Lead support volunteer volunteer roles in ellesmere port, cheshire

Al Naasih is a 1‑to‑1 mentoring programme established by Hidayah in March 2020. It seeks to support queer Muslims struggling to reconcile their faith and identity. Mentors are trained in relevant skills (emotional intelligence, active listening, managing relationships, etc.) and paired with mentees to help them achieve personal goals. Within this role you will:

· Provide empathetic, non-judgemental support for mentees working through challenges related to faith, identity and wellbeing

· Help mentees set and achieve personal goals

· Act as a positive role model and safe space

· Assist mentees in exploring reconciling their faith with their LGBTQ+ identity, supporting spiritual, emotional, and practical wellbeing

Please this role is UK based and online/virtual.

What are the key responsibilities of this role?

This role will have the following duties, but are not limited to:

· Build a trusting and respectful relationship with mentee

· Be in regular contact: at least once per month, according to what works best)

· Help mentees identify goals, hurdles, and strategies to work towards those goals

· Listen actively and empathetically; offer guidance rather than prescribing solutions

· Maintain confidentiality, boundaries, and ethical conduct

· Attend required training sessions (1‑on‑1) to develop mentoring skills (emotional intelligence, active listening, relationship management, etc.)

· Reflect on own practice; be open to feedback and possibly supervision / check‑ins

What do we expect from an Al Naasih Mentor?

Please note that you must agree with and fit the criteria below to be eligible to volunteer in this role:

Essential:

· Must be a queer Muslim

· Strong empathy, patience, and trustworthiness

· Comfortable discussing issues around faith and sexuality / identity

· Good communication skills; active listening; emotional intelligence

· Ability to set and maintain healthy boundaries

· Reliability and consistency (making time for regular sessions)

· Ability to maintain confidentiality regarding mentee’s personal information

·Ability to recognise limits of the mentoring role (e.g. not a therapist / counsellor) and refer on where needed

· Able to respect the mentee’s autonomy and pace

Desirable:

· Prior experience of mentoring, coaching, or peer‑support work

· Some understanding of LGBTQ+ issues within Muslim communities

This role will report to the Al Naasih Programme Coordinator or designated lead.

 

How much commitment is required?

This is a voluntary role with flexible hours subject to the agreement between you and your mentee. However, the following are vital to the success of this role:

· Minimum once per month meetings (virtual) with mentee

· Time needed to prepare, reflect, and possibly attend training or support / supervision meetings

· Duration per mentee: to be mutually agreed, depending on goals and needs

· Up to three mentees once comfortable with the role

Tell Our Story. Create the Buzz. Change Men’s Lives.

Who We Are

MINDSET Charity is a new, volunteer-run organisation dedicated to transforming men’s lives across England. We support men on their journeys of mental wellbeing and self-improvement through workshops, creative programmes, and community-building activities. 

We are building a movement of resilience, dignity, and brotherhood. To amplify our voice and raise awareness, we need a passionate Communications Manager to help us tell our story.

The Role of Communications Manager

As our Volunteer Communications Manager, you will:

• Craft and share our story across platforms, building a strong, inspiring narrative.

• Create a real buzz around our start-up charity, ensuring our mission reaches communities nationwide.

• Raise awareness of men’s mental wellbeing and self-improvement through campaigns, press releases, and social media.

• Develop and manage communication strategies, ensuring consistency and resonance in every message.

• Collaborate with volunteers and programme leads to showcase impact and celebrate success.

This is a volunteer role, but your words and creativity will be the spark that ignites a movement.

Who We’re Looking For

We welcome applications from communicators of all backgrounds who share our passion for men’s mental wellbeing. Experience in PR, marketing, social media, or journalism is valuable, but what matters most is your ability to inspire, connect, and amplify our mission.

Why Join Us

• Be part of a pioneering charity at its foundation stage.

• Shape the public voice of a national movement.

• See your work directly empower men and communities.

• Collaborate with passionate volunteers united by vision and brotherhood.

How to Apply

If you’re ready to tell our story and help build MINDSET Charity’s future, we’d love to hear from you.

This is more than communications. It’s about giving voice to a movement, raising awareness, and changing lives. Join us, and let’s build MINDSET together.

Fundraising volunteer

Our vision for volunteering

Volunteering is and always will be at the heart of Cats Protection. It is joyful and inclusive. As a charity, working in partnership, together we transform the lives of cats, people and communities.

The difference you will make to cats and people

As a charity we are able to help thousands of cats each year thanks to the generous donations we receive from members of the public. Our fundraising volunteers use their passion for cats and people to raise the vital funds needed to help more cats and kittens in need. As a fundraising volunteer we want to support you to fundraise in whatever way suits you best, whether that’s organising a fundraising event, fundraising online, promoting fundraising activities on social media, completing administration or supporting the development of new fundraising ideas! Whatever your skill set, this could be the role for you! 

You can expect us to

• Make you feel welcome, included and respected in line with our values and behaviours
• Support you in having a positive and impactful experience at Cats Protection
• Cover agreed out-of-pocket expenses in line with our Expenses Policy
• Provide you with access to learning, development and engagement opportunities

What we need from you

This is a eally flexible role, you can choose what you’d like to get involved with, for example: 

• face-to-face fundraising. Organising or helping with fundraising events, running supermarket collections and fundraising stands, monitoring collection tins 

• online fundraising. Setting up online appeals and writing impactful cat case studies that maximise donations

• marketing. Spreading the word about our fundraising activities, for example on social media and with the local press  

• completing administration. Processing donations, sorting and recording donated goods, completing Gift Aid paperwork

● championing our work. Getting involved with developing new fundraising ideas and increasing community engagement

● photography. Capturing images of cats in care, cats we are helping, events and all things Cats Protection

Time expectation

This is a flexible role that can fit around your other commitments to suit you. You’ll be part of a team raising vital funds while having fun in the process!

You may be just the volunteer we’ve been looking for!

We are committed to building a diverse, compassionate and inclusive organisation where everyone can be themselves and do their best. We are courageous and compassionate in our purpose of helping people see the world through cats’ eyes. Together, we can make a difference. Together, we are all for cats. Join the UK’s leading cat welfare charity and help make a better life for cats, because life is better with cats

We’re dedicated to ensuring that autistic survivors of sexual violence and related abuse are believed and supported throughout their recovery journey. We achieve our mission by collaborating directly with survivors to voice, explore, and share ideas on effective recovery pathways.

Our work extends to initiating and responding to training opportunities that address the intersection of autism, sexual violence, and related abuse. We actively engage with diverse societal groups to establish collaborative projects and raise awareness, fostering a more inclusive and understanding environments for all.

By providing training to the public, Lotus Collaborations UK enhances recovery pathways for autistic survivors, equipping communities with the knowledge and tools needed to offer meaningful support. As a trusted partner in advocacy and education, we are committed to creating pathways to recovery that are accessible, empathetic, and informed by lived experience.

Diversity and Inclusion Statement

Whilst we welcome applications from all interested parties, and to promote diversity within the organisation, in line with section 3.2 of the Equality Act 2010, preference will be given to applicants who are autistic, or autistic with another neurominority, and who may also have other protected characteristic(s), provided they meet the essential criteria for the role.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development and oversight of the organisation’s financial strategy, ensuring alignment with its mission and objectives.
• Ensure full compliance with Community Interest Company (CIC) regulations and all relevant financial legislation.
• Oversee all financial operations, including budgeting, forecasting, and the preparation of annual accounts.
• Advise the Board of Directors on financial planning, risk management, and investment opportunities.
• Manage the organisation’s financial obligations, including reporting to Companies House and HMRC.
• Oversee the management and monitoring of acquired funding, ensuring all funder and HMRC requirements are met.
• Act as a key signatory for bank accounts and investments, ensuring proper processes are followed.
• Develop and implement internal audit procedures and maintain robust financial controls.
• Establish and maintain policies and systems for effective financial management and reporting.
• Collaborate with the Board to develop and uphold the organisation’s reserves policy.
• Monitor and evaluate contracts and supplier relationships to ensure best value and compliance.
• Prepare financial projections and reports for funding applications, strategic planning, and Board meetings.
• Liaise with the organisation’s accountant and external auditors as required.

What are we looking for?

Essential

• Proven experience in financial management, accounting, or a related field
• Strong knowledge of business strategy and financial legislation
• Ability to communicate complex financial information clearly to non-financial colleagues
• Excellent analytical, organisational, and reporting skills
• Strategic thinker with strong problem-solving abilities
• Effective interpersonal and teamwork skills
• Ability to manage and prioritise workload
• Commitment to confidentiality

Desirable

• Understanding of the nature and impact of sexual violence/abuse (support available)
• Experience working in the voluntary or community sector
• Experience supporting or working with autistic people or neurominorities

Accessibility, and Inclusion

We are committed to making the recruitment process accessible and supportive for everyone. Assessment methods will be adapted to suit individual communication styles. Please let us know if you have specific requirements.

We appreciate any volunteering help that you can offer YBTC and want to make sure that our

volunteers have a positive experience with us. We pledge to support you as much as we can.

We want to ensure that volunteering with us does not feel too daunting, so the exact tasks might

vary depending on your circumstances. However, some typical tasks may include:

· Asking people you know who might be willing to have a collection box in their business

· Approaching local businesses to display the boxes and collect loose change from their customers

· Building and maintaining relationships with your box holders to inspire loyalty and encourage people to continue giving year after year

· Collecting the boxes in your area as and when required and taking to your YBTC contact

We are looking for people who are:

· Have a warm, friendly and confident outlook

· Willing to learn about the work of YBTC

· Able to communicate with a range of different groups

· Are creative and imaginative – spotting opportunities to boost your distribution

· Are well organised and enjoy meeting new people

· Reliable and able to commit to agreed requirements

We can offer you:

· Induction and ongoing training

· Ongoing support and supervision in your role

· The opportunity to learn new skills

· YBTC commitment to health and safety

Founded in 2003 and originally named Andrea’s Gift and later Brain Tumour Research and Support

Across Yorkshire, Yorkshire’s Brain Tumour Charity (YBTC) is Yorkshire and Humber’s leading

brain tumour charity. Offering practical, financial and emotional support to both adult and child

brain tumour patients, together with their families.

We fund brain tumour research in Yorkshire; we hope this research, dedicated to identifying new

approaches to the discovery and treatment of brain tumours, will improve outcomes for patients.

At YBTC we are a small team who are growing to meet the needs of those affected by a brain

tumour in Yorkshire. Around 15 new cases of primary brain tumour are diagnosed in the region

every week.

Our charity values are Integrity, Compassion, Community, & Ambition.

Our Vision/Mission

To improve the lives of people impacted by a brain tumour in Yorkshire, through local support and

research.

Finding funding for an organisation dedicated to women’s empowerment, development, human rights and tourism is hard to come by. If you are up to the challenge, then we’d love to have you come and support our search for funds for our innovative and exciting projects.

Equality in Tourism is a very small charity focused on gender, tourism and development.  We are looking for someone with experience, particularly with institutional and/or trust funding, or with corporate, individual or event fundraising experience, and who is able to give us a few hours a week. We would like you to take a lead on researching possible opportunities and writing one or more funding applications for us, both for our innovative projects and our core work.  

We are seeking a reliable, proactive and dedicated person, who is interested in gender and development and who will be able to work with us to enable us to achieve our goals. We offer you flexibility to work around your own time constraints.

So if you think you can help us raise some much needed funds that can go towards meeting our targets, we would love to hear from you.

Fundraising events helper

Our vision for volunteering

Volunteering is and always will be at the heart of Cats Protection. It is joyful and inclusive. As a charity, working in partnership, together we transform the lives of cats, people and communities.

The difference you will make to cats and people

As a charity we can continue to help cats and kittens in need thanks to the donations we receive at fundraising events from generous members of the public. Our fundraising event helpers have the exciting and varied role of helping at local fundraising events - such as cakes sales, barn dances, quiz nights – and everything in between!

You can expect us to

• make you feel welcome, included and respected in line with our values and behaviours
• support you in having a positive and impactful experience at Cats Protection
• cover agreed out-of-pocket expenses in line with our Expenses Policy
• provide you with access to learning, development and engagement opportunities

What we need from you

You’ll be:

· help set up and/or man stalls at events

· help on collection days like supermarket collections events or street collections

· help at fundraising events such as quiz nights, cake sales and dances

· promoting a professional image of Cats Protection at events

Time expectation

This role is really flexible! You could choose to volunteer at one event for a couple of hours or attend multiple fundraising events.

We’ll keep you up to date with upcoming local events where volunteers are needed. You’ll then be able to choose which events you’d like to volunteer at and how many hours you’d like to give. However much time you can give, your contribution will help raise much needed funds to continue the work of Cats Protection.

You may be just the volunteer we’ve been looking for!

We are committed to building a diverse, compassionate and inclusive organisation where everyone can be themselves and do their best. We are courageous and compassionate in our purpose of helping people see the world through cats’ eyes. Together, we can make a difference. Together, we are all for cats. Join the UK’s leading cat welfare charity and help make a better life for cats, because life is better with cats.

The Income Generation Officer will play a pivotal role in enhancing the financial sustainability and growth of Mountain Rescue England & Wales (MREW), supporting 47 active mountain rescue teams across the region. This voluntary position is responsible for devising and implementing a robust income generation strategy to ensure the long-term funding and stability of the organisation.

Resource is required to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to support long-term funding and organisation growth, financial stability and the achievement of income goals. This will include building relations with major donors, corporate partnerships, legacies and individual giving. In addition, there is scope to drive income through MR membership and via grants from trusts, foundations and government.

Reporting to the CEO, the person will need to contribute to the MREW’s overall future strategy. There will be a need to understand the MR structure and to have the ability to work as part of the MREW Senior Management Team, and alongside trustees, liaison team, regional structure and local teams. 

Using the MREW Income Generation Strategy, they will review all existing income generation streams to understand their viability and scalability, along with all potential new income streams to develop sustainable income for MREW.

Mountain Rescue England & Wales (MREW) is a voluntary organisation that provides mountain rescue services 24/7, 365 days a year, and offers support to communities during other crises. It consists of 47 independent volunteer search and rescue teams that operate across eight geographical areas. The organisation serves as the national body to represent the whole organisation, acting as an advisory body, linking with partner organisations and helping to standardise training and share information.

Objectives

The overarching activities for this role are:

• Develop an income generation plan, aligning with the financial planning cycle, with a periodic review and reporting cycle. Deliver against the plan.
• Central to the role will be the following essential tasks:
  • Grant Writing: Researching and writing grant proposals to secure funding from various trusts, foundations, and government agencies. 
  • Corporate Partnerships: Building and maintaining relationships with businesses to secure corporate sponsorships, donations, and in-kind contributions. 
  • Donor Engagement: Cultivating and managing relationships with individual donors and supporters to ensure their engagement and long-term support. 
• Create an opportunity to develop long-term wills and legacy income.
• Develop compelling cases for support grounded in impact and aligned with MREW values and mission.
• Build and steward high-value relationships with funders, donors and strategic partners.
• Oversee income targets whilst ensuring compliance with fundraising regulations and ethical standards.
• Research and develop grant opportunities from national and local bodies, in conjunction with regional and local teams.
• Lead on income generation for MREW, working with member teams and all other stakeholders. Support regional and local team fundraising opportunities. Foster collaboration, empowerment and accountability.
• Agree on short-term and long-term fundraising targets and opportunities alongside the MREW Senior Management Team.
• Represent MREW at relevant external meetings.

Skills

• Experience generating income, with a demonstrable track record of developing and leading fundraising strategies.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to inspire and influence a diverse range of stakeholders.
• Strong relationship management skills, with the ability to foster trust and accurately represent MREW’s mission and goals.
• Ability to work alongside colleagues and manage competing priorities.
• Financial literacy, including budget creation and management.
• Creativity, imagination and intuition.

We are looking for a motivated, self-starter with a proactive attitude, drive and enthusiasm to carry out projects to conclusion. You will need to demonstrate a commitment to the charity's mission and cause. 

Qualifications

• Financial or project management qualifications are desirable.

Additional notes

• To work with the Finance Director to plan for future year budgets and to ensure that an accurate record of all financial transactions are produced and maintained for the MREW Finance Director, including the fundraising pipeline.
• To ensure all committee members are treated fairly through MREW Equal Opportunities Policy.
• To work with the national media team to release press statements/support campaigns as required.
• This is a voluntary role within MREW, elected annually; it is expected that the applicant will serve a term of 5 years, with a possible extension of a further 5 years if desired.
• Travel during the working day may be required, with occasional absence from home overnight, as meetings with funders and other stakeholders may cover a large geographical area. Out-of-pocket expenses can be reclaimed in line with the MREW Expenses Policy.

Role Overview

Organisation: EmbraceAbility

Role Title: Chair of Trustees

Location: Remote with occasional meetings (UK-based preferred)

Hours: Approximately 4–6 hours per month

Expiry Date: 31 March

About EmbraceAbility

EmbraceAbility supports disabled children and their families through inclusive programmes, safeguarding guidance and community-led care. We work to strengthen wellbeing, promote dignity and ensure that every child has access to safe, nurturing and empowering support. Our approach centres the voices of families, builds long-term resilience and encourages inclusive, sustainable change.

We are a disability-led, community-rooted organisation working in Cambodia and Malawi. Our mission is to empower people with disabilities to build a world where they are included, resourced, and recognised with dignity, agency and justice.

Role Purpose

The Chair of Trustees provides leadership and direction to the Board of Trustees, ensuring that the Board fulfils its responsibilities for the governance and strategic oversight of the organisation. The Chair works closely with the Director to support strong decision-making, accountability and long-term sustainability.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the Board of Trustees to ensure effective governance and alignment with EmbraceAbility's mission.
• Support the Director by providing guidance, oversight and strategic leadership.
• Ensure the Board fulfils its legal, financial and safeguarding responsibilities.
• Facilitate productive Board meetings, including agenda-setting and follow-up actions.
• Champion inclusive, disability-led approaches and ensure lived experience informs governance decisions.
• Represent EmbraceAbility externally where appropriate.

What You Will Help Us Achieve

• Stronger governance structures rooted in justice and inclusion
• Improved strategic decision-making and long-term sustainability.
• Greater visibility and advocacy for disability rights within our programmes.
• Support for our work in Cambodia and Malawi to grow responsibly and ethically.

Benefits to the Volunteer

• Opportunity to drive meaningful, rights-based change in disability inclusion.
• Experience in governance, leadership and international development.
• Working alongside a passionate, disability-led team.
• Flexible, remote role that fits around other commitments.

Support and Training

You will receive support from the Director and the Board, including safeguarding training, organisational induction, and ongoing guidance relevant to governance and disability-inclusive practice.

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.

Fundraising advisors wanted to support East London Waterworks Park in developing and implementing our fundraising strategy.

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. 

If you are a professional fundraiser and would like to help but are short on time, we would love to hear from you even if you are unable to get deeply involved. We would appreciate one-off or ongoing advice on the phone, online or in person. We would welcome feedback on our fundraising strategy and past applications, any advice about trust and grant fundraising, and any other advice you can give. 

The Fundraising Circle currently meets fortnightly on a Thursday evening on Google Meet and spends voluntary time outside of the meeting completing agreed tasks remotely. We understand that people may not have a lot of time to give, so we want to find volunteers who could give us one-off or ongoing strategic advice and support.

If you have experience in funding strategy, writing grants for funding applications, corporate fundraising, philanthropy, or any other aspect of fundraising, it would be great to hear from you. 

East London Waterworks Park is an exciting and ambitious project that offers many rewarding opportunities for our volunteers. You will have a significant impact on the creation of a new biodiverse community-owned park with free access natural swimming ponds and forest schools. 

By leading fundraising projects that explore how diverse professionals (architects, ecologists, web developers, community researchers etc.) collaborate to shape community infrastructure, volunteers will directly contribute to the development of a park that truly reflects the needs and desires of the local community. 

Without funding we won’t be able to make it happen. Your input will help us craft experiences that inspire, educate, and engage our service users, stakeholders, funders, and the general public, ultimately driving support for the park's mission and ensuring its long-term sustainability. So you will be directly contributing to the creation of a new biodiverse community-owned park with free access natural swimming ponds.

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!

Volunteer Opportunity: Chief Operating Officer (Non-Uniform Role)

Organisation: Ranger Cadets

Location: Remote Flexible / National

Commitment: Volunteer Leadership Role

About Us

Ranger Cadets is a new, independent, non-profit uniformed youth organisation with a bold mission: to engage young people in their communities, equip them with essential life skills, and unlock their full potential. We are non-political, non-religious, and proudly inclusive – open to all, regardless of background.

We believe every young person deserves the chance to shine, to belong, and to grow into the leaders of tomorrow.

The Role

We are seeking a dedicated Chief Operating Officer (COO) to lead the operational heart of Ranger Cadets in a non-uniform position. This is a vital volunteer role for someone who can translate vision into action, ensuring our programmes, systems, and people run smoothly and effectively.

As COO, you will:

• Oversee the day-to-day operations of Ranger Cadets nationally.

• Develop and implement systems for governance, safeguarding, and compliance.

• Support programme delivery, volunteer management, and organisational growth.

• Work closely with the CEO, trustees, and senior volunteers to ensure strategic goals are achieved.

• Champion efficiency, clarity, and inclusivity across all operational areas.

Who We’re Looking For

• A proven organiser with experience in charity operations, youth work, or community development.

• Strong skills in planning, systems design, and operational management.

• Excellent communication and problem-solving abilities.

• Passion for youth empowerment, social mobility, and community impact.

• Commitment to our values: non-political, non-religious, inclusive, and open to all.

What You’ll Gain

• The chance to shape the operational backbone of a national youth organisation.

• The opportunity to leave a lasting legacy for young people across the UK.

• A role that blends structure, impact, and community service.

How to Apply

If you are ready to bring clarity, structure, and operational excellence to Ranger Cadets, we would love to hear from you.

RANGER CADETS

#PreparedForLife

About the Degrees Initiative

The Degrees Initiative is a UK-based NGO that builds the capacity of developing countries to evaluate solar radiation modification (SRM), a controversial proposal for reducing some impacts of climate change by reflecting sunlight away from the Earth. Degrees is neutral on whether SRM should ever be used, but we believe that developing countries should be empowered to conduct their own research and to play a central role in SRM discussions. The initiative has been working in different forms for over a decade, and our work receives worldwide coverage and widespread acclaim. 

The charity was founded in 2021, now has around 20 staff members and is growing. We seek a volunteer trustee with significant financial experience including an accounting qualification to join an existing five-person board to help guide a growing initiative that is changing the field of SRM.

This position offers a fantastic opportunity for the right candidate to apply their financial expertise in a high-profile governance role, shaping strategy and supporting a mission that empowers Global South researchers to lead in one of the world’s most important climate debates. 

Role 

The volunteer trustee will complement and further strengthen an existing five-person volunteer trustee board including the Chair & Treasurer. The role will entail strategic leadership, governance, and fiduciary responsibilities. Alongside the Treasurer they will predominantly be advising the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and the rest of the senior management team (the Chief Executive Officer and Chief of Staff) to ensure the robust financial health of the charity. This will include: 

• Maintaining an overview of the charity’s financial affairs by overseeing the annual financial planning and budgets proposed by the senior management team 

• Monitoring and evaluating financial progress against budgets and forecasts from staff reporting at quarterly board meetings, acting a voice of financial expertise during board discussions 

• Approving the audited annual accounts and financial statements presented by the senior management team alongside the rest of the board 

• Strategic input by reviewing risk assessments alongside financial implications and advising on the organisation of financial resources and reserves to support the long-term goals of the charity 

• Confirming transparency and accountability in financial operations, and that appropriate accounting procedures and controls are in place in addition to compliance with legal and regulatory requirements 

• Advising on how the charity can most effectively conduct its international work, especially providing grants to organisations in the Global South 

• Confirming that the charity has an appropriate investment policy, and that there is no conflict between any investment held and the aims and objects of the charity

• Sitting on any board sub-committees as required 

Dive into lasting impact: Fundraise for East London Waterworks Park to create and shape natural swimming ponds, ecological habitats and community gardens

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. 

Do you have experience organising events, or would you like to get some? Our past fundraising activities have included pub quizzes, a photography competition and exhibition, sale of locally made jeans and more. If you’re buzzing with ideas of how to raise money or are keen to get stuck in and help to make some events happen, we would love to hear from you.

The Fundraising Circle currently meets fortnightly on a Thursday evening on Google Meet and spends voluntary time outside of the meeting completing agreed tasks remotely. We understand that people may not have a lot of time to give, so we want to find volunteers who could give us one-off or ongoing strategic advice and support.

East London Waterworks Park is an exciting and ambitious project that offers many rewarding opportunities for our volunteers. You will have a significant impact on the creation of a new biodiverse community-owned park with free access natural swimming ponds and forest schools. 

By leading fundraising projects that explore how diverse professionals (architects, ecologists, web developers, community researchers etc.) collaborate to shape community infrastructure, volunteers will directly contribute to the development of a park that truly reflects the needs and desires of the local community. 

Without funding we won’t be able to make it happen. Your input will help us craft experiences that inspire, educate, and engage our service users, stakeholders, funders, and the general public, ultimately driving support for the park's mission and ensuring its long-term sustainability. So you will be directly contributing to the creation of a new biodiverse community-owned park with free access natural swimming ponds.