Individual support volunteer volunteer roles in manchester
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!
Travel Radar is a passionate media organisation committed to making travel more meaningful and accessible for everyone. Since 2015, we've grown into one of the leading online sources for aviation and air-travel news, reaching over 20 million people worldwide.
Powered by a diverse, fully remote team of 50+ volunteers and contributors, we provide around-the-clock coverage of global travel developments. Our mission is to change the way people experience travel — helping them make every journey more enriching, informed, and enjoyable through timely news and helpful insights.
Join us in reshaping the future of travel and making a global impact through the power of storytelling and information.
We're on the lookout for a Social Media Manager to head up a range of exciting work including:
- developing creative and engaging social media strategies for our platforms;
- managing the day-to-day handling of all social media channels such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tiktok and YouTube, adapting content to suit different channels;
- overseeing, planning and delivering content across different platforms using scheduling tools such as Buffer and Meta Business Suite;
- developing, launching and managing new competitions and campaigns that promote Travel Radar and the brand;
- forming key relationships with influencers in the aviation and air-travel space across the social media platforms;
- managing and facilitating social media communities by responding to social media posts and developing discussions;
- researching and evaluating the latest trends and techniques in order to find new and better ways of creating and measuring social media activity;
- managing, motivating and coaching junior staff such as social media executives or assistants;
We're looking for a passionate and creative individual to lead and grow Travel Radar’s presence across social media. This is a fantastic opportunity to shape the voice of one of the most engaged aviation communities online and create impactful content that inspires millions of travellers worldwide. We already have a strong foundation and loyal following — now we need someone who’s ready to take it to the next level. Whether you're a recent graduate full of fresh ideas, an experienced social media pro seeking a meaningful new challenge, a travel and aviation enthusiast, or a current student eager to gain hands-on experience — we care more about your passion and creativity than your CV.
If you're excited by the idea of building community, creating compelling content, and being part of a mission-driven team, we’d love to hear from you!
✨ Perks of Volunteering with Travel Radar:
(Please note: This is a voluntary, unpaid role — but we make it worth your time!)
- Flexible workload – Contribute as and when you’re available each month
- Fully remote – We can provide a laptop, desktop, or virtual machine if needed
- Lunch & travel expenses covered – For in-person events, conferences, or meetings
- Exclusive discount program – Access deals with 3,000+ retailers, from travel to insurance
- Professional training – Fully funded CPD Level 3, 5, or 7 accreditation included and access industry leading support and mentoring
- Latest tech tools – Free access to Office365, Grammarly Premium, Adobe Photoshop, Canva Pro — for both Travel Radar and personal use
Our mission to change how travel is seen involves showing people how to make their journeys as fulfilling as possible whilst empowering our team!

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!
"We are looking for 3 candidates to join our volunteer enhanced professional development programme and gain real world experience in your chosen field). While we only have 3 vacancies available through this programme, other options are available if your skills match our criteria".
We are a Kingston-based social marketing enterprise using creative thinking to build community cohesion.
We aim to attract knowledgeable individuals encouraging different cultures to unite which enables us to share and celebrate essential lessons.
Partnering with local organisations, we put on programmes of training, workshops and other events that promote unity and tolerance.
We conduct research to support our cause to challenge preconceptions around race and stereotyping. As well as delivering workshops on unconscious bias in the workplace.
The Personal Assistant role offers a great opportunity for the right person who is looking to:
- Gain experience in the Third Sector.
- Develop their skills and management experience; or just simply 'give something back to their community'.
The role provides you with flexibility and autonomy at work. Where necessary, specific training will also be provided to help you develop and grow your skill set.
Main Responsibilities
- Managing organisation of meetings and appointment
- Organising events and conferences
- Managing databases
- Implementing and maintaining procedures and administrative systems
- Liaising with staff
- Miscellaneous tasks to support the team.
General tasks
- Contribute to staff meetings and other internal meetings with views and suggestions etc.
Essential:
- You will need to have good written skills.
- Well-organised, proactive, and able to deliver tasks efficiently.
- Good time management
- To show professionalism at all levels and in all environments
- Strong team player
- Ability to work independently and ask for clarification when needed.
- Able to participate at least 12 hours a week (2 days, 6 hours each day)
Desirable
- Committed to working with the community with a passion for helping others less fortunate.
- Proficiency in Microsoft and Excel.
The Professional Development Programme with Quilombo UK runs over a period of 16 weeks, is UNPAID and requires a minimum of 12 hours of commitment per week across Monday and Friday.
Upon successful application, our HR team will contact you to arrange an interview. Following a successful interview, we'll initiate the onboarding process by sending you the necessary documents. Once your onboarding and identification documents are received and verified, you'll be invited to a 6-hour HR and System Induction. Subsequently, you'll meet with your Head of Department or Assistant Manager for your First Day.
Job Types: Part-time, Volunteer
Expected hours: No less than 12 per week
Benefits: Work from home
Schedule:
- Day shift
- Monday to Friday
Work Location: Remote
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
The International Council of Museums in the United Kingdom (ICOM UK) is seeking a new trustee with strong financial acumen and a passion for the museums and heritage sector and working internationally to be the Finance Lead on our Board. This is a strategic finance role to support the Strategic Director and advise the Board of Trustees in respect of the conduct of the charity’s financial affairs.
The role requires experience and skills in financial planning and management, preferably in a charity and/or company, along with the ability to understand and communicate the impact of decisions on the organisation’s finances.
We welcome applications from professionals with the skills, knowledge and lived experience that will strengthen and diversify our Board.
For further details on the roles and ICOM UK, you can view our Finance Lead Trustee Recruitment Pack.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Location: Worldwide
Term: Voluntary – Unpaid (reasonable travel expenses can be claimed)
Closing date: 31st July 2025
Inspired by the Islamic faith and guided by our values, we envisage a caring world where communities are empowered, social obligations are fulfilled, and people respond as one to the suffering of others.
We provide lasting routes out of poverty, empowering people to transform their lives and serving all communities without prejudice.
As an independent faith-based humanitarian and development organisation, Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) has been serving humanity for 41 years. With an active presence in over 40 countries across the globe, we strive to make the world a better and fairer place for the three billion people still living in poverty.
Since we were founded in 1984, Islamic Relief has grown into one of the world’s largest relief and development charities, touching the lives of over 120 million people.
Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) is seeking to appoint 1 (one) individual to join our International General Assembly (IGA).
Following appointment to the IGA, independent members are eligible for nomination to the BoT after 1 year as an IGA independent member.
Appointments on the BoT are for a 4-year term limit.
The IGA is the highest body of the new Islamic Relief Worldwide governance structure and consists mainly of representatives elected by Islamic Relief family members across five continents, creating a body that is truly globally representative. It is from the IGA that IRW draws its trustees.
We would like to hear from exceptional applicants with considerable experience and specialist knowledge in a range of professional backgrounds: law, accountancy, audit, humanitarian programming, PR/communications, marketing or fundraising, IT, charity financial policy and strategy, shariah compliance. Those selected will play a vital role in IRW’s strategic work and in helping us respond to key challenges.
As a member of the IGA, it is expected you will be fully committed to the organisational objectives of IRW, sharing our vision, mission and values. You will be expected to attend meetings and be willing to devote the necessary time and effort to the role and to act in the best interest of IRW’s work and its rightsholders.
The Role
Key responsibilities:
- Participate in the oversight of the organisation in accordance with its statutory obligations, making sure that IRW satisfies its regulatory and legal requirements as a charity
- Act in a manner which supports the organisation in meeting aims and objectives as set out in IRW governing documents, and in ensuring IRW long-term security
- Focus on strategic planning and governance when setting IRW priorities and objectives
- Participate in the approval of annual plans, strategies and budgets
- Support the financial stability of the charity and contribute to its effective and efficient administration, reviewing and approving financial strategies and monitoring income and expenditure, to ensure the organisation is in good financial health
- Promote IRW’s vision, mission and values and demonstrate IRW’s values in all of the IGA’s work.
About You
We are seeking exceptional candidates with a breadth of leadership experience who can enhance the strategic development of IRW and have the following skills and qualities:
- A deep commitment and passion for IRW’s faith inspired values, vision and mission
- An understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of trusteeship
- Considerable professional experience and specialist knowledge in one or more of the following – law, accountancy, audit, humanitarian programming, PR/communications, marketing or fundraising, IT, charity financial policy and strategy, shariah compliance
- Strategic vision and critical thinking skills
- Skills in problem solving and conflict resolution
- Legislative and operating framework for charities/voluntary and community sector organisations, especially an understanding of Charity Commission requirements
- A good understanding of the context IRW operates within
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; enjoys teamwork
- Willing to be an ambassador for IRW
- Demonstrates past public conduct, statements and behaviour that are in line with IRW’s values and expectations of the role
If you are interested in these roles, please review the information pack before applying.
How to apply:
To make your application for the IGA position, please visit the link for instructions.
The deadline for applications is: 31st July 2025.
PLEASE NOTE: Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Applications without a cover letter will not be accepted.
Pre-appointment checks:
Any appointment with Islamic Relief will be subject to the following checks:
- Enhanced screening clearance
- Receipt of satisfactory references including the Inter-Agency Misconduct Scheme Reference
- DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check
- Personal social media review
Our values and commitment to safeguarding
IRW is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct; and committed to promoting the welfare of children, young people, adults and beneficiaries with whom IRW engages. IRW expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us.
The post holder will undertake the appropriate level of training and is responsible for ensuring that they understand and work within the safeguarding policies of the organisation.
The term will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records checks. IRW also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme.
In line with this Scheme, we will request information from every applicant’s previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment.
By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms his/her understanding of these recruitment procedures.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
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!
Role: Director of Local Operations
Job Description:
Youth Advantage UK is seeking a volunteer Director of Local Operations to develop and lead its Local Operations Departments (England and Wales; Scotland and Northern Ireland) in identifying and delivering on opportunities for the organisation to have an impact at a local level through commissioned research projects. The successful candidate will be responsible for ensuring these Departments produce high-quality research projects which meet the goals agreed with the commissioning organisations and grow Youth Advantage’s reputation and reach in line with its strategic policies. Working closely with the COO and the Policy and Ethics Departments, the ideal candidate will use their prior experience to effectively guide and strengthen the organisation’s ability to enable evidence-based, positive local change. They should have excellent writing and speaking skills, IT literacy, and the ability to work well independently and in a team.
This role reports directly to the Chief Operating Officer.
Responsibilities:
● In line with the organisation’s strategic priorities, to lead the Local Operations Department in designing, developing and implementing impactful research and project objectives.
● To line manage the Head of Local Operations (England and Wales) and the Head of Local Operations (Scotland and Northern Ireland), supporting them to effectively manage their own teams and to develop and implement the frameworks necessary for producing top quality research projects based around both desktop research and fieldwork.
● To work with HR in creating a strong Local Operations Department composed of individuals with the appropriate skills and expertise. To ensure these volunteers are appropriately supported and trained during their period of service.
● To work alongside the Policy Department to source potential commission and project opportunities, shaping the focus and output of the Local Operations Department accordingly.
● To develop short- and long-term strategies in relation to the Department’s activity, ensuring that these align with the wider strategies of the organisation.
● To liaise with the Policy and Ethics Department of the organisation on an ongoing basis, ensuring that their advice is incorporated into Departmental decisions and output.
● To take responsibility for relationships with key external stakeholders, at all times representing the organisation positively and professionally.
● To work on an on-going basis with the other members of the organisation’s Senior Leadership Team in determining its strategic priorities and incorporating these into the Department.
● To monitor, analyse and respond to external trends which impact on the organisation’s strategies and the Local Operations Department’s activities.
● To work closely with the organisation’s Communications Department in developing and implementing effective strategies to raise the organisation’s profile and impact.
● To create blogs and articles on related issues and to find and distribute information on related topics which may be of interest to the other organisation members.
● To support the Chief Executive Officer in presenting local operations strategies to Youth Advantage’s Trustees.
Requirements:
● Experience in research and planning, leading key campaigns or programmes.
● High-level understanding of carrying out quality desktop research and related fieldwork, ideally in an area related to the organisation’s priorities.
● Excellent knowledge of a range of methods and approaches to effectively disseminating research results.
● Excellent leadership and organisational skills, with proven experience of setting priorities and motivating team members.
● Excellent writing and speaking skills.
● IT literacy, including proficiency with Microsoft Office and Google Suite.
● Ability to work well independently and in a team.
● Strong attention to detail and organisational skills.
● Ability to prioritise tasks and manage time effectively.
Benefits
● Gain valuable experience in leading a research and project team.
● Opportunity to work with a dedicated and passionate team.
● Flexible working hours.
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!
"We are looking for 3 candidates to join our volunteer enhanced professional development programme and gain real world experience in your chosen field). While we only have 3 vacancies available through this programme, other options are available if your skills match our criteria".
WHO WE ARE
We are a Kingston-based social enterprise using creative thinking to build community cohesion. Encouraging different cultures to unite enables us to share and celebrate essential lessons. Partnering with cultural, social and sports organisation's, we put on programmes of training, workshops and other events that promote unity and tolerance.
We conduct research to challenge preconceptions around race and stereotyping. Our findings are supported by educational opportunities designed to broaden perspectives.
Ready for an adventure? Dive into the heart of Quilombo UK by exploring our website and videos! Discover our mission, values and the impactful work we do to make a difference in our community.
Your journey with purpose begins here
Join us in creating positive change!
ROLE DESCRIPTION
Join our dynamic team as a Volunteer HR Recruiter and play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our non-profit Organisation. As a key member of our Human Resources team, you will be responsible for managing the end-to-end recruitment process, ensuring the acquisition of talented individuals passionate about our mission. Your expertise will contribute to building a dedicated and skilled workforce, enabling us to impact the community positively. This role offers a unique opportunity to utilise your HR recruitment skills for a meaningful cause while gaining valuable experience in the non-profit sector.
Collaborate with hiring managers to identify hiring needs and implement effective sourcing strategies,
Interview and Selection
Build and maintain a strong talent pipeline.
Conduct initial screening interviews to effectively evaluate the candidates’ skill set and cultural fit while providing an engaging experience.
Foster positive relationships with candidates, keeping them informed about the status of their applications.
Ensure compliance with applicable employment laws and regulations.
Maintain accurate and up-to-date candidate records and recruitment metrics.
REQUIRED SKILLS:
Proven experience as an HR Recruiter or in a similar role
Familiarity with job boards and professional social platforms
Strong understanding of recruitment processes and employment laws
Good communication and interpersonal skills
Office based skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
Excellent time management and organisational skills
Strong marketing and negotiation skills
Outstanding teamwork skills and ability to create relationships at all levels, showing respect to different types of people.
Professionalism and Confidentiality
WHAT WE OFFER:
Opportunity for professional growth and development in Recruitment and other HR departments depending on your knowledge and learning aptitude.
A collaborative and inclusive work environment that values diversity and innovation.
Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
The Professional Development Programme with Quilombo UK runs over a period of 16 weeks, is UNPAID and requires a minimum of 12 hours commitment per week across Monday to Friday.
Upon successful application, our HR team will contact you to arrange an interview. Following a successful interview, we'll initiate the onboarding process by sending you the necessary documents. Once your onboarding and identification documents are received and verified, you'll be invited to a 6-hour HR and System Induction. Subsequently, you'll meet with your Head of Department or Assistant Manager for your First Day.
Job Types: Part-time, Volunteer
Contract length: 16 weeks
Expected hours: No less than 12 per week
Benefits:
- Work from home
Schedule:
- Day shift
- Flexitime
Work Location: Remote
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
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!
Social Friday
Social Friday reinvents the end of the workweek by transforming unproductive Friday hours into a global tradition of purpose, teamwork, and impact—connecting businesses, nonprofits, and communities through hands-on engagement.
Fridays are the least productive time of the week. Work slows down, focus fades, and hours are lost. The numbers are staggering:
- Unproductive Friday hours cost the U.S. economy $1.9 trillion annually.
- 1 in 4 people worldwide feel lonely, struggling to reach their full potential.
- The U.S. Surgeon General calls loneliness an epidemic, costing employers $154 billion yearly.
- Remote and hybrid work has widened the gap, leaving employees more disconnected than ever.
- Societal tensions are rising, creating an urgent need for initiatives that bring people together.
Governments debate the four-day workweek—but what if, instead of subtracting a day from work, we added purpose to Fridays?
We face a choice: -Accept the status quo and keep losing trillions. +Or flip the script, turning Fridays into a force for good.
Social Friday isn’t just a project—it’s a movement. A global tradition in the making that transforms the least productive hours of the week into moments of connection, impact, and purpose, where doing good becomes a habit.
Beyond one-time events, Social Friday is designed to scale into a lasting global movement, embedding social impact into work culture and everyday life.
How It Works
A scalable platform connects businesses, NGOs, and volunteers, transforming Fridays into a global force for change through engagement, collaboration, and gamification.
By integrating leaderboards, challenges, badges, and rewards, Social Friday keeps participation exciting and fosters a culture where social impact becomes part of the routine.
This isn’t just about reducing disengagement. It is about transforming the way society, nonprofits, and businesses connect, creating a future where social impact is a shared responsibility, embedded into everyday life. Social Friday has the power to turn the least productive time of the week into the most meaningful, a global tradition, the Olympics of Giving Back.
Community Coordinator
Volunteer Role Description (remote, unpaid)
Want to Be the Reason People Feel Welcome, Seen, and Inspired?
You’re not just a communicator, you’re a connector. The kind of person who knows how to turn a quick answer into a meaningful moment.
At Social Friday, we’re redefining how people spend their time and how they come together. Through purpose-driven events that flip Friday afternoons into something meaningful, we bring companies, nonprofits, and individuals into a space where doing good becomes a lifestyle.
As our Community Coordinator, you’ll be the friendly face and steady hand that guides participants through the experience. From the first question to the final thank-you, you’ll make sure everyone feels like they belong.
What You’ll Do
- Be the first point of contact for participants—friendly, helpful, and clear
- Guide people through what Social Friday is, how to join, and what to expect
- Support companies and nonprofits with onboarding and logistics
- Gather participant feedback and stories to help us grow
- Work closely with the Event Manager to ensure a seamless experience
- Keep the Social Friday vibe alive: warm, purposeful, and energizing
What You Bring
- Excellent communication skills, written and spoken
- A welcoming, people-first mindset
- Organized and responsive, you follow up, follow through, and keep things moving
- Experience in community engagement, hospitality, customer care, or social initiatives
- A passion for human connection and social impact
We’re looking for someone who gets people, someone who doesn’t just answer questions, but helps every participant feel part of something bigger.
Social Friday is the Olympics of Giving Back. And you’re the one who makes sure no one sits in the stands alone.
Weekly Time Commitment
4-6 hours per week
Duration of Volunteer Role (remote)
1-2 weeks
We connect professionals with impact startups matching their causes, skills & schedule.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
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!
Social Friday
Social Friday reinvents the end of the workweek by transforming unproductive Friday hours into a global tradition of purpose, teamwork, and impact—connecting businesses, nonprofits, and communities through hands-on engagement.
Fridays are the least productive time of the week. Work slows down, focus fades, and hours are lost. The numbers are staggering:
- Unproductive Friday hours cost the U.S. economy $1.9 trillion annually.
- 1 in 4 people worldwide feel lonely, struggling to reach their full potential.
- The U.S. Surgeon General calls loneliness an epidemic, costing employers $154 billion yearly.
- Remote and hybrid work has widened the gap, leaving employees more disconnected than ever.
- Societal tensions are rising, creating an urgent need for initiatives that bring people together.
Governments debate the four-day workweek—but what if, instead of subtracting a day from work, we added purpose to Fridays?
We face a choice: -Accept the status quo and keep losing trillions. +Or flip the script, turning Fridays into a force for good.
Social Friday isn’t just a project—it’s a movement. A global tradition in the making that transforms the least productive hours of the week into moments of connection, impact, and purpose, where doing good becomes a habit.
Beyond one-time events, Social Friday is designed to scale into a lasting global movement, embedding social impact into work culture and everyday life.
Public Relations & Storytelling Specialist
Volunteer Role Description (remote, unpaid)
READY TO SPARK CONVERSATIONS THAT MATTER?
If you believe words can shape culture and stories can spark change, this role is calling your name.
At Social Friday, we’re not just sharing messages. We’re creating a global shift in mindset. We turn the least productive hours into powerful moments of connection, awareness, and community. Through stories, events, and shared action, we make doing good a mental well-being workout. A habit. A lifestyle.
Now we’re looking for a communicator who can bring that message to the world. Someone who turns quiet ideas into loud conversations. Someone who makes people feel, care, and act.
THE MISSION Social Friday is the Olympics of Giving Back. Our goal is to transform Friday afternoons into something meaningful. We partner with nonprofits, companies, and individuals around the world. Together, we build a more connected and conscious society. Your voice will carry that mission across borders and platforms.
YOUR ROLE As part of our PR & Communications team, you will:
- Write clear, bold, and compelling press releases, articles, and stories
- Build strong relationships with journalists, influencers, and media outlets
- Create a consistent public voice that reflects our values and energy
- Identify speaking, interview, and media opportunities
- Pitch Social Friday to podcasts, publications, and global platforms
- Support our founder with communication strategy and media presence
- Track coverage and measure communication impact
- Turn awareness into momentum and curiosity into commitment
WHAT YOU BRING
- Experience in PR, media relations, or communications
- A strong portfolio that shows your storytelling and outreach skills
- Excellent writing and a sharp sense for what moves people
- Confidence in building relationships and securing coverage
- A belief in human connection, purpose, and impact
- Bonus if you have experience with social impact or NGOs
JOIN THE MOVEMENT This isn’t just a role. It’s a chance to shape how the world hears and feels Fridays. A chance to turn words into impact. To make doing good trend. To make Fridays count.
Are you ready to be the voice behind something that matters? Let’s reinvent Fridays together.
Weekly Time Commitment
4-6 hours per week
Duration of Volunteer Role (remote)
1-2 weeks
We connect professionals with impact startups matching their causes, skills & schedule.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
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!
About Us
For three decades, Forward Arts Foundation (‘Forward’) has been at the forefront of new poetry and now reaches an estimated 131 million people each year. We are a national charity working across the UK and online to widen poetry’s audience, honour achievement and support diverse talent. Through our two flagship programmes, Forward Prizes for Poetry and National Poetry Day, we work towards a better society where individuals and communities can develop their innate creativity, their agency and their understanding through the making and sharing of poetry.
Leadership and Management
Forward is led by its board of eight Trustees, chaired by Jamie Andrews. Jamie is Director of Public Engagement at the British Library and brings extensive experience as a trustee of several charities, including Oxford House. Other trustees are Forward’s founder William Sieghart CBE, responsible for the 2013 Sieghart Report on libraries and e-books; Kim Evans, former senior executive at BBC and Arts Council; Aoife O’Connor, poet and producer; Amelia Richards, culture and communications leader; treasurer and CFO Latinka Pilipovic; marketing manager Maya Ophelia and data scientist Mary Amanuel.
The organisation is led by Mónica Parle and Lucy Macnab, Co-Executive Directors. Both have experience as directors of writing organisations (First Story and Ministry of Stories). Mónica is an award winning writer and Lucy brings national policy and strategy design experience from Arts Council England. With joint accountability, they each work 0.5FTE. The team also includes Jay Bhadricha, Head of Programmes, and Annalise Peters, Finance and Operations Coordinator.
The team is supported by freelance specialists in education, communications, finance and fundraising.
We believe poetry is for everyone. Our approach to recruiting trustees is shaped by a commitment to diversity, equality, and inclusion. We particularly welcome applications for vacancies from D/deaf and disabled and black and minority ethnic candidates, as well as candidates from lower socio-economic backgrounds, as they are under-represented in the arts, and we commit to review our processes to ensure that our organisation more closely reflects the society it serves.
Chair Role
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.
- Provide strategic leadership to the charity and the Board.
- Work in partnership with the Co-Executive Directors and Vice Chair.
- Lead the board in ensuring that it fulfils its responsibilities for the governance of the organisation.
- Plan and chair the board meetings with the Vice Chair and Co-Executive Directors.
- Act as a spokesperson and figurehead for Forward.
What we are looking for
- Experience of being a trustee. You do not need to have been a Chair before.
- A keen sense of strategic purpose.
- An inclusive leadership style: able to inspire and support everyone to participate on an equal footing.
- 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.
- Advocate - be able and willing to champion Forward’s work through personal networks, social media, and other channels.
- A strong personal commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.
- Be responsive. At a small charity, things sometimes ‘come up’ that require the Chair to advise, support or give consent to. It is very helpful to have a Chair who is available and responsive.
Trustee roles
We are also looking for trustees with expertise in any of the below and a belief that your skills will contribute to the strong and effective governance and growth of a small charity. We are especially looking for experience and networks in:
- Fundraising or philanthropy
- Governance/institutional/policy leadership
- Digital/data/design
- Education
- We’re also interested in applications from those under 30 or those seeking their first trusteeship, and offer support and guidance from an experienced ‘buddy’ trustee.
- Ideally, applicants should show interest in or understanding of the literature/arts sector and/or literacy and education.
Responsibilities of all trustees
- Support and provide advice on Forward’s purpose, vision, goals and activities.
- Approve operational strategies and policies, and monitor and evaluate their implementation.
- Oversee Forward’s financial plans and budgets and monitor and evaluate progress.
- Ensure that key risks are being identified, monitored and controlled effectively.
- Provide support and challenge to Forward’s Co-Executive Directors
- Keep abreast of changes in Forward’s operating environment.
- Applying your skills, expertise, knowledge and contacts to promote Forward’s work.
Essential qualities and attributes of all trustees
- Willingness and ability to understand and accept their responsibilities and liabilities as trustees and to act in the best interests of the organisation.
- Ability to think creatively and strategically, exercise good, independent judgement and work effectively as a board member.
- Effective communication skills and willingness to participate actively in discussion.
- A strong personal commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.
- Enthusiasm for our vision and mission.
- Willingness to lead according to our values of wonder, play and openness.
- Commitment to Nolan’s seven principles of public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership
Terms and Commitment
Location: All board meetings may be attended online. We will try to meet face-to-face when we can. But trustees are welcome wherever they live.
We estimate you’ll need to commit around 30 hours over the course of a year. The board meets quarterly and we have a strategy day one afternoon a year. Trustees are appointed for a 3-year term, with a maximum of 2 terms.
Salary: Unpaid, travel expenses will be reimbursed if needed and where necessary.
Deadline for applications: 21 July
Interviews beginning w/c 28 July
To apply or find out more, contact Co-Executive Director Lucy Macnab explaining why you would like to be a trustee. If you are interested in being Chair, please make this clear. You may want to tell us what your previous experience is, and what knowledge and skills you have and what you would like to gain from the experience. Also someone we can talk to as a referee. We will accept applications in any medium.
For those applying for the chair role, you are welcome to have a call with Jamie Andrews, current chair, to find out more.
Forward Arts Foundation is a registered charity (charity number: 1037939) and a company limited by guarantee (company no: 02902864), registered in England and Wales.
This role is advertised as part of TPP's Free Giving Back Services. This volunteer advertisement copy has been supplied to TPP and applicants apply direct to the organisation. Please contact the organisation directly if you have any questions about this volunteer role.