Food bank volunteer volunteer roles in oxford, west midlands
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Overview of the role:
Kingfisher Food bank opened its doors in 2013 and was a project founded by local churches and community groups, working together towards stopping hunger in our local area. In March 2023 the North Solihull Food Bank, a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, was set up to carry on and enhance the work of the Kingfisher Food Bank. We are here to help people in crisis and offer support through the provision of emergency food parcels, by offering a listening ear, and by signposting to other agencies for more bespoke support. We have a dedicated team of over 30 volunteers.
The Secretary of Trustees is responsible for leading on the administrative duties of the food bank and Board of Trustees, ensuring that its activities are conducted within the legal requirements, with board meetings being properly administered.
Key tasks
Secretary Responsibilities:
- to attend Trustee meetings, take accurate notes and keep an accurate record of attendance at meetings, recording all resolutions passed by the Trustees.
- to ensure that there is a record of all Trustee Board correspondence
- to ensure that details of Trustee meetings are circulated to the board together with minutes of the previous meeting.
- organise the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and ensure all relevant stakeholders are informed and post the appropriate notices and commission, collect, duplicate and issue any necessary written reports, agendas, and minutes of previous meetings.
- to prepare, in partnership with other trustees, an annual report for the AGM on the work of the food bank.
- to ensure that the annual report (to accompany the annual accounts) is produced and sent to the relevant charity regulator body (Charity Commission of England & Wales) and that the details of the charity and new trustees are updated in a timely manner.
- to periodically check the Charity Commission’s website for guidance and information and updates that may affect the Trustees or the Foodbank
Other responsibilities, along with the Board of Trustees, include:
- to approve, support, and guide the charity’s purpose, vision, strategy, goals, and objectives
- to manage the charity’s resources responsibly, including ensuring the charity’s assets are used only to carry out its purpose, avoid undue risk, and not over-commit the charity
- To ensure the effective and efficient administration of the charity, responding to changes in the local community as appropriate
- to ensure that key risks are identified, monitored, and controlled appropriately
- to ensure appropriate financial plans are in place, budgets are monitored, and progress is evaluated
- to review and approve financial statements
- to help promote the organisation to key stakeholders and beneficiaries
- advertise, correspond with, and interview volunteers for posts, including use of Assemble and where applicable carry out DBS checks.
- to ensure the charity has appropriate procedures to comply with current legislation and good practice, including employment, health and safety, equity, diversity and inclusion, safeguarding and GDPR compliance/data protection
- to prepare for and regularly attend and participate in board and subcommittee meetings and any trustee away days.
What are we looking for?
We are looking for people who want to help their local community and work towards the eradication of food poverty whilst supporting the food bank to continue to provide emergency food to people who find themselves in crisis. Our ideal candidates would demonstrate:
- a knowledge of and commitment to the work of the North Solihull Foodbank.
- a knowledge of, and passion for, your local community.
- previous experience or an ability in: administrative procedures; writing clearly; providing clear advice on procedural and relevant legislative matters.
- excellent communication skills.
- a willingness to actively participate in discussions concerning needs of the foodbank’s beneficiaries, staff, and the trustee board.
- sound, independent judgement, the ability to think creatively, and to act in the best interest of the charity.
- the ability to work effectively as a team member and demonstrate a willingness to learn, develop and collaborate.
What difference will you make?
By leading on the administrative matters of the food bank board, you are part of providing a vital holistic support function in your local community, ensuring a dignified experience to anyone visiting, or anyone who comes into contact with, North Solihull Foodbank.
Please apply through CharityJobs in the first instance, providing a CV and cover letter detailing why you are interested in this role and your relevant experience. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an informal interview with members of the Board of Trustees at North Solihull Foodbank.
Applicants must be primarily resident in the UK when applying for this post. This is to enable successful applicants to fulfil the duties of this post and have access to any systems or programs required for the role in line with the charity’s data protection policies.
Registered Charity 
101 - 500
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Sustainability Research Volunteer
People & Planet is looking for volunteers to assist with compiling its 2025/26 People & Planet
University League; the only higher education ranking that classifies based on ethics and climate
justice criteria.
Universities impart skills and knowledge, form life-long beliefs and behaviours, act as centres of
communities, employ, house and feed large numbers of people and promote the creation and
sharing of knowledge. We believe this makes them uniquely placed to lead on environmental and
ethical issues. For this reason the People & Planet University League has been running since 2007
and has been published by high-profile media partners such as The Guardian (2021, 2022. 2023,
2024) and whose data is used in the Sunday Time Good University Guide.
Volunteers will research publicly available university documents and assess universities against
our marking criteria, which cover a wide range of climate and social justice issues including
decarbonisation, fossil fuel divestment, ethical banking, workers’ rights and environmental
management among others. This work will help to incentivise the university sector towards taking
immediate and appropriate action on the climate crisis and upholding the rights and wellbeing of all
people internationally.
The role will develop and improve the following areas:
● Qualitative research skills
● Attention to detail
● Use of data collection software
● Time management and keeping to deadlines
● Working independently and remotely
● Communication skills
● Knowledge of environmental management processes and sustainability reporting.
Training is provided for the role. We believe the skills and experience gained could be valuable for
a number of career paths, including working in NGOs, corporate sustainability, estates
management, higher education policy making, research and campaigning among many others.
People & Planet would like to support volunteers in their future careers, so will give all volunteers
an official reference letter on successful completion of their placement and will act as a referee for
future positions for which you may apply. From last year’s cohort, 100% said they would
recommend this position to someone who wanted to add experience to their CV.
Feedback from previous volunteers
‘I think as someone looking for relevant experience to bolster a CV, this is a helpful and
not-too-time-consuming position. It had exactly the kind of flexibility that I required at this point in time.’
‘It's a really great opportunity to hone one's research skills, learn more about what our universities can do to
improve their impact on the planet, and make a small but real difference.’
Person Specification -the following are essential:
- Access to a computer or laptop and internet connection.
- Familiarity with desk-based research.
- Ability to work accurately and efficiently to agreed standards.
- Reliability and commitment to completing work to deadlines.Sustainability Research Volunteer
- Able to communicate needs with staff at People & Planet and if needed, ask for appropriate
- support to complete tasks in time.
- Ability to search policy documents for specific information in English.
- Ability to assess information against standardised frameworks.
- Ability to work remotely and independently
The following are desirable:
● Awareness of current issues in sustainability and ethics.
● Experience of research and data collection.
● An interest in higher education policy.
You will need to commit to
● Two 25 hour weeks of remote work in July and August.
● 5 hours work per day for the two week period. Volunteers can manage their own time
flexibly and will receive support from People & Planet, but must meet task deadlines on a
weekly basis and attend a short daily meeting.
● One half day of remote training and induction the week prior to your 2 week engagement.
● Attending a brief meeting in the morning or afternoon each day and one individual check-in
meeting in week 1.
Summer timetable
June 30th-July 11th Ethical Investment and Banking, Ethical Careers and Recruitment,
Education for Sustainable Development. Training and induction w/c 23rd June
July 21st-1st August Sustainable Food, Staff & HR, Environmental Policy and Strategy
Training and induction w/c 14th July
August 11th-August 22nd Managing Carbon, Workers’ Rights, Staff and Student
Engagement, Environmental Management and Auditing. Training and induction w/c August
4th
Application
Applications will be processed on a rolling basis until positions are filled, so please apply early to
avoid disappointment. The deadline for applications is Friday June the 6th 2025
Candidates will need to attend a non-competitive group recruitment session and complete an
online self-access task before being invited to volunteer with us.
Please let us know if you have specific access needs and what we can do to make the interview,
training and volunteer experience more accessible to you, including organising a one-on-one
interview. We welcome people with hearing loss, deaf and or disabled people to apply for thisSustainability Research Volunteer volunteer opportunity -unfortunately we don't use BSL so would need to make alternative support provisions for the training, unless a BSL interpreter can join you. If you have specific needs where
we might support you by making this volunteering opportunity more accessible, please let us know via email
People & Planet welcome applications from BAME folks and people of colour, from disabled people, from LGBTQI*people, from people who speak English as a second language, from people who identify as non-binary gender, from women, from people of different ages, from people with caring responsibilities and from people with irregular migration status, people seeking asylum in the UK or with a migrant background, folks with a working class background, and everyone else.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.