Information support volunteer volunteer roles in newton le willows, merseyside

South Liverpool Domestic Abuse Services (SLDAS) are seeking a new Treasurer to join our Board to oversee the charity’s financial governance, compliance and planning.  As a small independent charity founded in 1998, SLDAS offer free and accessible support to women who experience domestic abuse in South and South-Central Liverpool.  Domestic abuse has a devastating impact upon individuals, families and communities.  Year on year, recorded incidents of domestic abuse have increased in Merseyside, and rose sharply during the pandemic. Women are falling through the net and we want to do more to help them.

We employ a team of nine full and part time staff who support the running of the service, including a director who joined us in April 2023, responsible for managing and developing the staff and service, and developing the strategic direction of the charity alongside the Trustees.

SLDAS is mainly funded by a number of local authority and other national grant providers with an interest in domestic abuse.  Whilst this is a competitive and challenging time for all charities, we have made some steps towards sourcing new multi-year funding to expand our services, making this an exciting time to join us on the board of Trustees.

Please note that this opportunity is open to women only, and is exempt under the Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9, Part 1.

Becoming a Trustee with SLDAS offers a chance to make a real difference to the lives of women at risk of domestic abuse, but it will also offer you opportunities to meet new people, take on new challenges and volunteer in an interesting and strategic role.

To join the board of Trustees as Treasurer, we are particularly interested in receiving applications from women with strong skills and professional experience in the following areas:

• Previous Trusteeship role(s);

• Knowledge of charity accounting guidelines;

• Budgeting and forecasting;

• Management reporting, and the ability to explain financial concepts to non-finance trustees and staff;

• Accountancy qualification preferred, or demonstrable experience in a financial accounting role;

• Financial controls and risk management;

Successful candidate(s) will demonstrate:

• A commitment to support women in South Liverpool to live their lives free from violence, abuse and fear;

• A willingness and ability to devote the necessary time and effort to the role;

• A commitment to take the lead in financial governance, promoting the safeguarding of the financial viability of the Charity;

• An enquiring approach, not afraid to ask questions or challenge;

• An understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of trusteeship;

• Clear communication skills, and the ability to work effectively as a member of a board.

The Treasurer will also be expected to attend and chair the Finance Planning and Fundraising sub committee.  Some mentoring hours with the Director and the Finance worker may also be expected.  

SLDAS recognise that the role of a Trustee is a responsible position and that you may require training and support to conduct your role to the best of your ability. We therefore offer Trustees an induction, ongoing training and opportunities for mentoring from other Trustees.

The time commitment for Trustees is around 4-6 hours a month. Board meetings are monthly, usually in the evenings. Most of the meetings are virtual via zoom meeting, although we do try and meet in person on occasion, either at the office or in the South Liverpool area. Trustee positions are unremunerated, but reasonable travel, subsistence and childcare expenses will be reimbursed.

• Closing date for applications: Please contact Manager Beckie Radcliffe for information

• Shortlisting and interviews: TBC

Web developers and designers wanted to support East London Waterworks Park in continuing to improve its website and digital infrastructure.

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 web developers and designers to contribute to our community-led working group who are working on coordinating content and infrastructure for the East London Waterworks Park website. 

There is opportunity to lead on projects across web development and UX and web design, and facilitate the direction of the working group.

The Comms Circle currently meets fortnightly on a Tuesday evening on Google Meet and spends voluntary time outside of the meeting completing agreed tasks remotely.

You should be experienced in HTML, PHP, CSS, Javascript and SQL, and or UX and web design. You should be comfortable with community-led processes. Our roles are quite flexible. We hope that people bring radical imagination, peace with nature, and courageous inclusiveness to the role. 

Contribute to the creation of a new biodiverse community-owned park with free access natural swimming ponds. Your skills in web design and development will be crucial in creating a visually engaging and user-friendly online presence that effectively communicates the park's biodiversity and mission. By designing engaging websites and interactive platforms, you'll help us connect with our community, inspire action, and secure the necessary support for the park's future.

Your internship role within Concordis will be shaped by what is happening on Concordis programmes during the six months you spend with the organisation and by your interests, experience and abilities.  As a team, we rely on each member to contribute their skills to our work and we will look to make the most of what you have to offer, while at the same time giving you opportunities to develop new skills and to challenge yourself.

You may be asked to carry out research and analysis into countries in which we are active, guided by our research managers and following our research methodology.  Your role may include assisting with the development of project proposals, monitoring international news outlets and researching potential new project areas.  You may be asked to help with monitoring and evaluating our programmes, working with the programme managers and programme officers to understand and capture results from our programme activities.

You may also be required to give practical, logistical and administrative support to the programme team to which you are allocated, including helping to set up data collection systems, analysing the data collected, preparing and sharing reports, liaising with project partners, preparing for dialogue or training sessions, translating peacebuilding material and taking notes at internal and external meetings.

You will attend team meetings and programme update meetings where you will hear from the Director of Programmes and other members of the programme teams, giving you the chance to understand what is happening on the programmes and to ask questions about any aspect of peacebuilding. 

You will be asked to research sources of funding and may be involved in drafting applications for funding, including generating ideas for new programmes that meet the needs of communities and donors.

You may be required to attend external meetings, seminars and conferences and to contribute to website and social media content.  You will be given opportunities and time to attend virtual training on peacebuilding and related topics.  You will be asked to be part of the Security Monitoring rota whereby we take turns to track the movements of the in-field staff.  This does include occasional essential weekend working.

You may also be asked to assist with HR processes such as evaluating applicant CVs and be given the opportunity to attend interviews as an observer/interviewer.

The internships are designed to give you concrete experience in research, programme management and funding within the international development sector. 

The role will require you to work virtually with our UK team, with programme teams in one or more of the countries in which Concordis operates and with your fellow interns.  If you live in or are visiting London, we will be delighted to welcome you to join some team meetings in person.

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.