Community volunteers volunteer volunteer roles in Thatcham, west berkshire

The D D McPhail Charitable Settlement CIO (DDMCS), charity number 1197598, is an active grant making
Charitable Incorporated Organisation. It has succeeded the D.D. McPhail Charitable Settlement, charity
number 267588, which was founded in 1973 and operational till 2023.

DDMCS aims to support 2 or 3 major multi-year grant projects each year, which are actively sought by the
Trustees to enable small / medium sized charities to make a significant or step change in their activities. The
original trust deed and now the CIO constitution specifies three key areas of preference in the UK around:

• Furtherance of medical research,
• Care of the disabled particularly disabled children, and
• Care of the aged and infirm

The Trustees have wide discretion to support other charitable activities in the UK. There is more detail in
the annual report available via the Charity Commission website and the charity’s own website that outlines
the activities of the charity. Within these broad areas the Trustees recently agreed, following a strategic
review, to focus for the next grant making cycle on charities supporting care for the physical and mental
wellbeing of children living in poverty.

Recent grant support has enabled a number of significant multi-year projects, including:

• British Dyslexia Association - supporting the creation of Local Outreach Hubs to increase access to dyslexia advice, assessment and early intervention within communities.

• Candlelighters - funding a Family Wellbeing Practitioner to improve emotional and practical support for families affected by childhood cancer.

• IPSEA - funding a SEND Policy Manager to strengthen national policy influencing for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

• The Myton Hospices - supporting the development of the Volunteer Service, enhancing capacity and patient experience across hospice services.

Further information can be found in the recruitment pack (attached). 

We are seeking a Chair Designate to join our board, with a view to taking over as Chair in 2027. The Chair provides inclusive leadership to the Board of Trustees, ensuring effective governance and strategic direction for the charity. They act as an ambassador for the organisation, working closely with the Director and fellow Trustees to maximise impact for beneficiaries. DDMCS does not undertake any fundraising activity, as all grant making is supported through the charity’s long-established investment portfolio. As a result, there is no requirement for the Chair to have fundraising experience.

Key Responsibilities: 

Strategic Leadership
• Lead the Board in setting and reviewing the charity’s vision, mission, and strategic objectives.
• Ensure decisions align with charitable objectives and long-term sustainability.
• Promote diversity and inclusion within the Board and wider organisation.

Governance
• Ensure compliance with the charity’s governing document, Charity Commission guidance, and relevant
legislation.
• Maintain high standards of governance, risk management, and financial oversight.
• Facilitate annual Board and Trustee performance reviews

Board Management
• Chair Board meetings effectively, ensuring impartiality and open debate.
• Provide guidance and constructive challenge to trustees.
• Foster strong relationships among Trustees and between the Board and Executive Director.
• Drive Trustee recruitment and succession planning.

External Representation
• Act as an ambassador and spokesperson for the charity.
• Represent the organisation at external events and with grantees and key stakeholders
• Support advocacy through personal networks where appropriate.

Support to Director
• Maintain a clear distinction between governance and management roles.
• Ensure regular communication and a strong, collaborative working relationship.
• Provide guidance and support to the Director.

Person Specification:

Essential Skills and Experience
• Proven leadership experience at Board or senior executive level.
• Strong understanding of charity governance and the legal duties of Trustees.
• Strategic thinker with ability to balance long-term vision and short-term priorities.
• Financial literacy and ability to oversee budgets and risk management.
• Excellent communication, with ability to build consensus
• Experience in grant-making or philanthropic sector

Desirable
• Knowledge of charity law and regulatory frameworks.
• Established networks within relevant sectors (e.g., philanthropy, corporate, public).

Personal Attributes
• Commitment to the charity’s mission and values.
• Integrity, impartiality, and sound judgment.
• Ability to dedicate sufficient time and energy to the role.
• Collaborative and inclusive leadership style.
• Innovative thinker with ability to bring forward fresh ideas.

If, after reading the applicant pack, you feel you have the skills and experience we are looking for then please apply through CharityJobs, providing a CV and cover letter (2 pages max) detailing why you are interested in this role and your relevant experience. 

Shortlisted candidates will be invited for preliminary interviews in April (dates to be confirmed). Initial interviews will take place via Teams. 

The Trustees of DD McPhail Charitable Settlement CIO are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and experiences, particularly those underrepresented in leadership roles within the charity sector.

There will be an online Q&A session on Wednesday 1 April at 5pm where you will be able to find out more about DD McPhail and hear from our current Chair of Trustees. If you would like to attend that session, please drop us a line using the following details and we will forward an invitation 

info at ddmcphail dot org

betterSoil is a sustainable start-up and a movement that is passionately committed to the health of our earth's soil.

We are currently losing around 10 million hectares of fertile soil worldwide. That's about 14 million football pitches. However, good soils are the source of more than 90% of our food. At the same time, the world's population will grow to 10 billion people by 2050. Food will therefore become scarce, especially high-quality food, as this depends on the quality of the soil. The effects of climate change are worsening the situation of soils because droughts and extreme rainfall are becoming more severe and more frequent. Current farming methods lead to high CO2 emissions, diseased soils produce low-quality food and biodiversity is rapidly declining, as around half of biodiversity lives in the soil.

Since 2020, betterSoil has been involved at European level, e.g. with an event with the EU Parliament and prominent supporters such as Prof. Dr Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker, Dr Franz Fischler (Former EU Commissioner for Agriculture) and Dr Peter Johnston (European Policy Centre) in a national and international context to improve soil quality for climate resilience and climate protection as well as the promotion of biodiversity and sustainable food production. Our way of working goes far beyond soil consulting. We combine local, indigenous knowledge with the latest science and offer practice-orientated betterSoil recipes for farmers. We also offer individual consultations for companies and organisations of all kinds. In this way, we create a comprehensive awareness of soil health that helps to position

As Newsletter & Blog Content Manager, you’ll shape how betterSoil communicates with its community and partners. Your work will help us reach more people, strengthen our impact, and showcase how soil can change the world.

Key tasks:
• Write and edit engaging blog posts on soil, climate, and sustainable agriculture.
• Create and manage our monthly newsletter (Mailchimp or similar).
• Translate project updates, research, and events into accessible stories.
• Coordinate a content calendar aligned with campaigns and events.
• Coordination with the social media team
• Assist with press releases or media outreach.

What We’re Looking For
• Strong writing and communication skills.
• Passion for sustainability, agriculture, or climate action (no need to be a soil expert, but a basic understanding of the topic and a genuine interest in learning more are essential.
• Experience with newsletters, blogging, or content management
• Creativity, reliability, and the ability to work independently in a remote team.

What You’ll Gain
• Be part of an international, mission-driven team reimagining soil as the foundation of a sustainable future.
• Build a portfolio of published content on climate and agriculture.
• Learn about soil, regenerative agriculture, and sustainability strategies.
• Contribute flexibly from anywhere in the world .
• Make a tangible difference in a growing social impact initiative.
• Get recognized for your impact – we’ll provide a written confirmation of your volunteer work in climate action.

Commitment: Flexible, part-time volunteer (approx. 7-9 hrs/week ).

Duration: Minimum 1 year (longer preferred with potential for future paid collaboration as the organization grows).

Compensation: Volunteer (impact-driven role).

Minimum Hours per Week:

7-9 hours per week

Duration:

6+ months

Qalyup

We connect patients with vetted international healthcare providers for affordable, safe, and transparent medical care abroad.

NQ Solicitor

About Qalyup

At Qalyup, we believe people should be able to access the healthcare they need to improve their health and quality of life.
 
Every year, thousands of patients travel internationally for medical treatment. While this can unlock faster access to care and specialised expertise, it can also carry significant risks. Between 2019 and 2024, 28 British nationals died while undergoing medical treatment overseas. And that is only the visible part of a much larger problem.
 
Qalyup exists to change that.
 
We connect patients with vetted, high quality healthcare providers abroad, helping people return home healthier and with peace of mind. To ensure trust and transparency, we personally visit and assess clinics using our proprietary clinical quality assessment methodology, developed through academic research at Imperial College London.
 
Our mission is simple: make healthcare tourism safer. But our ambition is global ��

The Role

We're looking for a Newly Qualified Solicitor to join us at a pivotal moment, helping build the legal foundations of a purpose-driven healthcare startup from the ground up.

This isn't a passive role. You'll do real work that matters: creating, reviewing, and implementing the frameworks that will shape how we operate, protect our patients, and grow responsibly. By the time you're done, you'll have a portfolio of tangible, measurable achievements, not just experience ticks.

What You'll Do

• Create employment and volunteer contracts to support our early recruitment efforts.
• Create advisor agreements with performance-driven vesting schedules.
• Create co-founder agreements with performance-driven vesting schedules.
• Review and strengthen our patient-facing terms and conditions.
• Audit and refine our privacy policy for compliance and clarity.
• Evaluate and review our contractual agreements with partner clinics.
• Implement a scalable contract management system.

What You'll Bring

• Qualified solicitor in England & Wales.
• A genuine interest in healthcare law and the regulatory landscape.
• Proactive, solutions-first mindset; you spot problems before they're asked about.
• Openness to feedback and a drive to keep improving.
• Alignment with our mission-driven and social impact purpose.

Why Join Qalyup

Healthcare decisions are deeply personal. When people consider treatment abroad, they are often navigating uncertainty, urgency, and the hope of getting their health and their life back.
 
At Qalyup, we are building a trusted gateway that helps patients make these decisions with confidence. By bringing transparency and clinical quality assessment into healthcare tourism, we aim to remove the uncertainty that patients and families often face.
 
By joining our legal function, you will help shape a company working to make international healthcare safer, more transparent, and truly centred around the needs of patients. Your insight will help us build a trusted brand that empowers people to seek the care they need with confidence.
 
If this resonates with you and you would like to learn more, we would love to hear from you ��

Our Values

�� Clinical quality above all
We work with vetted providers that deliver clinical excellence. Our clinical partners are carefully selected and monitored.

���� Listening is our superpower
Hearing what our users and colleagues have to say is our most powerful tool for continuous improvement.

���� Empowering informed decisions
Individuals have the right to make informed decisions about their care and finances. We want to make this process easy and transparent for our customers with the use of technology.

���� Helping others
Whether it is a colleague, a customer or a community in need, we will make best efforts to support as individuals and as a company.

Minimum Hours per Week:

7-9 hours per week

Duration:

3-5 months