequality by giving ambitious young people the support, skills and strategies they need to achieve aspirations. We run a wide range of programmes that help young people achieve their academic and career aspirations, particularly those from less-privileged backgrounds. 

What makes us different? We run tutoring, mentoring & career insight programmes that help our scholars, aged 11-18, discover their strengths, develop their mindsets and design their own futures.

There are many charitable organisations and social enterprises offering programmes to improve the life chances of young people. 

However, our programmes use a unique 3:1 model which means that we’re able to sustainably use our profits to provide additional places on our programmes, to young people from low income homes. 

We believe that all young people are gifted and talented, regardless of their background. 

Our mission is to empower and develop the next generation of leaders and change-makers and we’re looking for volunteer tutors that are passionate about making a difference in young people’s lives!

If you are an undergraduate or graduate, you could make a difference by joining us as a volunteer tutor. As a volunteer tutor, you’ll need to:

• Have a passion for helping children and young people

• Provide online one-to-one tutoring support for 1 hour week

• Build pupil confidence in English.

• Have strong subject knowledge (confident enough to tutor up to GCSE)

• Work collaboratively with other tutors and mentors

• Have a minimum of an undergraduate degree or be working towards this

Volunteer tutoring can be extremely rewarding and volunteers with GT Scholars benefit from:

• A flexible schedule - you can choose online tutoring hours to suit your schedule

• The chance to grow your contacts and meet like-minded volunteers 

• The chance to make a real difference in the life of a young person.

Additional information: We’re looking for tutors that can commit to a minimum of 2 academic terms of volunteering.

We will need to conduct reference checks and you will need an Enhanced DBS for this role as you will be working directly with children. We can process this for you or you may submit one if this is less than 3 years old.

With a goal to help transform lives, change attitudes and create a society that works for autistic people, the UK's leading autism charity, the National Autistic Society, is looking for three new Trustees to join the Board and help navigate their future challenges.

Applications close Monday 12th January

Who we are

The National Autistic Society (NAS) is the UK’s leading charity for autistic people and one of the country’s major charities, with a turnover of around £100 million. Since 1962, we’ve been transforming lives, changing attitudes and helping to create a society that works for autistic adults and children.

We are active across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and have a network of volunteer-run branches across the UK. As well as adult services and schools, we run a range of programmes, have dedicated diagnostic services and run specialist helplines. We also work closely with businesses, local authorities and the government to help them provide more autism-friendly spaces, deliver better services and improve laws. And we improve public understanding of autism and the difficulties many autistic people face.

We’re continuing to advocate on longstanding issues such as social care funding and campaign for what autistic people need to see in the forthcoming autism strategy in England and its equivalent in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. We’re also growing our branch network – including national online branches – and we are working on a new mental health programme combining research, digital guidance and policy influencing.

This is a truly transformational and vital time to be part of our Charity. We are in the latter stages of our Vision to Reality Strategy for 2023-2026, which sets out the role of NAS in creating a society that works for autistic people.

We’re proud of what we’ve achieved – but there’s always more to be done. As the economic, social and political landscape changes, our strategy must evolve to reflect changes. We need to ensure we continue to increase our fundraising and commercial activities to deliver the scale of impact required.

We’re looking for three new Trustees to join our Board to help us navigate future challenges.

Who we are looking for

• Our Schools Governance Group

We are also looking for two Trustees to join our School Governance Group, one who will chair the committee and one who will be a member of the committee. Our family of schools includes our four independent specialist schools, supporting children and young people from the age of 4 to 22. We aim to make sure we are continually challenging our schools, keeping everyone safe, monitoring their progress and getting the best possible outcomes for all of our pupils in all of our schools.

Previously, we carried out a review of the local governance arrangements of our schools. Historically, the independent schools in NAS were governed locally by an LGB, which brought excellent opportunities for partnership working; however, as time went on, we required a model that would ensure consistency of challenge, support and monitoring across all our schools. We have amended our LGBs locally; the groups focus on partnership working, whilst the strategic direction, development, challenge and support for the executive, assurance and governance sits firmly with our Schools Governance Group as a sub-committee of the trustee board.

Our new Chair of the Schools Governance Group will have strong knowledge and experience of schools, school governance, the DfE and Ofsted and be a senior leader with experience in education and special educational needs. The new Chair of the committee will work closely with our Director of Education and Children’s Services, Chief Executive, Chair of the Board, Chair of the Independent Safeguarding Committee and our Trustee with safeguarding expertise.

The additional member of this committee will be someone who brings strong experience and insight in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and safeguarding. Your expertise will play a vital role in ensuring that our culture and decision-making processes fully reflect best practice in supporting children and young people with SEND, and in maintaining the highest standards of safety and well-being across our organisation.

• Chair of Quality & Assurance Committee

Our current Chair of the Quality and Assurance Committee will shortly be completing their term and we seek a successor with a strong background in adult social care and safeguarding, as well as a solid understanding of commissioning.

This is an opportunity for someone who can offer both constructive challenge and thoughtful support — a person who brings insight, curiosity and a balanced perspective to complex discussions. The ideal candidate will combine strategic oversight with a collaborative and compassionate approach, helping to ensure that quality, safety and continuous improvement remain at the heart of our work. They will be confident in asking the right questions, guiding reflective debate and fostering a culture of openness and accountability across the Committee and the wider organisation.

We’re looking for people who can provide strategic direction, appropriate oversight, scrutiny, challenge, leadership and passion to support our development.

We’re keen to ensure our Board is diverse in every way and we’re committed to ensuring our Trustees reflect our society, our Charity and the people we represent and support. We welcome applications from autistic people, their families and carers. To achieve greater diversity, we’re actively encouraging applications from people of all backgrounds and regions. We can work with you to make reasonable adjustments to ensure you contribute fully to being a member of our Board. Our Pioneer project is focused on ensuring our organisation is an exemplary employer of autistic people. This also extends to our Board.

• Time Commitment

The National Autistic Society Board meets four times, with one overnight strategy away day every year. Our meetings are a blend of face-to-face and virtual meetings. Our Trustees with education experience will join our School Governance Group, which meets quarterly, usually online. Our Quality & Assurance Committee also meets quarterly. We expect the overall time commitment to be approximately one day per month, including reading board papers, ad hoc conversations with board members and the executive and the opportunity throughout the year to visit our services and schools, as well as represent NAS at events.

Please click 'Redirect to recruiter’ to be redirected to the Peridot Partners website, where you can find full details of the candidate profile and register your interest to apply.

Applications for this role close Monday 12th January.

We believe in the power of holidays to transform lives. Time away matters. For many families facing tough times -whether through financial hardship, illness or other challenges - a short break can feel out of reach. Yet, these moments of escape and connection are vital for well-being, resilience, and hope.

Our mission is simple but powerful: to provide families who wouldn’t otherwise get a break with the chance to spend quality time together, make memories, and return home stronger. 

As a Trustee, you will play a crucial role in shaping our future. You’ll help guide our strategy, ensure we remain true to our values, and support us in reaching even more families who need our help. Your expertise, insight, and passion can help us grow and innovate, so that no family is left behind when it comes to the simple joy of time away together.

About our Trustee Team

Our Trustees are a team of volunteers who use their diverse skills, experiences, and perspectives to set the strategic direction of the charity and make sure it’s doing what it was set up to do in the best possible way.

Family Holiday Charity has an ambitious strategy over the next few years, which will see us expand our services to families, develop our influencing work within the travel and leisure industry and government, and evolve our ways of working so that we can accept and use gifted breaks, travel and other services at scale to give families who really need it a holiday.

To help us do all that we’ll need the guidance, challenge, connections, and support of all our Trustees.
Given our goals, we’re particularly looking to add the following professional skills and experiences to our team.

• Legal Expertise - Our Trustees have a duty to ensure the charity operates within the law and complies with regulatory responsibilities, including charity law, safeguarding and governance requirements. This may involve providing advice on legal risks and obligations, ensuring compliance with articles of association and relevant legislation, supporting decisions on contracts, partnerships, risk management and more.
• Family Charity leadership - the Charity's vision if that 'every family in the UK should have a holiday' and this bold statement reflects our belief that time away together is not a luxury but a lifeline. We're seeking experience from a family support base to help advocate for our beneficiaries needs and help us expand our reach.
• Influencing / Campaigning - We are seeking experience and ambition that will help us influence policy and industry practices through the development of relatinships with policymakers, travel and tourism industry and media etc. Also shape campaigns, raise awareness, drive systemic change and support advocacy strategies to remove barriers for families. 
• Digital Transformation - We wish to evolve and develop our digital strategy and technology adoption. A key priority is to ensure our digital growth is considered and aligns with accessibility and security.

Your Skills and Contribution

You'll need: 

• Strategic vision, independent judgement, and an ability to think creatively.
• A proactive attitude, willing to bring new ideas and perspectives to our Board, and confident about challenging decisions, where necessary, in the best interests of the charity.
• Willingness to understand and take on the duties and responsibilities of trusteeship.
• Commitment to the charity and our mission, and the ability to devote the necessary time and effort to do the role well.

The Commitment 

We’ll ask you to participate in four two-hour Board Meetings per year, typically in person at our office in London or remotely.We also get together for a Strategy Day in September/October, which is held on a weekday in London, and you’d need to attend that in person.

We can support with any access needs for in-person meetings.,

There are two Board sub-committees- one which focuses on our Finances and Risk, and one which considers our people (Trustees and Staff). Once you’ve settled into the role, most Trustees join one of them. They meet remotely around four  times a year.

Outside of formal meetings, you’ll be warmly encouraged to get to know the staff team, and attend fundraising events 
or other events to meet referrers, families, and supporters wherever possible.

Overall, you’ll need to be able to commit around 6 hours each month for a mix of meetings and events, contributing
your skills and perspective to projects, building your knowledge of the charity and developing as a Trustee.

See the trustee pack for more information and for the application and interview process - click apply to see this. Please note the deadline has been extended to midnight on Sunday 4th January 2026 to ensure the professionals skills and areas of experience (as listed above) are captured.