Education volunteer roles

This role supports Aspire’s commitment to healing, dignity and community resilience. Volunteers help facilitate or support creative and wellbeing activities that foster connection, confidence and recovery

Enjoy driving? Make a Real Difference as a Volunteer Driver!

Are you someone who loves to drive and enjoys the freedom of the open road? Here’s an opportunity to use your driving skills to help others while making a positive impact in your local community. At Together Trust, we champion the rights, needs, and ambitions of children, young people, and adults with disabilities, autism, and mental health differences – and we need volunteers like you to make a difference.

What You’ll Be Doing:

As a Volunteer Driver, you’ll help transport people to a variety of destinations, including social activities, school, work placements, day trips, and more. Your time and kindness will help enrich lives, giving those we support greater independence and opportunities to thrive. The role is flexible, and you’ll find it just as fulfilling as the people you support.

Why You’ll Love Volunteering with Us:

Use Your Driving Skills for Good: If you love driving, this is the perfect way to make the most of that passion. No need to worry about the wear and tear on your own vehicle – we provide the cars, minibuses, and MPVs.

No Cost to You: We cover all the running costs of the vehicle, including fuel, and we’ll reimburse your travel expenses to and from the vehicle collection point. All you need to do is bring your enthusiasm!

Flexibility & Structure: Whether you have a few spare hours each week or you’d like to volunteer more frequently, you can choose the journeys and schedule that suit you. Build your week around your volunteering, it’s that simple!

A Sense of Purpose & Fulfilment: There’s nothing quite like knowing that what you’re doing matters. In this role, you’ll experience the satisfaction that comes from knowing you’re making a real difference to someone’s life.

Gain Experience in Social Care: Depending on the services you want to be involved in, you could be helping students from special education, young people from residential homes, or adults with disabilities. It’s a wonderful way to be part of a caring, supportive community.

Meet New People: Volunteering is a great way to connect with others, both the people you’re helping and fellow volunteers. It’s a wonderful way to socialise, and you’ll find that making these connections will uplift your spirits, too.

What You’ll Need:

• A full UK driving licence (held for at least two years) or a D1 entitlement.
• A few hours a week (or more, if you prefer) to give.
• A calm, patient, and friendly attitude.
• Confidence driving larger vehicles (minibuses or MPVs) is ideal, but if you prefer to drive cars, we have those opportunities too.

What You’ll Receive:

• Full training and support to help you feel confident in your role.
• Ongoing guidance from our friendly team.
• All expenses fully reimbursed, including travel and fuel costs.
• Access to our fleet of vehicles – no need for your own car.
• A meal allowance if you volunteer for 4 hours or more during a mealtime.
• References upon request to support your future endeavours.

We are a large Sea Cadet unit, who also have Royal Marines Cadets and Junior Sea Cadets (aged 10-12).

Our largest section is the Sea Cadets. They are aged 12-18. Cadets take part in many activities, events and competitions. The volunteer instructors teach and deliver these experiences, to suit their own knowledge and skillsets.

Our volunteers are excellent at sharing their knowledge with new adults that would like to have a go and see what we're all about.

Our command and management teams are keen to welcome new adults to the organisation and is grateful for the time everyone puts in.

As adult volunteers, you will gain a new friendship group, much support in learning new content, teaching experience with support, National Governing Body qualifications/awards, that are widely recognised. For example First Aid at Work and RYA Level 2 Powerboat Handling (driving licence), plus many others.

Some of the activities the cadets take part in:

• Remembrance Day parades.
• Rowing competitions.
• Kayaking.
• Sailing.
• Windsurfing.

Some of the courses cadets learn:

• First Aid
• Seamanship
• Meterorology
• Peer Education
• Rock climbing

Some of the events cadets take part in:

• Birmgingham International Tattoo
• Sutton Coldfield Civic Sunday service (with the town council)
• Trafalgar Day parades.
• Royal Sutton Fun Run
• Birmingham Triathlon
• Sutton Coldfield Community Games
• ...and much more!

Thank you for reading - we can provide all induction information in booklet form.

Be trained to support young primary school children in numeracy, and help them to attain confidence and skills which will put them on a path to achieving their educational potential.

What will I be doing?

Numeracy, like literacy, is a vital life skill, but many children fall behind.

Following training, you will work one-to-one with six to eight year olds (school years 2 and 3) in a local state primary school to help them improve their confidence, enjoyment, and skills in maths. The school will select appropriate children who are behind in maths and likely to respond well to individual support.

Sessions are weekly, in school time, at a fixed time to be agreed between you and the school. Volunteers work one-to-one with each child for up to half an hour, normally with three children consecutively, for a total of about an hour and a half.

At each session, using games and other creative activities, you will support the child in learning or improving skills and gaining confidence in their own ability. The role is very much about helping the child learn, rather than you teaching.

Our Mentors (current or former teachers also volunteering with us) will provide you with direct support to help you plan sessions.

Where can you volunteer?

We partner with over 40 state primary schools across London - see our map on our website under "schools" then "partner schools"

Commitment

We ask volunteers to commit to a weekly session in school for the full school year. (Recognising that you will have to miss occasional weeks.)

What impact will this have?

You will be helping improve the educational and life chances of the children you work with. A child who is behind in maths aged six often develops a dislike for the subject and a belief that "I can't do maths" which can stay with them forever. Helping the child acquire skills and confidence can let them not just engage better with maths but can improve their whole attitude to education, giving them better chances in life.

Over half of the children we work with are "disadvantaged" in terms of being on pupil premium or having family difficulties. You will be giving these children support that may be missing at home.

You will not change the life of every child, but the experience of having a purposeful one-to-one relationship with a considerate adult from outside their family will be transformative for some children.

By helping to improve the performance of individual children, you are saving the teacher from having to devote so much time in class to them. This lets the teacher involve the whole class in better-received lessons, improving the educational experience for all the children.

What will I get out of it?

Training

Improving your coaching and interpersonal skills
Support through the year
Being active in your local community and meeting new people - including our other volunteers
Working with young children is (usually) fun and rewarding!
The great shared achievement when the child "gets it"

Some of our volunteers go on to a career in teaching.

We welcome - and we have - volunteers from a wide variety of ethnicities and backgrounds, reflecting the diversity of London. We will do our best to accommodate those with disabilities or access needs.

Based in the coastal town of Fort Dauphin in the southeast of Madagascar, this post will provide support to the Schools, WASH and Solar projects implemented by the NGO. The successful candidate will work within a combined national and international team to assist in the development of projects, from initial planning stages to final evaluations.

Primary responsibilities include the writing of donor reports and proposals, providing additional support to the project team surrounding project management, and monitoring and evaluation. The role is predominantly office-based with some bush travel. The diversity of activities undertaken will provide a wide-ranging experience for an early career development professional who can effectively and efficiently deal with a comprehensive range of tasks related to the complex world of overseas development. It is essential that the post holder is able to work in English to a high standard and it would be desirable to have at least basic French. Candidates who do not meet these criteria will not be considered.

Location: Fort Dauphin, Anosy Region, Madagascar

Timeframe: 1 year, extendable

Terms and conditions: Voluntary with local monthly stipend towards accommodation and contribution to insurance of £650

Duties and Responsibilities:

● Write project reports, to a high standard of English, that clearly demonstrate the successes and challenges of the WASH and Education infrastructure projects, learning from the project and providing clear budgetary information

● Compile funding proposals based on past evaluation, team discussion, and international best practice in an engaging and professional manner

● Conduct internet searches and searches through SEED’s funder database for potential donors to fund projects

● Take a leading role in gathering statistics and ensure that all existing statistics relating to the projects are accurate

● Work alongside the Communications and Media Officer writing regular social media updates, blog posts, and website copy

● Support the development of projects that fulfill local needs and sit within the aims of SEED, taking into account research findings, contextual constraints, government objectives, and SEED’s previous experience

● Conduct research into international best practice with regard to Solar, Digital Learning, WASH and Education infrastructure programmes and take the lead in discussing these with the team

● Monitor and update project trackers according to project activities, ensuring the project is on track to meet project indicators and objectives

● Take an active role in project management meetings, leading these where appropriate

● Take an active part in international team meetings and supporting other members of the team

● Work with national staff in increasing their skills and capacity, providing mentoring or training where appropriate

● Assist in data collection and basic analysis where required, assisting the MEL Specialist in developing monitoring and evaluation tools, and completing MEL reports for projects

● Work alongside the Programme Manager and Head of Finance in developing and managing the budgets relating to projects

● Maintain a database of projects and funders alongside the UK team in London

● Form part of the team representing projects or SEED when required

● Liaise with the UK team in London ensuring clear communication at all times

● Ensure all of SEED’s policies and procedures are evident throughout the work of the department, including those for safeguarding, whistleblowing, and anti-corruption, and undertake continual training to ensure these are promoted at all times

● Complete other ad-hoc tasks as required by the Solar, WASH and Schools Project Coordinators, Programmes Manager, Head of Department, and Director of Programmes and Operations to further the aims and work of the organisation.

Person Specification

● Hold an undergraduate in or relating to WASH, international development, or have transferable skills or equivalent experience

● Minimum of 1-3 years’ professional experience in securing funding, project management, donor compliance, and donor reporting

● Demonstrate excellent writing skills, previous experience in grant-writing is an asset

● Demonstrate sound knowledge and keen interest in Environment and Sustainable Livelihoods, Community Health, WASH and Education Infrastructure, and their interface with international development; previous experience in WASH, Solar education, or community-based work would be an asset

● Demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to SEED’s ethos and approach, and be a good ambassador for SEED at all times

● Have passion, curiosity, and motivation for the job and the ability to enthuse others

● Have the ability and desire to work with teams from different economic and cultural backgrounds, and across multiple language barriers

● Have the ability and desire to build capacity and share skills across cultures, and work with teams from different economic and cultural backgrounds, across multiple language barriers

● Demonstrate proven ability to recognise and appropriately deal with challenging situations

● Demonstrate an awareness of and comfort with increased social and professional responsibility, working at all times with cultural sensitivity and respect

● Demonstrate the ability, social skills, and confidence to give clear guidance and support to other members of the team in respect of the philosophy and procedures of SEED, in order to protect both their safety and the reputation of the NGO

● Be able to work to and advocate for all of SEED’s policies and procedures, safeguarding those that SEED works with and reporting any concerns appropriately

● Fluent English is required. Basic proficiency in French is essential, with intermediate-level skills preferred but not essential

● Be punctual and be able to work in an organised manner to tight deadlines, and to a high standard

● Have a flexible and patient attitude

● Have excellent problem-solving skills

● Be able to work both independently and as part of a team.

VSO, in partnership with the Uzbekistan government, is looking for experienced teaching professionals to help strengthen the teaching of English language at secondary school level and build the capacity of in-service teachers.

This is a unique opportunity to share your expertise and skills, collaborate with local educators, and contribute to sustainable improvements in English language teaching in schools across Uzbekistan. As a volunteer English language teacher, you will work alongside Uzbek teachers, delivering school curriculum lessons, professional development and coaching workshops. You’ll support teachers and students in enhancing their English language proficiency, adopting student-centred methodologies, and implementing international best practices. Your experience will help shape the future of English language teaching in Uzbekistan. 

TRUSTEE – LOBBYING AND PARLIAMENTARY EXPERIENCE
EVERY FUTURE FOUNDATION (EFF)

About Every Future Foundation
Every Future Foundation (EFF) is an anti-racist education charity working to eradicate institutional racism within UK schools. Through programmes like Champions for Change, teacher training, and the Activism Academy, we empower students, educators, and leaders to challenge racism and build equitable school environments.

As we scale our impact and pursue systemic change through policy reform under our 3-Year Strategic Plan (2024-2027), we are seeking a Trustee with lobbying and parliamentary expertise to join our Board.

Role Purpose

The Trustee will play a key role in supporting EFF’s advocacy work to influence national education policies, build strategic relationships with policymakers, and ensure anti-racism becomes a priority within the UK education system.

Key Responsibilities

1. Governance and Strategic Oversight

· Provide strategic guidance to EFF’s Board and Senior Leadership Team on policy, lobbying, and parliamentary engagement.

· Support the organisation’s Racial Equity in Education objectives, ensuring alignment with our 3-Year Strategic Plan and influencing priorities.

· Champion EFF’s mission to eliminate institutional racism, bringing experience of navigating political systems and parliamentary processes to achieve meaningful policy change.

2. Policy and Advocacy Support

· Advise on EFF’s lobbying strategy, helping the organisation engage effectively with policymakers, parliamentary committees, and government bodies.

· Guide EFF in building and maintaining relationships with:

o MPs, All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs), and policy influencers.

o Local authorities, councils, and education committees.

· Support the organisation’s advocacy campaigns, such as its work with Citizens UK and the Racial Equity in Education Action Group, to influence systemic reforms.

· Assist in drafting and reviewing policy recommendations, briefing papers, and parliamentary submissions.

3. Advocacy and Ambassadorship

· Act as an ambassador for EFF, promoting our work and mission in parliamentary and policy spaces.

· Support the CEO and Senior Leadership Team in meetings with government representatives and key stakeholders to articulate our case for systemic change.

· Represent EFF at relevant parliamentary events, public forums, and coalition-building opportunities.

4. Board Contribution

· Bring knowledge of parliamentary processes and political systems to Board discussions, ensuring decisions are informed by an understanding of policy landscapes.

· Offer challenge, support, and oversight on advocacy activities and progress towards policy goals.

Person Specification

Essential

· Parliamentary and Lobbying Expertise: Experience engaging with UK parliamentary processes, policymakers, government bodies, or advocacy campaigns.

· Strategic Influence: Ability to advise on lobbying strategies to achieve policy reform and systemic change.

· Networks and Relationships: Strong connections within political, parliamentary, and public-sector spaces, with an understanding of how to leverage relationships for advocacy.

· Commitment to Anti-Racism: Passion for racial justice and education equity, aligned with EFF’s mission and values.

· Strong Communication Skills: Ability to represent EFF effectively with political stakeholders, offering clear, persuasive, and strategic advocacy.

Desirable

· Experience working with organisations driving education reform, racial justice, or systemic change.

· Understanding of APPGs, parliamentary committees, and public affairs best practices.

· Policy-writing or public affairs expertise in areas such as education, equality, and inclusion.

Commitment

· Term: 3 years (renewable).

· Time commitment: Approximately 4-6 hours per month, including attendance at 4 Trustee Board meetings per year (a mix of in-person and virtual).

· Occasional participation in parliamentary events, advocacy meetings, and policy-related activities.

Why Join Every Future Foundation?

This is an exciting opportunity to drive systemic, long-term change in the UK education system. As a Trustee, you will:

· Play a pivotal role in influencing policies that combat institutional racism in schools.

· Use your expertise to support a dynamic, growing charity with a clear mission for impact.

· Work alongside a dedicated and passionate team committed to racial equity in education.

· Enhance your governance experience while making a meaningful contribution to social justice.

Patient Lead

Location: Primarily remote, with occasional travel to London for meetings and ad hoc around the UK as required

Type: Voluntary (reasonable expenses reimbursed)

Time Commitment: Approx. 8 hours per month, including quarterly Board and Executive meetings

Tenure: 3 years (renewable once, up to a maximum of 6 years, subject to appraisal)

How to Apply

Click apply and you will be redirected to our careers page to complete your application. You will need to complete the below:

Submit:

• A personal statement (max 450 words) outlining your interest in the role and what you would bring to it.
• Summary of your professional and voluntary experience (maximum 2 pages).

Start Date: 01 December 2025

Deadline: 28th of September 2025

Interview: 16th of October 2025 (to be held virtually)

Role Summary

Our client is seeking an enthusiastic and committed individual to serve as Patient Lead. This voluntary leadership role is central to ensuring that the patient voice is embedded in all aspects of their work. The Patient Lead will represent patients on their Board, chair the Patient and Public Engagement Network (PPEN), and guide the team of patient representatives.

Key Responsibilities:

• Represent the patient voice at their Board and Executive meetings.
• Chair and lead the Patient and Public Engagement Network (PPEN).
• Develop and deliver the PPEN’s programme of work, focused on improving outcomes for surgical patients before, during, and after surgery.
• Collaborate and build relationships with a diverse range of clinical and non-clinical stakeholders to influence perioperative care policy and practice.
• Champion the views and experiences of underrepresented and marginalised patient groups, ensuring their voices inform perioperative care policy and practice.
• Contribute to strategic planning and decision-making from a patient perspective.
• Participate in bi-weekly virtual leadership meetings and quarterly in-person or virtual board and executive meetings.
• Inspire, support and mentor the patient representatives.
• Contribute to their communications (e.g. blogs, presentations, articles, interviews).
• Represent our client and patient views at national forums, conferences, and external working groups.

About Our Client

Our client is a national, multidisciplinary initiative, established in 2019. They bring together healthcare professionals, national organisations, and patients to improve perioperative care – the integrated, holistic care of patients from the moment surgery is contemplated through to full recovery. They are a collaboration of 11 key partner organisations, which together form their Board.

At its core, they are driven by the belief that patients must be partners in shaping their care. The Patient Lead plays a pivotal role in embedding this ethos across all their activities.

Educational partnerships and community developers wanted to help East London Waterworks Park deliver its environmental learning goals

East London Waterworks Park is a volunteer-led charity that has won a 2024 New London Architecture award and raised £2m towards buying land from the Department for Education to transform the 14-acre Thames Water Depot on Lea Bridge Road on the border of Waltham Forest and Hackney, into a new biodiverse park with natural swimming ponds, forest schools and community spaces. 

We are looking for a volunteer to lead partnership development and community outreach efforts for East London Waterworks Park. This role focuses on building and nurturing relationships with learning bodies to increase the opportunity for partnership opportunities. 

The role would include:

• Researching and identifying new opportunities for environmental learning initiatives
• Building and nurturing relationships with schools, education bodies, and nonprofit organizations
• Supporting outreach efforts to promote ELWP’s existing learning programmes

Schools, universities and youth groups we've collaborated with include:

• Waltham Forest College 
• Henry Maynard Primary School, Walthamstow
• Buxton School, Leytonstone
• Kingsmead Primary School, Hackney
• Daubeney Primary School, Hackney
• UCL 
• Royal College of Art
• University of Westminster 
• Project Zero
• Voyage Youth 
• Loyola University Chicago 
• Vanderbilt University Nashville 

We're looking for people to lead on these projects and facilitate the direction of the learning working group.

The Learning Circle currently meets monthly on a Wednesday evening at 8pm for an hour on Google Meet and spends voluntary time outside of the meeting completing agreed tasks remotely.

We welcome individuals with experience in outreach, partnership building, education, or nonprofit engagement. Strong communication and relationship-building skills are key. Our roles are quite flexible. We hope that people bring radical imagination, peace with nature, and courageous inclusiveness to the role.

Your support will help young people and learners improve their environmental knowledge of design and research as well as contributing to our community-owned park. This will in turn provide a sense of stewardship over the land once the park is created and student's ideas have been built into the park. Creating learning projects with educational institutions will also help our charity with the strategy to buy the land through showing the value of our environmental education programme before we create the park. 

You will have a significant impact on the creation of a new biodiverse community-owned park with free access natural swimming ponds. By volunteering in this role, you will help shape the future of East London Waterworks Park as a community-led environmental learning space. This will also help our charity with the strategy to buy the land through showing the value of our environmental education programme before we create the park. If you’re interested in joining us, we’d love to hear from you! 

Are you looking for a meaningful volunteering opportunity where you can make a real difference? We are currently recruiting new Volunteer Mentors to join our growing, diverse network of dedicated volunteers.

At Hope for the Young, our mission to support young refugees and asylum seekers in London as they overcome the many challenges of starting a new life in the UK. From navigating education systems to building confidence and social connections, our Volunteer Mentors play a crucial role in helping young people achieve their goals and fulfil their potential.

What You’ll Do as a Mentor

• Meet with a young person (mentee) once a week for 1–3 hours, usually in a local café, library, or community space in London

• Set education and personal development goals and offer guidance, support and motivation towards these

• Commit to mentoring for a minimum of six months

Who We’re Looking For

We welcome applications from people of different ages, cultural backgrounds, and professional experiences. You don’t need prior mentoring experience - just empathy, patience, and a genuine desire to support a young person.

We’re especially keen to build a diverse pool of mentors to reflect the backgrounds and experiences of the young people we support. We particularly welcome and encourage applications from those with lived experience of forced migration, as well those with ethnically diverse backgrounds. 

What We Provide

When you volunteer with us, you’ll receive:

• A comprehensive induction and training to prepare you for the role

• Ongoing 1:1 support from a dedicated Mentoring Coordinator

• Reimbursed expenses for all meetings and activities with your mentee

• Invitations to regular social events for mentors and mentees

• The opportunity to join a passionate community committed to making a positive impact

Why Volunteer With Us?

As a mentor, you will have the opportunity to make a tangiable difference in a young person's life, and you will also be able to:

• Develop your coaching, communication, and interpersonal skills

• Gain a deeper understanding of the refugee and asylum seeker experience

• Join a supportive and inspiring community of volunteers

If you’re passionate about supporting young people and want to help someone build a brighter future, we’d love to hear from you!

Monitoring, evaluation and learning coordinators wanted to help East London Waterworks Park deliver its environmental learning goals. 

East London Waterworks Park is a volunteer-led charity that has won a 2024 New London Architecture award and raised £2m towards buying land from the Department for Education to transform the 14-acre Thames Water Depot on Lea Bridge Road on the border of Waltham Forest and Hackney, into a new biodiverse park with natural swimming ponds, forest schools and community spaces. 

We are looking for a volunteer to track the impact of our educational initiatives, gather data, and support continuous improvement in our learning programs. This role ensures that our learning activities are effective and contribute meaningfully to ELWP’s overarching goals.

This role would include:

• Developing measures of success of existing environmental education initiatives
• Collecting and analyzing feedback from programme participants
• Recommending improvements based on data insights

Schools, universities and youth groups we've collaborated with include:

• Waltham Forest College 
• Henry Maynard Primary School, Walthamstow
• Buxton School, Leytonstone
• Kingsmead Primary School, Hackney
• Daubeney Primary School, Hackney
• UCL 
• Royal College of Art
• University of Westminster 
• Project Zero
• Voyage Youth 
• Loyola University Chicago 
• Vanderbilt University Nashville

The Learning Circle currently meets monthly on a Wednesday evening at 8pm for an hour on Google Meet and spends voluntary time outside of the meeting completing agreed tasks remotely.

We're looking for people to lead on these projects and facilitate the direction of the learning working group.

Individuals with experience in research, programme evaluation, data analysis, or education assessment are encouraged to apply. Attention to detail and an interest in measuring impact will be key strengths in this role. Our roles are quite flexible. We hope that people bring radical imagination, peace with nature, and courageous inclusiveness to the role. 

Your support will help young people and learners improve their environmental knowledge of design and research as well as contributing to our community-owned park. This will in turn provide a sense of stewardship over the land once the park is created and student's ideas have been built into the park. Creating learning projects with educational institutions will also help our charity with the strategy to buy the land through showing the value of our environmental education programme before we create the park. 

You will have a significant impact on the creation of a new biodiverse community-owned park with free access natural swimming ponds. By volunteering in this role, you will help shape the future of East London Waterworks Park as a community-led environmental learning space. This  will also help our charity with the strategy to buy the land through showing the value of our environmental education programme before we create the park. If you’re interested in joining us, we’d love to hear from you!

Raising Futures Kenya is looking for an enthusiastic, committed Trustee, with a passion for supporting our small but mighty international NGO through a journey of shifting power to our partner NGO.  We are particularly looking for individuals with experience in fundraising in the international development sector, and a strong understanding of the international fundraising landscape. 

Responsible to: Chair, Raising Futures Kenya

Purpose: To guide and advise on the international fundraising landscape, and shifting the power (including fundraising) to our Kenyan partners.

Hours: Approximately 6-8 hours a month. 

Salary: This is a voluntary role. 

We currently have seven Trustees across the UK, USA and Kenya and three paid, part-time staff. Board meetings are every 6-8 weeks in the evening via Google Meet.

About Raising Futures Kenya

For 22 years, Raising Futures Kenya (England & Wales charity no.1181670) has worked alongside local people, and our partner NGO, in Kenya to develop projects which are owned by the community and create long-term, sustainable change to reduce poverty and improve livelihoods. 

Through our Seed of Hope training and support programme we enable 14-25 year olds (75% girls) to secure employment or start a small business, generating enough income to live above the poverty line. We provide free technical vocational and business skills training, alongside mental health and wellbeing support which has led to over 90% of graduates being in employment, self-employment or further education. Seed of Hope offers young people opportunity, dignity and hope. 

All training is combined with 3 key elements of support which makes our project unique and more successful than vocational training alone. 

1. Daily life skills and mental health wellbeing curriculum which includes topics on common mental health issues to challenge stigma and signpost students to the free counselling sessions we offer, gender equality, knowing and asserting your rights, family planning, health, hygiene and nutrition. 

2. Practical help is provided to ensure we remove any barriers young people may face in gaining an education and attending lessons, such as; free cooked lunches, support with travel costs, childcare vouchers for young mothers and free menstrual hygiene packs. 

3. Graduate support helps young people set up their own business and generate a sustainable income. This includes tailored business and financial literacy training, access to the Seed of Hope Business Hub providing computers, tools, and materials for graduates to use to launch their business, plus an ongoing peer mentoring scheme from former successful Seed of Hope graduates. 

If students are traumatised, hungry or can’t afford sanitary products, they won’t be in a position to learn. We treat every student as an individual and personalise our support to their specific needs and circumstances to set every student up for success. We know this holistic approach is more successful than vocational training alone, and has the most meaningful impact for young people.

Achievements

Some of our achievements include:

• Over 3,100 young people in Kenya have received free skills training.

• Since 2021 we now support more young people in a year than our first 15 years combined.

• 91% of our graduates are in full time employment, self-employment or further education.

• Received multi-year funding from the Department for International Development (now FCDO) and other reputable grant givers, including a US funder who has granted us $100,000USD a year to go directly to our Kenyan partner as part of our journey to shift power to our partner.

• Awarded the ‘Small Charity, Big Impact’ award by the Foundation of Social Improvement 2019 for achieving disproportionate impact to our size.

• Awarded ‘Charity Governance Award for Improving Impact’ in May 2022.

• Shortlisted for ‘Diversity and Inclusion Award for Best NGO on Promotion of Human Rights’ in Kenya in March 2022.

The future of Raising Futures Kenya

We are in Year 3 of our 2022-2026 year Strategic Plan. The focus is on shifting the decision making power to our partner NGO in Kenya.  It’s an exciting time to join as we think about our plan for the next strategic era.

Role Summary

Responsibilities of all Trustees

• Ensuring the organisation pursues its charitable objects (purposes), as defined in its governing document. 

• Ensuring strategic objectives are developed and met in order to provide greater public benefit, namely to the young people and communities we work alongside in Kenya.

• Ensuring that the organisation complies with its governing document (i.e. constitution or memorandum and articles of association), charity law and any other relevant legislation or regulations.

• Ensuring that the organisation applies its resources exclusively in pursuit of its charitable objects (i.e. the charity must not spend money on activities that are not included in its own objects, however worthwhile or charitable those activities are) for the benefit of the public.

• Ensuring that the organisation defines its goals and evaluates performance against agreed targets.

• Safeguarding the good name and values of the organisation.

• Ensuring the effective and efficient administration of the organisation, including having appropriate policies and procedures in place.

• Ensuring the financial stability of the organisation.

• Protecting and managing the property of the charity and ensuring the proper investment of the charity’s funds.

• Following proper and formal arrangements for the appointment, supervision, support, appraisal and remuneration of the CEO.

• In addition to the above statutory duties, each trustee should use any specific skills, knowledge or experience they have to help the board of trustees reach sound decisions. This may involve scrutinising board papers, leading discussions, focusing on key issues, providing advice and guidance on new initiatives, or other issues in which the trustee has special expertise. 

Networking and partnership development

• All Trustees are expected to assist Raising Futures Kenya to secure a sustainable and diverse funding base for the organisation, from seeking funding opportunities to galvanising personal and professional networks to generate income.

• Act as a proud ambassador for Raising Futures Kenya, representing the charity at meetings and facilitating networking and funding opportunities as these arise. 

• Join relevant networks and associations to further your understanding of the sector we are in, and to promote the work and best practices of the charity. 

Advise on fundraising 

• Support the strategic direction of how funds are raised by the UK and Kenya, in terms of shifting the power.

• Provide direct feedback to fundraising staff on approaches, bids or key organisations.

• Link Raising Futures Kenya with key contacts or organisations in the fundraising sector.

Person Specification

The ideal candidate will have the following skills and experience;

Essential:

• Experience as a fundraiser in an international development organisation.

• Understanding of the localisation or shift the power agenda.

• A commitment to the organisation, and willingness to devote approximately 6 hours a month and attend Board meetings.

• Understanding of the regulatory responsibilities of a Charity Incorporated Organisation (or willingness to learn) 

• A willingness to speak your mind with respect, tact and diplomacy. 

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. 

• Honesty and integrity. We’re a values led organisation and want to ensure that everyone who joins us shares our values of honesty and integrity.

• Teamwork and commitment. We’re a small organisation and rely on each other to lean in and play a part in achieving our objectives. We believe in getting the work done, but having fun along the way so our meetings are often light-hearted.

• Passionate about furthering the impact of our work, in whatever way you can. For example utilising your networks to share the work we do or to seek donations.

Desirable: 

• Competent in understanding finances.

• Knowledge and experience of programmes in;

• Education, Technical Vocational Training or Entrepreneurship

• Mental Health and Wellbeing

• Young people

• Girls and women

• Income generation

• Farming/agriculture

• Programmes in Kenya

• We are always looking for candidates who have lived experience of any of the following;

  • Kenya

  • East Africa

  • Technical Vocational Training

We are committed to a culture of inclusivity.  We are able to grow and learn better if we have a diverse organisation formed of the collective sum of individual differences, lived experiences, knowledge and self-expression.  We don’t want to exist in an echo chamber.  In recruiting for our team we welcome the unique perspectives you can bring in terms of culture, education, opinions, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity, values, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, beliefs, nation of origin and languages spoken.

Normally Trustees are asked to commit to a 3-year term on the Board and serve for a maximum of 2 terms.  All appointments are subject to completion of a successful 3 month probationary period. For more details about the legal obligations of Trustees visit the Charity Commission website and read its publication CC3, The Essential Trustee. 

Please note: the law places certain restrictions on becoming a charity Trustee (for example, you cannot be under the age of 18, or been convicted of an offence involving deception or dishonestly).  If you are in any doubt about your eligibility, visit the Charity Commission website.

Learning and curriculum designers wanted to help East London Waterworks Park deliver its environmental learning goals.

East London Waterworks Park is a volunteer-led charity that has won a 2024 New London Architecture award and raised £2m towards buying land from the Department for Education to transform the 14-acre Thames Water Depot on Lea Bridge Road on the border of Waltham Forest and Hackney, into a new biodiverse park with natural swimming ponds, forest schools and community spaces. 

We are looking for volunteers to develop learning content and resources, such as lesson plans and educational materials, to support our environmental learning goals. This role will focus on creating school-friendly resources for our website and collaborating with educators to enhance our offerings.

The role would include:

• Developing online learning resources for our website (on-going project)
• Designing or tailoring existing lesson plans and activities for schools 
• Supporting the creation of ELWP’s Under 18s volunteering policy
• Supporting outreach efforts to promote ELWP’s existing learning programmes

Schools, universities and youth groups we've collaborated with include:

• Waltham Forest College 
• Henry Maynard Primary School, Walthamstow
• Buxton School, Leytonstone
• Kingsmead Primary School, Hackney
• Daubeney Primary School, Hackney
• UCL 
• Royal College of Art
• University of Westminster 
• Project Zero
• Voyage Youth 
• Loyola University Chicago 
• Vanderbilt University Nashville

We're looking for people to lead on these projects and facilitate the direction of the learning working group.

The Learning Circle currently meets monthly on a Wednesday evening at 8pm for an hour on Google Meet and spends voluntary time outside of the meeting completing agreed tasks remotely.

Ideal candidates have experience in curriculum design, teaching, or educational resource development. Creativity, strong writing skills, and an understanding of outdoor or environmental education will be valuable. Our roles are quite flexible. We hope that people bring radical imagination, peace with nature, and courageous inclusiveness to the role.  

Your support will help young people and learners improve their environmental knowledge of design and research as well as contributing to our community-owned park. This will in turn provide a sense of stewardship over the land once the park is created and student's ideas have been built into the park. Creating learning projects with educational institutions will also help our charity with the strategy to buy the land through showing the value of our environmental education programme before we create the park. 

You will have a significant impact on the creation of a new biodiverse community-owned park with free access natural swimming ponds. By volunteering in this role, you will help shape the future of East London Waterworks Park as a community-led environmental learning space. This will also help our charity with the strategy to buy the land through showing the value of our environmental education programme before we create the park. If you’re interested in joining us, we’d love to hear from you!

Volunteering with ICYE UK is a transformational experience with real impact. Our ethical programmes promote peace, intercultural awareness and equality of opportunity, encouraging young people from around the world to live, learn and work together.

You can apply now to join us on our 6 or 12 month long-term placements starting in either January/February or August/September next year, to work with locally run NGOs abroad on impactful projects that matter. Examples include:

- Human rights projects

- Women’s empowerment projects

- Supporting the elderly or people with compromised health and/or disabilities

- Environmental and wildlife conservation

- Sustainable agriculture projects

- Providing education, care and support for children growing up in adverse conditions

- Sports, arts or cultural projects

- Community development programmes

- And many more!

In addition, 3 to 5 month short-term placements with flexible start dates are also available in some of our partner countries.

Whether you join us on the long or short term programme, this experience will allow you to further your personal and professional development and be part of an exchange of cultures and ideas. In addition, you’ll gain valuable transferable skills and experience and boost your independence and confidence.

As a volunteer, you will live in accommodation within the local community, in most cases with a host family. This provides an immersive experience where you can develop your language skills and engage closely with the people and culture of your host country. To help you with this, a course of language lessons is also included as part of the long-term programme.

While we have projects to suit most areas of interest, ICYE UK doesn’t recruit based on specific pre-existing skills or qualifications. All we look for are passionate volunteers with a desire to gain cultural, language and work experience while contributing to the work of a local NGO abroad. A wonderful opportunity for those looking to volunteer overseas for all or part of a gap year, either after school or after finishing university, as well as for anyone interested in broadening their horizons during a career break.

Not sure where you want to volunteer? We currently have places available in over 20 countries across Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa, so no matter where you choose to go, you’ll connect with new people, have new experiences, learn, grow, and make an impact.

We know that volunteering overseas can seem daunting, but we’re supportive every step of the way. Before your placement, we offer pre-departure training in skills such as intercultural awareness. We also provide extensive pre- and post-trip support, including how to fundraise for your experience if you need to. Plus, our partner organisations abroad will provide a number of further trainings and will be on hand for any additional support you may need while in the host country.

To make the experience more straightforward, the fee you pay to take part will cover your accommodation and three daily meals for the duration of your placement, being matched with a project in the host country, airport pick-ups, language classes (long-term only), medical and third-party liability insurance, training and evaluation camps, monthly pocket money (long-term only), administrative costs, help with organising flights and visas, support with fundraising where needed, and extensive general support throughout your placement.

Get in touch to find out more, or to start your experience!

*Note: You must be based in the U.K. to apply for this opportunity*