Drop Volunteer Roles
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Our system keeps your personal information hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Our mission is to help and support homeless and vulnerably housed people in and around the London Borough of Merton. We operate a twice-weekly Drop-in, currently welcoming 50-60 individuals each day, while our Winter Night Shelter provides a warm, dry place to sleep every night during the coldest nights of the year – this winter from 4 December until 10 March 2024.
Our current Secretary is retiring, having completed the maximum of nine years in the role. We’re now looking for an enthusiastic and committed volunteer for the role which covers the following positions:
- Company secretary
- Secretary to the Trustees
The current incumbent fulfils both roles but we would consider splitting the responsibilities if two complementary applications were received.
The Company Secretary & Secretary is a volunteer with an active role in the work of the organisation. The Faith in Action Merton Homelessness Project (FIAMHP) Board of Trustees, Company Secretary & Secretary, together with senior staff, form the Management Committee of the Charity.
Company Secretary’s responsibilities:
The Company Secretary keeps the organisation legal by:
• Working with Trustees to ensure that the Charity complies with its Articles of Association, charity law, company law, employment law, and any other relevant legislation or regulations.
• Ensuring that the Trustees are aware of the requirement to comply with relevant codes such as the Code of Conduct for Charity Trustees and the Charities Governance Code, and that these are adhered to.
• Ensuring that the Articles of Association reflect the current work of the Charity, liaising with the Charity Commission and Companies House as appropriate if an update is needed.
• Liaison with Treasurer as needed.
• Filing annual Confirmation Statements and other Company Returns including the annual Trustees Report & Accounts with Companies House and the Charity Commission by the due dates.
• Advising Companies House and the Charity Commission of changes to Company and Charity details by the due dates – this includes Trustee appointments and resignations.
• Maintaining the statutory records.
• Monitoring the composition of the Trustee board, and liaising with the Chair and other Trustees to ensure that new Trustees are recruited as necessary, so that all roles needed are covered. Organising new Trustee applications and interviews, and obtaining references.
• Organising and running the Annual General Meeting, and any other General Meetings required.
• Any other duties which may reasonably arise.
Secretary’s duties
The job of the FIAMHP Secretary is to assist the Trustees in the smooth running of the organisation by:
• Organising Management Committee meetings in consultation with the Chair and other Trustees: setting meeting dates and venues; producing meeting agendas, receiving and sending out meeting notices and papers, checking that meetings are quorate, taking meeting minutes, liaising with the Chair and other Trustees as necessary; sending out draft minutes.
• Assist with liaison between Trustees, Staff and Volunteers as needed.
• Awareness of the work of the organisation and the needs of its guests and service users.
• Ensuring that decisions and actions of the Board of Trustees are accurately recorded and implemented.
• Maintaining an appropriate and secure filing system so that all Trustee papers are retained and accessible.
• Assisting with Business Plan development and the Trustees’ Annual Report as required.
• Ensuring that Policies and Risk Register are filed and accessible to all who need access.
• Tracking progress with implementation of the organisation’s Business Plan.
• Ensuring that any correspondence for Trustees is brought to the attention of the Board.
• Any other duties which may reasonably arise.
The Company Secretary and Secretary must have:
● Commitment to the Charity and its work.
● Understanding and acceptance of the legal duties and responsibilities of being a Company Secretary
● Willingness to devote the necessary time and effort to their duties as Company Secretary and Secretary
● Strategic vision
● Good independent judgement
● Ability to work effectively as a member of a team.
For more information about either post, please contact Bernie McAlister, Chair of Trustees.
Sutton Mental Health Foundation was established as a charity in 1998 and the aim of the Foundation is to support people with mental health needs in the London Borough of Sutton, helping to keep them well and active and helping them to have a voice in mental health care in the Borough. Our vision is to provide a community in Sutton which values mental wellbeing and understands how to respond positively to anxiety and distress. The Foundation works together to promote mental wellbeing resilience and recovery from mental distress.We provide nonclinical support, and we are part of the Voluntary Sector.
The Foundation is seeking to add to the expertise of our experienced, professional Board of Trustees, who are all volunteers. All our Trustees need excellent communication skills, the ability to work effectively as part of a team, strategic vision and good, independent judgement. Although not limited to, we would particularly value the experience and skills in the following areas :
- Company Secretary/Legal Experience
- Fundraising in the following areas – Grant, Corporate and Public
- Marketing
Lived or shared experience of mental health – desirable.
Inclusion is one of our values and we are looking for diversity in the makeup of our Board and that we particularly welcome applications from underrepresented communities.
The Board of Trustees meets every six weeks, in the evening at 7 p.m. for approximately 1 ½ hours in Sutton. Sometimes our Board meetings are on-line.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Do you want to gain professional writing skills and have your named work viewed by thousands? Do you have a passion for great literature or fine art or classical or contemporary music or history or archaeology or something else in the humanities? Do you love to learn about other cultures, their cuisine, customs and language? Do you want to join a vibrant community of writers? Then write for us!
The Cultural Me helps our subscribers learn about the arts and culture the same way they would learn a new language. We are a tech company and are developing artificial intelligence-assisted learning.
We are looking for writers to research and write micro-articles (roughly 300–350 words) on selected subjects, for example, a piece on Tolstoy, or Early Renaissance to Contemporary Art, or Latin American magic realism to Postcolonial Literature, or Sri Lankan culture, or Beethoven, or Film... You will also be involved in editing contributions from other writers.
If you have never written professionally before, then don't worry: all we ask for is a Bachelor’s Degree in the Arts and Humanities. We are also happy to consider you if you have alternative qualifications — provided you can demonstrate specialist subject matter knowledge in one or more areas in the arts and culture (and you love reading). The articles we produce (unlike popular media) are to the best academic standards. The ideal person, therefore, should enjoy writing articles that are well researched yet written in an accessible format suitable for the public at large.
Here is what you can expect from us in return for your voluntary work:
- Detailed and friendly, one-to-one editorial feedback on almost every line you write.
- How to write for a busy mainstream reader: developing a story.
- A language and style guide reflecting modern trends in mainstream media.
- The chance to develop a deeper understanding of the arts, history, philosophy...
- Publication of your work to a global audience on a fast-growing platform.
- Providing a link to your writing portfolio to include in your CV.
- An (optional) fun-filled drop-in Video Meeting every Friday to meet fellow writers and to contribute to fun initiatives including Poetry Challenge (see poster on 'About the Company').
In addition, if you provide The Cultural Me as a reference for a potential job, we will provide a personalised reference based on your portfolio. Our writers have secured jobs with organisations such as the Red Cross, Kobalt Music, Oxford University Museums, amongst others.
This is a brilliant opportunity for someone with a passion for the arts and culture to join a community on a worthy mission. If you love the idea, then please email Gemma by clicking on ‘Apply’ and writing a short covering letter explaining what you like about the role.
COMMENTS FROM OUR WRITERS
Claire Woods — MA Creative Writing, Open University
‘The editors have a keen eye for detail, and I’m learning so much already!’
Florence Gildea — MPhil Sociology, University of Cambridge
‘The level of support, the attention to detail and the encouragement I experienced while writing for The Cultural Me was absolutely unprecedented in all my years of writing. Editing is an underappreciated skill these days, as people are keen to publish content as quickly as possible. It is a testament to the commitment of the Editors at The Cultural Me for producing resources of the highest quality that they put so much time and effort into working with writers like me. I felt both stretched and valued.’
Zoe Willis — BA French and German, University of Bristol
‘Working on The Cultural Me micro-articles really made me interrogate what I was writing, making sure the subject was absolutely clear for those reading it. At university you are never told to examine each sentence as to how it fits in with your argument.’
Elise Czyzowska — BA English Literature & Language, University of Oxford
‘Writing for The Cultural Me has allowed me to continue practising my analytical reading from university, and given me the opportunity to share my thoughts on the literature I know and love.’
Nicholas Benton — BA English Literature, University of Sheffield
‘The Cultural Me provided me with a detailed commendatory reference that helped me secure a place on a master’s degree at the University of Birmingham.’
Tom Mackinnon — BA History of Art, University of Cambridge
‘Since starting to write for The Cultural Me, I’ve actually learnt a lot about writing for mainstream readers. At the same time, I really enjoy being able to keep in touch with the topics I love. I do recommend this experience to anyone wanting to pursue a career in writing, curation or education.’
SAMPLE MICRO-ARTICLES
Please see the attachment.
SAMPLE WRITER PROFILES
Ugne — https://thecultural.me/people/Ugne-Civilyte-109496
Isabella — https://thecultural.me/people/Isabella-Barber-109388
Rami — https://thecultural.me/people/Rami-Barhoumi-109470
Judith — https://thecultural.me/people/Judith-Kuthy-109397
Ashly — https://thecultural.me/people/Ashly-Cork-109382
Christina — https://thecultural.me/people/Christina-Apostolidou-109357
Katerina — https://thecultural.me/people/Katerina-Koukouthaki-109393
Satkartar — https://thecultural.me/people/Satkartar-Chaggar-109383
To demystify and to bring to life the scholarly humanities for practical use.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Volunteer Role Volunteer Driver
Receives Support from Volunteer Coordinator (Groups) / Volunteer Manager / Other Cam Sight staff
Location of volunteering Community venues across Cambridgeshire & Peterborough
Taster Session Individual/ by arrangement
About Cam Sight
Cam Sight is a Cambridgeshire charity that supports local people of all ages living with low vision and blindness to live the lives they choose. We work to enhance independence, improve well-being, and improve inclusion. We work within our framework of 5 values, which are that we are person-centred, empowering, friendly, collaborative, and accountable.
About Volunteer Driving at Cam Sight
Our clients affected by sight loss are often reliant on friends and family, or community transport to help them get out and about. With Cambridgeshire being a rural county, and funding or service provision limited in both areas, some of our clients struggle still to get to their appointments, and to our peer support groups. We have received funding to support the development of our community transport scheme offering our clients greater access to services and social events. Our team of volunteer drivers, using their own or our eco-friendly vehicles, help get clients to where they need to be, thus reducing isolation and improving their social connections and wellbeing.
Purpose of role
Using your own vehicle, you would collect our client from their home and take them to their peer support group or other appointment. If driving a client to one of our monthly Peer Support Groups you could be taking several clients who live close together. You would be responsible for guiding them to and from the vehicle, settling them in comfortably (we will give you training on how to be a sighted guide) and completing vehicle checks before you start your collections that day. You are welcome to stay at the group (approx. 2 hours) while it takes place – some volunteers like to take on both roles and help at the group, but that is not expected.
Tasks:
If volunteering in this role, we’d ask you to;
- Liaise with Volunteer Coordinator (Groups) and/ or your regular clients before the meeting to confirm who you will be transporting.
- Be a sighted guide to ensure the clients you collect can safely and comfortably move to and from the vehicle. (Training will be provided at General Induction).
- Be good at timekeeping. You’ll ensure the clients you are transporting arrive on time and be there to take them home at the end of the meeting.
- Talk to/listen to your clients, making them feel comfortable in your company.
- Ensure that safety and basic maintenance checks of the vehicle are undertaken before the vehicle is taken out on the road.
- Be happy to report to us your volunteer hours and mileage driven so we can share this with our funders and track success of the project.
We are looking for:
- Someone happy to follow procedures around checking of the vehicle at the start of the volunteer duty (these are normally visual checks).
- You will have a current and legal driving license.
- You will have an approachable manner and ensure whomever you interact with at any time feels comfortable around you.
- Always maintain strict confidentiality.
- Ability to work with volunteers and others as a part of a team.
To consider:
- Clients may bring their Guide Dogs with them - something to consider if you have allergies or a fear of dogs, please talk to us about this, as we will look to match you with someone that doesn’t need a guide dog.
- Most groups are two hours in duration. You are welcome to stay for the group or come back to collect the clients that you are transporting.
- Groups are held monthly in the same venue and at the same time.
Recruitment and Induction Process:
Fill in an application form and we’ll call you for a chat on the phone. If the situation looks beneficial to us both, as is most often the case, we’ll look to invite you to the next meeting so you can see the building, meet the Volunteer Coordinator and the other volunteers. If mutually happy then we’ll continue to Cam Sight’s general induction process.
After this there will then be a role-specific induction for you, where we will go over the specific items that relate to your role (including Health and Safety).
Checks
Our volunteer roles are subject to a DBS check (the level of check depends on your volunteer role and is risk assessed). We also ask for two references before you get started with volunteering. For our volunteer drivers we will also look to conduct a check of your driver’s licence.
At general induction you can expect:
- More information about Cam Sight, who we are, what we do and the services we provide.
- Information about policies relating to volunteering such as volunteer expenses (you will also receive your volunteer handbook/ e-access).
- General GDPR and Safeguarding training.
- Information about Cam Sight’s on-going support and training for volunteers.
What you will gain:
- (We hope) a sense of satisfaction from helping others.
- Greater understanding of sight loss and how that effects people.
- Knowledge of a range of eye conditions.
- CV skills and after 6 months a reference should you choose to move on
- Friendship and entry into a community of supportive and friendly people, motivated by helping others.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Our system keeps your personal information hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
Our Trustees are a team of volunteers who use their diverse skills, experience, 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.
For families facing tough times, a holiday is a much-needed break from the day to day, as well as giving space and time to breathe, think differently. A holiday is essential for building wellbeing and hope for the future, especially when the present is challenging.
About you
You'll have the energy, integrity, passion, and skills to work with the Board of Trustees, our CEO and staff team, and our community, to drive forward a successful and dynamic future for our charity and the families we support.
We’re particularly looking to add the following professional skills and experiences to our team.
- Developing digital products, tools and/or services.
- Directly supporting children and/or families on an ongoing professional basis.
- Fundraising in a charity through voluntary donations or commercial income.
You don’t need to have been a Trustee before, but you do need to be willing to do some training to help you understand the role and the responsibilities that come with it.
We actively encourage applications from under-represented, marginalised and racialised groups, and those with lived experience of any of the barriers families face to having time away together. That’s things like mental or physical ill health, disability, domestic abuse, being a young carer or living on a low income.
We will make adjustments to our schedule and processes to ensure new trustees can be included and supported in the role.
More diverse perspectives on our Board help us make better decisions for families.
What we offer you
The biggest thing we have to offer is the chance to put your skills and experience to good use making the lives of families who are having a tough time better.
You’ll join a team who really care about making a difference and approach it with real openness and drive. Right off the bat we’ll connect you with the other Trustees and staff so you can get to know everyone, and we’ll buddy you up with another Trustee, so you’ve got someone to help you navigate it all as you settle in.
Expenses
You won’t get paid for your time, but we’ll make sure you aren’t out of pocket by covering the cost of your travel to meetings, childcare or other care if you need it, and a range of other expenses you might have while doing the role. We’ll book and/or pay for these in advance if you prefer.
How to apply
When you click 'Quick Apply' you'll find a link to upload your CV and answer a couple of screening questions.
We will make adjustments to the recruitment process wherever possible to ensure that no applicant is disadvantaged for any reason.
- Monday 20th May - Applications close at 9am
- w/c 3rd June and w/c 10th June - First interviews with a panel of current trustees
- w/c 17th June - Second interviews with Jackie our Vice Chair of Trustees
After the interviews we’ll contact anyone we’d like to join the Board with an offer subject to references and checks.
If you accept, we’ll take up your references, do a DBS check and confirm your eligibility to act as a Trustee. If that’s all ok, you’re in! We’ll introduce you to the rest of the Trustees and get started with your induction.
Formal appointment happens at the next Board meeting which is on Thursday 5th August.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
We are looking to recruit a Treasurer to join our board of trustees. The Treasurer, in addition to their role as trustee will oversee income, expenditure and support SCIP to manage cash flow and safeguard the charity.
Application pack can be located on our website
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Role Summary
We are looking for a new Chair of Trustees who will offer strategic and supportive leadership to our highly effective, collaborative and committed Board. The Chair leads the board, ensuring that it governs the charity effectively, in service of the charity's vision and mission. The Chair leads in an inclusive way, supporting the Board to work together well, and providing support and challenge to the Chief Executive. The Chair is also an ambassador for the charity.
Chair role & responsibilities
Provide strategic leadership to the charity and the Board, ensuring that Glass Door achieves its mission with the interests of Glass Door's guests at its centre.
Work collaboratively with the CEO, staff and volunteers to achieve our mission and optimise the relationship between the Board and Glass Doors's staff and volunteers.
Provide leadership within the Board, ensuring that it fulfills its responsibilities for the governance of the organisation and promoting governance among fellow Trustees, providing clarity around boundaries between governance, management and operations.
Plan and chair the bi-monthly board meetings and the AGM, with colleagues as appropriate and liaise with the CEO, Company Secretary and Governance Trustee with regard to setting up meetings, agenda items and annual report content.
Facilitate meetings ensuring all have equal involvement in discussions, clarifying any uncertainties, confirming decisions made and actions to be taken and ensuring effective time management of meetings whilst providing appropriate periods of discussion and reflection.
Act as a spokesperson and figurehead for Glass Door when required.
Support Glass Door functions and events eg attendance at supporter events.
Support the Head of Fundraising & Major Donors with the cultivation of high-level donors, occassionally attending meetings where value can be added.
Represent the Board at staff Town Hall meetings.
Support the team liaising with partner churches and statutory authorities as required and be the public face of Glass Door in the local community.
Liaise with the CEO and he Board to keep an overview of the charity's affairs.
Provide supervision and support to the CEO as necessary in addition to planned monthly/bi-monthly 'catch up' meetings and, with the People Trustee, lead the CEO's annual performance review.
To act as final stage adjudicator for disciplinary and grievance procedures if required.
What we are looking for
Experience of being a Trustee, ideally in the third sector, and an understanding of the legal responsibilities and liabilities of a Trustee/Director.
A keen sense of strategic purpose.
Strong leadership skills, able to foster and promote a collaborative team environment and an inclusive and collaborative leadership style; able to inspire and support everyone to participate on an equal footing.
An ability to facilitate, mediate, influence and respect the confidences of colleagues. The ability to listen and engage effectively. You are comfortable with challenge and debate and are able to encourage that in others whilst fostering a collaborative board environment.
Excellent presentation and communication skills.
Advocate and ambassador - possess gravitas to lead the organisation and be able and willing to champion Glass Door.
Demonstrate a strong and visible passion and commitment to Glass Door's guests and ensure that the interests of our guests drive the decisions of the Board.
A strong personal commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.
A willingness to devote necessary time and effort to your duties as Chair and be available and responsive (e.g. when things sometimes 'come up' that require the Chair to advise, support or give consent to).
What's in it for the new Chair?
Our vision is a world where no one has to sleep on the streets of London and we're working every day to achieve this. Your role as Chair will offer you an incredibly reqarding experience to use your skills and collaborate with the rest of the Board and staff members for the benefit of people experiencing, or at risk of homelessness.
For more information please see the full role description and Glass Door information pack attached,
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
SLDAS OCN Accredited Volunteer Training Programme
SLDAS is a local organisation working in South Liverpool. We support women who have experienced or are experiencing domestic abuse. We are a small team and are busier than ever and we need volunteers to help us reach all the women who we support. Have you got some time to give us?
All volunteers complete our Open College Network training programme that is accredited with Open Awards. Our aim is to provide trainee volunteers with the skills, knowledge and confidence necessary to enable them to work with women who are currently experiencing domestic abuse or have experienced it in the past.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
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)
Empowering individuals and families to thrive as they rebuild their lives.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.