Financial planning volunteer volunteer roles in barking, greater london

BoB Trustee Specification- June 2025 

Build on Belief is a charity dedicated to helping people who have, or have had issues with drugs and alcohol use, working to improve and sustain their health and wellbeing in order they can recover to lead fulfilling lives. Bring your experience and skills to become a voluntary trustee for a growing and innovative organisation and help make a difference across diverse communities in London and the South-East. If you’ve experience in the health care sector and perhaps even your own lived experience, then you could help us take the organisation forward.

What you will be doing 

Along with other members of the Board, you will be responsible for providing the strategic and practical governance of an enthusiastic and innovative organisation. As a Lived Experience Recovery Organisation for people with histories of drug and alcohol problems we are a pioneering and innovative charity. 

BoB helps build the “social capital’ of people who are on a journey of recovery from histories of alcohol, illicit or prescribed drugs. Many of our service users and volunteers across our ten London and South-East projects have associated mental and physical health problems, along with histories of homelessness and unemployment.

We largely operate a structure where we recruit volunteers from our service users, and our managers from our volunteer pool, once trained. Our CEO, most managers and some members of the Board have lived experience, and many have been through the drug and alcohol treatment system. This ‘unique’ structure, we believe, gives a high level of peer led understanding of needs and responses.  

In terms of key responsibilities, trustees are expected to: 

• Attend and contribute to Board (six evening meetings (2hrs) a year at Earls Court and/or online) and related meetings and share in decision making about all significant issues that impact on BoB. 

• Work with the Chief Executive and senior leadership team to practically support and develop the design and operation of new areas of service delivery as well as providing input and oversight to help everyday operations.

• Ensure that as a diverse Lived Experience Recovery Organisation, trustees continue to keep the interests and needs of those recovering from addiction at the forefront of governance. 

• Develop and regularly monitor the implementation of BoB’s strategy. 

• Oversee BoB’s work, ensuring accountability, strategically managing finances and risks, protecting charity assets, adopting and updating policies and procedures so they are fit for purpose and that the charities resources are used efficiently and effectively. 

• Act as custodian of BoB’s values and long-term future, ensuring that the organisation is complying with its constitution, and is managed prudently and lawfully. 

• Using contacts and networks to help BoB grow and develop and to be an active ambassador for the organisation. 

• Other duties required and expected of a Trustee/Company Director, including ad-hoc task groups and very occasional weekend visits to services across London and the South-East of England. 

What we are looking for 

Our Trustee Board comprises people who have good skills and experience in financial operations, corporate strategic marketing and communications, health care, HR, information technology and legal matters. However, we are at a stage of development where we wish to broaden and strengthen our governance with an additional trustee who has a background as an experienced health care practitioner, to join us on a voluntary basis to help take the organisation forward. 

If you’ve experience as a health care sector practitioner, then you could make a significant contribution to our development. 

We are open to a variety of professional health care backgrounds, including: 

• Experience in health care, clinical or public health, ideally in the fields of drug and alcohol addictions, primary care or mental health. 

• Experience as a registered doctor, nurse or psychologist. 

• Familiarity of services and interventions aimed at supporting people with complex needs. 

We are very open to bringing on board people who can support us becoming a more inclusive organisation. We particularly welcome applications from individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds, women and other underrepresented groups, including those with disabilities and from LGBTQI communities. We are also very open to recruiting someone who may have their own lived experience of addictions and adversity to draw upon. What counts will be your enthusiasm, commitment, competence and interest in taking on a trustee and governance role. 

We seek a trustee who can collaborate at governance and staff level, and work effectively with others across our organisation, in person and, where appropriate, remotely. 

Qualities Required 

Trustees are expected to: 

• Share BoB’s values and aspirations along with having empathy with those seeking to rebuild their lives from histories of problem substance use.

• Have the expertise, skills, life experience and personal qualities to help form an effective and diverse Board. 

• Roll up their sleeves to provide practical support to the CEO and leadership team to achieve our strategy. 

• Demonstrate a willingness to adhere to the BoB Code of Conduct. 

• Be able to fully discharge the legal requirements of being a trustee and company director. 

What difference will you make? 

We are looking for a volunteer trustee to join us on our Board of Trustees/Directors that currently meets once every two months on the first Tuesday evening of the month between 6:00pm and 8pm, usually face-to-face meetings In Earls Court. 
The impact we look to you and other trustees to make includes: 

• better strategic development and governance oversight 

• taking on a lead oversight role for specific initiatives (eg: health and wellbeing of staff, volunteers & service users; organisational developments such as social prescribing, harm reduction efforts; safeguarding)) 

• helping forge new partnerships with others to support the implementation of our strategy 

• using your practical skills and experience to support our small central staff team 

• helping raise the profile of BoB with potential supporters and funders. We want to demonstrate the contribution that peer run social support can make to tackling the stigma that goes with drug and alcohol problems. 

• delivering on our commitment to having more diversity and voices from different cultures in our leadership 

What's in it for the volunteer? 

This role offers a good opportunity for someone interested in a grass-roots South-East based charity, getting Board experience, or for someone new to senior management or a new charity. With us you will be able to add real value and have a crucial input using your interest and skills to help the organisation flourish and develop and reach new ‘audiences’. 

Much is made of the idea of co-production but at BoB we take this one step further by enabling peer support. By joining our Board, you can bring your professional and/or personal experience to nurture and enthuse people recovering from drug and alcohol problems to reach out and support others, using their talents and interests. 

A few more details on application process  

Our deadline for applications is Monday 30 June. 

• Please submit a CV with a covering letter which must address three questions (see below). 

• We aim to be flexible with interview dates, to include early evenings but aim to hold them during the summer. 

• If you need any particular support if you are invited to an interview, then please make this clear in your supporting statement (see below). 

• We plan to have a three-month induction and familiarisation process before final confirmation as a trustee. Once appointed, Trustees are expected to serve a minimum three-year term of office. This is a voluntary and non-paid position.

• Your Supportive Statement or covering letter should address three questions: 

1. Why are you interested in becoming a trustee of BoB? 

1. What insights and experiences can you bring to our Board? 

1. Is there anything in your background that we should be aware of that might be relevant to you becoming a trustee/company director? 

About Build on Belief 

Objectives 

Build on Belief (BoB) is a Lived Experience Recovery Organisation (LERO), registered as a charity that is changing the face of the drug and alcohol treatment and the recovery system in London and the Southeast. Our services are run by people who have had their own experiences of drug and alcohol addiction and understand not only what it’s like first-hand, but also the struggle people often have to reach and maintain recovery. After all, who is better placed to understand what someone with substance use issues is going through than someone who has been there themselves?

Socially focused activities 

As the addiction lifestyle can be all-consuming, it’s also important to find new interests that help to fill the void many people are faced with in early recovery. With this in mind BoB runs a range of sports, art and music workshops and clubs that provide the opportunity to try something new, meet new people, have fun and maybe even fulfil a lifelong ambition to play in a rock and roll band or try out yoga. We provide an open-minded and supportive atmosphere that gives people the confidence to try out new activities and find a sense of purpose and belonging. Often people who come along to our ten local social clubs across London, Sussex and now Buckinghamshire feel a sense of belonging they have not had for a long time, if ever. Some of us feel like we are part of a family. 

All of our drop-in services run at the weekend and some during the week. Where we can, we aim to give our service users access to opportunities such as: music workshops, sports clubs, arts, alternative therapies, food and drink, gardening and allotments and a strong sense of community. We also run a recovery café, CBT support group and sports clubs during the week and on-line offer LGBTQI support groups. With nearly 40% of our service users being people from diverse ethnic communities we are very keen to see that our volunteers, staff and trustees reflect the diversity where we work. 

To complement these local peer-led social activities we have also developed an on-line programme to support peoples’ recovery journey. Whether its Recovery Support sessions offered 6 days a week, quizzes and games, hands on creative groups (Art Together, Creative Writing, Play Reading) or other well-being focused groups (Yoga, Mindfulness, Tai-Chi and more).

Music workshops, sports clubs, arts, alternative therapies, food and drink, and a strong sense of community are just some of the things on offer to anyone who visits us.  

Our deadline for applications is Monday 30 June. 

Healthwatch Haringey is the independent ‘people’s champion’ for health and social
care in the London Borough of Haringey.

We actively seek out the views of the public and patients on all matters relating to
health and social care, e.g. their experience in hospital, interim care, at the GP or
dentist, and collate those together to produce impact statements and reports.

With this evidence we seek to campaign for and change for the better the way
health and social care services are designed, delivered, and improved.

We have a statutory role, as set out in the Health and Social Care Act 2012, are a
member of the London Borough of Haringey Health and Wellbeing Board and have
excellent relations with Commissioners across the borough. We also have a great
staff team who work hard to achieve the aims of Healthwatch Haringey.

While you might not have a background in health or social care, we are looking
for someone who has the transferrable skills to play a leading part in the future of
Healthwatch Haringey.

You will ensure Healthwatch Haringey is well governed with robust policies and
procedures in place, continue to establish and build constructive relationships with
Healthwatch Haringey’s key stakeholders and represent the organisation externally
whenever appropriate as one of its leading ambassadors.

As well as line managing the Healthwatch Haringey Manager, you will be responsible
for the strategic development of the organisation, the setting of priorities and the
delivery of statutory and contractual obligations.

We welcome applications from anyone who lives or works or is registered with a
GP in the London Borough of Haringey or North Central London ICS area (includes
London Boroughs of Haringey, Barnet, Enfield, Camden, and Islington). We absolutely
welcome and encourage applications from ALL sections of the community including
those from minority ethnic communities, disabled people, every gender, every age
group (over 18), and all socio-economic groups. You would be representing all
Haringey residents, but it is essential to make sure every voice is heard.

Please see the Person Specification in the recruitment pack on page 10 for more details and how to apply on
page 12.

We look forward to receiving your application. Thank you.

About us

ProVeg International is a food awareness organisation working to transform the global food system by replacing 50% of animal products globally with plant-based and cultivated foods by 2040.

ProVeg engages with all relevant stakeholders to create a food system where everyone chooses delicious and healthy food that is good for all humans, animals, and our planet.

ProVeg has received the United Nations’ Momentum for Change Award and works closely with key UN food and environment agencies. 

ProVeg creates global impact, with offices in 15 countries across five continents and more than 220 employees.

In the UK, our focus is on public sector food. Through our School Plates programme, we support major school caterers in their transition to healthier and more sustainable school menus. Since its launch in 2018, we’ve supported over 90 major school caterers, responsible for the food in over 8,000 schools, feeding over 1.3 million children every day, helping almost 50 million school meals become meat-free or plant-based. We plan to launch a sister programme in the healthcare sector, Hospital Plates, later this year.

Do you share our passion for transforming the food system? Are you impact driven and prefer to take a pragmatic approach? And do you have the skills and experience to help us? Then we’d love to hear from you!

Board Competencies 

We’re looking for a new Board member who can demonstrate the following personal characteristics and behaviours:

• Respects and internalises the principles of accountability

• Makes informed judgement

• Listens actively with an open mind

• Participates in debate, providing relevant comments

• Speaks own mind candidly but respectfully

• Demonstrates initiative and insightfulness

• Thinks both logically and creatively

• Makes decisions independently

• Advises from own experience base

• Teams with others, forming collaborative relationships with other Board members and, where appropriate, providing guidance and advice to staff

Meetings

The Board aims to hold around four Board Meetings per year (generally 1.5 hours per meeting, although subject to change, as necessary). Meetings are usually held virtually, although we now aim to hold one in-person meeting per year, and it is expected that Board Members read the necessary board materials prior to each meeting.

Board positions carry no remuneration but travel and other out-of-pocket expenses will be reimbursed. In return for your contribution, we offer the chance to work with and on behalf of people who are passionate in their commitment to our Mission and are constantly inspiring in their energy and creativity to achieve positive change.

The Role of the Board

In line with ProVeg International's Mission, Vision and Guiding Principles, the ProVeg C.I.C. Board is responsible for overseeing the strategic direction of ProVeg in the UK, and monitoring delivery by the Director and their staff. The Board members of ProVeg C.I.C play a critical role in acting as a check and balance for the organisation, giving strategic direction, and acting as a sounding board for strategy and priorities as required. Board members can typically help an organisation with their skills and experience, their networks and/or by other means. The Board member will work closely with the Senior Leadership Team of ProVeg C.I.C. and work closely and harmoniously alongside the International Board to support joined up and unified global strategic delivery of objectives. 

Duties

Board members are bound by a combination of statutory duties and organisational duties:

• Ensure that ProVeg C.I.C. complies with its governing document, company law, and any other relevant legislation or regulations 

• Board members agree to contribute the necessary time to effectively govern ProVeg C.I.C. in the UK.  (The total commitment tends to be around 4h per quarter, but is subject to change in line with necessary duties)

• Ensure that ProVeg C.I.C. pursues its objects as defined in its governing document

• Ensure ProVeg C.I.C. uses its resources exclusively in pursuance of its objects: ProVeg C.I.C must not spend money on activities which are not included in its own objects, no matter how worthwhile or charitable those activities are

• Contribute actively to the Board in giving firm strategic direction to ProVeg C.I.C, setting overall policy, defining goals and setting targets and evaluating performance against agreed targets

• Safeguard the good name and values of ProVeg C.I.C.

• Manage conflicts of interests

• Ensure the effective and efficient administration of ProVeg C.I.C. 

• Ensure the financial stability of ProVeg C.I.C.

• Protect and manage the property of the organisation and to ensure the proper investment of the organisation’s funds

• Monitor the performance of the Director, UK (and if required, appoint the role)
   

Board Member Person Specification

Essential:

• Educated to degree level or equivalent with relevant business, Community Interest Company, or Charity experience

• Commitment to and willingness to work in accordance with ProVeg International’s principles and values

• Willingness to devote the necessary time and effort to effectively fulfil the role of Director

• An ability to have strategic vision in line with available market factors and resource

• A history of proven good, independent judgement

• Ability to think creatively

• Willingness to speak their mind professionally and respectfully

• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively across all levels, such as Board, Senior Leadership Team, Staff and Volunteers 

• Knowledge of good governance practice

• Solid understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of Directors. 

• Ability to work effectively as a member of a team

• Willingness to adhere to ProVeg International’s Director’s Code of Conduct 

• Eligible under Company Law to be a Board Director (e.g. not barred from taking up such positions)

• Follows a plant-based lifestyle 

Desirable:

• Senior Management/Executive experience

• Salaried or Board experience in a similar organisation 

We specifically seek great board members with expertise or assets in one or more of the following areas:

• Fundraising and income generation

• Government/policy or B2B sector including food services

• Legal

• A network of influencers and ambassadors

• People & Culture

Diversity Statement
ProVeg is committed to equal employment, volunteering and governance opportunity for all, regardless of race, religion, colour, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, refugee background, genetic information, disability, marital status, parental status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, HIV status, gender identity, or gender expression. People of colour, women, people with disabilities, people from LGBTQIA+ communities, elderly people, refugees and people living with HIV are strongly encouraged to apply.