The vacancy
We are seeking to appoint one lay member to sit on our GOC Council.
About the GOC
We are the regulator for the optical professions in the UK. Our purpose is to protect the public by promoting high standards of education, performance and conduct. For more information about us please visit our website:optical. org.
About the Council
The role of Council is to lead on the GOC’s mission to protect the public by upholding high standards in eye care services. The Council is composed of six lay members (including the Chair) and six registrant members (i.e. registered optometrists and dispensing opticians). At least one member of the Council must work wholly or mainly in each of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. One Council member acts as a Senior Council Member whose role is to carry out the Chair’s appraisal as well as provide a sounding board for the Chair and serve as an intermediary for Council members, Executive and stakeholders as necessary.
The successful candidate will contribute to Council by exercising oversight, ensuring effective corporate governance, and making high-level policy decisions. They will be able to operate strategically and impartially; listen, communicate, and influence effectively; exercise judgment; and inspire confidence and support amongst our stakeholders.
Remuneration and time commitment
Council members are remunerated in accordance with our member fees policy (£13,962 per annum plus reasonable travel and subsistence expenses). The member fee includes time for reading and preparation.
The appointed member will be expected to commit approximately 2-3 days per month. Meetings will usually take place via MS Teams but may on occasion be held at the GOC Offices at Level 29, One Canada Square, London, E14 5AA. There are occasional online catch-up meetings - these are currently scheduled on a Tuesday evening every 6-8 weeks, from 5.30pm – 6.30pm.
How to apply:
Please email the the following to appointment@optical. org
· your CV outlining your employment history, any relevant voluntary work, public service or other experience; together with any relevant professional, academic or vocational qualifications;
· the application form, stating how your experience matches the criteria for the vacancy you are applying for; and
· complete the EDI monitoring form linked in the candidate pack (this is an online form and does not need to be included in the email with your CV and application form).
APPLICATION DEADLINE: midnight on Sunday 10 August 2025.
Online interviews will be held on between Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 October 2025.
If you have any questions, please email them to appointment@optical. org and we will aim to respond to you within 48 hours.
We welcome applications from individuals who are disabled and from diverse ethnic backgrounds as these are currently under-represented on our council and committees.
We strive to be as diverse as the public we protect and welcome applications from everyone, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy, maternity and geographical locations outside of London.
Registered Charity 
51 - 100
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
StreetGames is a charity passionate about harnessing the power of sport to change the lives of young people and their communities. Through our work with 1,600 trusted local community organisations, StreetGames addresses some of the most pressing issues faced by young people growing up in underserved communities, including poor mental health, food poverty, crime and lack of employment opportunities. We do this by delivering ‘Doorstep Sport’ at the right time, in the right place, in the right style, at the right price and by the right people. Doorstep Sport aims to make sport accessible to everyone regardless of their income and social circumstance.
We are seeking a Network Support Lead (London & South East) to join our team.
The successful candidate will play a vital role in delivering Doorstep Sport offers and support for the network of Locally Trusted Organisations based in the region who support young people from low-income communities to be (more) physically active.
The role involves:
- Working closely with the Network Support Team and the London & South East Place Team to implement regional plans, which ensure that projects, offers and support to Locally Trusted Organisations (LTOs) are effective
- Overseeing and directly delivering a range of workshops and courses, creating and maintaining a safe, supportive, interactive and enjoyable learning environment in all delivery
- Delivering support to the workforce within Doorstep Sport beyond the workshop environment through CPD groups, bite-size learning and other opportunities for improving practice
- Co-ordinating the gathering of monitoring and evaluation information for funder reports, in relation to outputs and outcomes of projects delivered across the region/nationally
This is an exciting opportunity for candidates with experience of successfully managing project work, relationships and working with multiple partners. You will have excellent networking and relationship building skills with the ability to apply these to a range of local and regional organisations.
No candidate will meet every single desired requirement. If your experience looks a little different from what we have identified and you think you can bring value to the role, we would love to learn more about you!
