Media volunteer roles in east ham, greater london

Sembeza Africa

Sembeza Africa provides Quality Physical Education (QPE) programs that empower youth and communities in Uganda, integrating sports with education, gender equality, and environmental sustainability.

Uganda’s youth face significant barriers, including limited access to quality education, early pregnancies, and a lack of inclusive opportunities for physical and personal development. With over 75% of the population under the age of 30, Uganda needs initiatives that address these challenges holistically. Physical education in many schools remains underdeveloped, leaving children without the critical skills for leadership, teamwork, and resilience. Furthermore, environmental degradation threatens the communities we serve, and gender inequality continues to limit opportunities for girls to participate in sports and education.

Sembeza Africa focuses on delivering Quality Physical Education (QPE) programs that promote physical activity as a foundation for learning and life skills. By integrating sports into education, we empower youth to build confidence, develop leadership abilities, and foster inclusivity. Our programs also incorporate elements of Traditional African Sports and Games (TASG) to preserve cultural heritage while making physical education more engaging. Through structured QPE initiatives, we address critical issues such as gender equality, environmental stewardship, and access to education, aligning our work with Uganda’s national development priorities and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Thank you for considering joining our team! At Sembeza Africa, we are a small group of passionate individuals who dedicate our time to creating meaningful change in Uganda. Each of us is either working full-time or studying full-time, but our shared commitment to empowering youth through Quality Physical Education and sustainable development drives everything we do.

We know we can’t do this alone. That’s why your support means so much to us. Whether it’s helping with planning, fundraising, outreach, or any other task, every bit of assistance makes a huge difference. Together, we can accomplish so much more than we ever could alone.

Each year, we travel to Uganda to host the Ubuntu Sports Festival, an inspiring event that brings communities together through sports, education, and cultural celebration. As part of our team, you’ll not only be contributing to this life-changing work but also be invited to join us in Uganda for the festival. It’s an unforgettable experience and a chance to see the impact of our work firsthand.

We deeply appreciate your time, energy, and willingness to be part of this journey with us. Together, we can create lasting change and empower the next generation in Uganda.

Copywriter

Volunteer Role Description (remote, unpaid)

Sembeza Africa uses the power of sports to improve health, education, community development, and environmental sustainability across Uganda. As a Volunteer Copywriter, you’ll create clear, engaging blog posts, social media updates, newsletters, and impact stories that show exactly how our programs change lives. This remote, flexible role demands a proactive, can-do attitude—you’ll spot opportunities for fresh content, tackle challenges head-on, and keep projects moving forward. Strong problem-solving skills are a must, as you’ll adapt messaging to different audiences and find creative ways to highlight our work. Your creative writing talents will bring our success stories and grant proposals to life, helping us connect with donors and secure vital funding. You’ll collaborate closely with our communications team to maintain a consistent, authentic brand voice and optimize every piece of content for maximum reach. Excellent writing and editing skills, plus keen attention to detail, will ensure every sentence is polished and persuasive. If you’re passionate about nonprofits, love crafting stories, and thrive in a self-motivated environment, this role is for you.

Weekly Time Commitment

4-6 hours per week

Duration of Volunteer Role (remote)

6+ months

Jumble Sales Organiser Volunteer

Would you like to raise funds, have fun and join a super team of volunteers who together make our Jumble Sales in Thatcham a great success?  As Jumble Sales Organiser you would be helping to make everything run smoothly for the team.

Time Expectations:  1 Saturday every other month (plus preparations)

This could be a shared role and tasks may include:

· Booking the hall for future Jumbles

· Contacting the Jumble team before events to check availability

· Set up stalls, running a stall and packing away at the end

· Collecting any items/resources needed from the centre the day before

Without volunteers, Cats Protection Berkshire Cat Centre simply wouldn't exist. Our amazing, friendly volunteers are a diverse group with a shared love of cats who fit volunteering around their home lives and personal commitments.

We're often looking to welcome new volunteers to join our brilliant team. As well as meeting great people and making an incredible difference to the cats of Berkshire.

Please note:  Although we do welcome everyone, unfortunately our centre is not set up to accommodate young volunteers under the age of 18, including those on the Duke of Edinburgh programme.

Full training and support will be given for all roles.  We look forward to hearing from you!

We are looking for enthusiastic people to join our trustee committee and help shape and deliver animal welfare in the East and South East London areas.
 

The RSPCA East London and Havering Branch aims to align its core objectives with those of the National RSPCA — specifically: to rescue, rehabilitate, rehome, and protect animals.

The RSPCA East London and Havering Branch CIO (the "Branch") is seeking to appoint new Trustees to join the Branch Trustee Committee. This is an exciting time for the Branch as we aim to grow and enhance our services across East and South East London.

What does the Branch do?

Our Branch covers postcodes within East and South East London (those beginning with E or RM). We operate boarding facilities where we care for, rehabilitate, and rehome cats rescued by RSPCA Inspectors.

We are an independent charity, working in partnership with the National RSPCA, a separate charity. Together, we deliver the RSPCA's mission — focused on frontline animal welfare and community engagement.

As an independent branch, we fundraise and manage our resources independently to deliver animal welfare services. We receive some financial support and guidance on best practices from the National RSPCA to ensure we comply with Charity Commission regulations.

Future Plans

In the coming years, our plans include:

· Developing and executing plans for sustainable income growth 

· Building out our volunteer and supporter network

These plans are continuously reviewed and developed by the Branch Trustees to ensure we focus our efforts on helping as many animals as possible.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for people from all social and cultural backgrounds with experience or skills in any of the following areas:

· Accounting

· Marketing and Communications (including social media, PR, websites)

· Fundraising (including corporate fundraising, trust fund and grant applications)

· Local community and supporter engagement

· Charity growth and development

· Veterinary or animal welfare

· Volunteer management

Alongside relevant experience, we’re looking for people who are committed to the RSPCA’s charitable objectives and share our passion for animal welfare. You should be a creative, innovative team player, bring a fresh perspective, and be able to turn ideas into action.

We are particularly interested in hearing from individuals who live or work in the areas we cover (E or RM postcodes), or who can travel to London for Branch meetings and fundraising activities.

What can we offer in return?

We offer all Trustees:

· Support from both the RSPCA team

· A platform to utilise your skills and experience to shape the charity and directly impact local animal welfare

· An opportunity to gain new skills and develop existing ones while making a real difference

· A chance to expand your professional and personal network by working with like-minded people

Practical Considerations

Please note:

· You must be based in London or can have regular access to London to join our fundraising activities

· You must be aged 18 or over and a UK tax resident to join the Trustee Committee

· You must be a member of our Branch before you are eligible to be co-opted or elected as a Trustee

· Trustees are elected for a 12-month term each year

· Reasonable expenses will be reimbursed

· Trustees must sign a Declaration of Willingness to Act and confirm they are not disqualified from being a Trustee (more information is available on the Charity Commission website)

What difference will you make?

As a Trustee, you will:

· Help shape the strategy and direction of the Branch

· Contribute your unique skills and experience to decision-making

· Work as part of a collaborative and motivated team

· Develop your own skills or pass them on to others

Together, we can make a significant impact on animal welfare in our community.

Please include also a cover letter explaining why you are interested in this role and detailing your relevant skills, knowledge, experience, and motivation.

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.

What Society Gains

• Stronger communities through meaningful connections and social cohesion.
• Better mental health as regular social engagement combats loneliness and stress.
• Economic benefits by addressing disengagement and reducing the financial impact of lost productivity.
• A culture of contribution that makes doing good an expected and enjoyable part of life.
• Encouragement of important conversations that spark awareness and long-term change.

What Nonprofits Gain

• Consistent and reliable volunteers who return regularly instead of one-time participation.
• Increased awareness and visibility as events spotlight causes and attract new supporters.
• Corporate partnerships that lead to long-term collaborations and structured support.
• A boost in fundraising efforts with more engaged donors and sponsorship opportunities.
• Social Friday has the power to become for nonprofits what Black Friday is for the retail industry, a recurring, high-impact tradition that drives engagement, resources, and long-term sustainability.

What Companies Gain

• Higher employee engagement that improves teamwork, motivation, and morale.
• Stronger workplace culture that fosters connection and shared purpose among employees.
• Improved employer branding, attracting top talent who value purpose-driven organizations.
• Enhanced Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) through a structured and scalable approach.
• Innovation and problem-solving by exposing employees to new perspectives and social challenges.
• A deeper sense of gratitude among employees. In a world focused on what’s missing, Social Friday offers a reality check that shifts perspectives. Through hands-on engagement, employees develop greater appreciation, empathy, and resilience, strengthening workplace culture.

Innovative Expansion

• Reality TV Show where college teams compete to grow Social Friday, making social engagement visible and aspirational.
• Fashion with Purpose through apparel designed to spark conversations and reinforce a culture of connection.
• Education Programs that use research-backed initiatives to enhance students' social skills and promote civic engagement.
• The Social Friday Hymn, a unifying anthem that strengthens the identity of the movement and deepens its emotional impact.

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.

Graphic Designer

Volunteer Role Description (remote, unpaid)

VISUAL STORYTELLER WITH A PASSION FOR PURPOSE? IT’S TIME TO DESIGN IMPACT.

If you see design as a way to move people and video as a tool to inspire change, then this might be the role you've been waiting for.

At Social Friday, we’re not just creating content—we’re shaping a movement. A mindset. A new way of seeing time, connection, and community. We turn ordinary Friday afternoons into powerful moments of purpose through storytelling, events, and global collaboration.

Now we’re looking for a creative soul who can bring our mission to life through visuals that resonate, inspire, and connect. If you’re a detail-obsessed, impact-driven designer and video editor with a strong creative eye, we’d love to meet you.

ABOUT THE MISSION Social Friday is the Olympics of Giving Back. Our mission is to transform the least productive hours of the workweek into opportunities for connection, awareness, and action. We work with nonprofits, companies, and individuals around the world to make doing good a habit—and a lifestyle.

Your role will be central to how the world sees and feels that mission. Whether it's a bold social media post, a heart-hitting event recap, or a campaign that turns heads and starts conversations—you’ll be the one making sure every pixel has purpose.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Design engaging visual content for digital platforms, campaigns, presentations, and events Edit short-form videos for social media, pitch decks, and post-event storytelling Collaborate with the marketing, content, and events teams to translate ideas into compelling visual stories Help shape and maintain a cohesive visual identity across all channels Take initiative in proposing new formats, design trends, and video concepts that elevate our mission Ensure that every piece of content reflects Social Friday’s bold, warm, and purpose-driven voice QUALIFICATIONS

Proven experience as a graphic designer and video editor with a strong portfolio Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (especially Illustrator, Photoshop, + Premiere Pro, After Effects) or equivalent tools A strong sense of typography, layout, color, and motion design Ability to adapt and create within brand guidelines while bringing fresh ideas to the table Passionate about social impact, visual storytelling, and meaningful communication Self-starter with excellent time management and attention to detail Bonus if you’ve worked in social impact, NGOs, or purpose-led brands JOIN THE MOVEMENT This isn’t just about creating content. It’s about designing a better way to spend our time, see the world, and connect with each other.

This is the Olympics of Giving Back. And you’ll be the visual voice of the movement.

Are you ready to turn ideas into visuals that move people?

Weekly Time Commitment

7-9 hours per week

Duration of Volunteer Role (remote)

1-2 weeks

Volunteer Opportunity: Join Our Helpline Team!

Are you a healthcare professional—or nearing qualification—and looking for a meaningful way to give back?

The Brain & Spine Foundation is looking for three Health Professionals to join our trusted national Helpline as volunteers.

Our Helpline offers a safe, supportive space where individuals and families living with neurological conditions can receive practical and emotional guidance. Run by experienced neuroscience nurses, we handled over 2,500 enquiries in 2024 alone. Now, we’re growing—and we would love your help.

Help us to make a difference tackling loneliness in Oxfordshire.

We are a pioneering charity who have been changing lives for more than 40 years.

If you have experience in fundraising and would like to help us to develop our income generating approach, we would love to hear from you. Your expertise in fundraising will be instrumental in ensuring the financial sustainability and growth of our organisation.

Job description available on the Archway Foundation website (details attached).

If you'd like to discuss the role with the CEO, please call our office to arrange a call or email (details attached).

We actively encourage applications from individuals belonging to underrepresented groups.

Here at Youth4Youth, we have grown a strong, tight-knit community of individuals who are passionate about making a difference and improving the lives of young people across the UK. Our growing team of volunteers all contribute, significantly, to the impact that we have as a charity on our direct beneficiaries, regardless of the department that they work in of the level of time that they are able to commit. Our services primarily offer a peer-support network to young people right across the UK, allowing them to access a peer mentor who is of a similar age to them and somebody that they feel more comfortable speaking with.

If successful, you will be joining a growing team of diverse, but likeminded individuals, collaborating to increase the reach of the Charity and improve support provisions available to young people. All of our volunteers and employees are remote workers, but that doesn't stop us keeping in touch and maintaining a strong positive culture amongst our whole team. 

About the role

Our Peer Mentors are at the forefront of our Youth Services delivery, tackling head on the issues that young people are facing everyday. As a Peer Mentor, you will engage with young people who reach out to Youth4Youth for support, taking time to coach and guide them through the difficulties that they are facing. This exciting opportunity, targeted at individuals who are between the ages of 16 and 25, provides young people with the space to directly impact and transform the lives of young people, significantly improving their overall wellbeing.

Ideal candidates are those who are able to commit to regular volunteering activity of at least 2 hours per week (on average) and who are able to comfortably communicate via written e-mail and other remote chat functionalities.

Responsibilities:

Your core responsibilities as a Peer Mentor at Youth4Youth include:

• Building strong, professional relationships with young people seeking mentoring support.
• Demonstrating commitment to the charity by regular volunteer engagement to maintain ongoing communication with young people (which includes responding to young people within an agreed and reasonable time frame).
• Providing light support, advice and guidance to young people in relation to the troubles that they are facing, in line with the resources provided to you by the charity.
• Maintaining professional boundaries with young people and not seeking to offer support beyond your capability that may put a young person at risk.
• Maintaining regular contact with your Youth4Youth supervisor, with the expectation that you will meet at least once per month for a supervision session that involves reflective practice and a focus on your development as a mentor.
• Providing support as part of our Peer Mentor network to colleagues across the Charity who are also directly supporting young people.
• Maintaining compliance with all policies. Most importantly this means maintaining the right level of confidentiality around your conversations with young people and recognising your safeguarding responsibilities in raising concerns as they arise to keep young people safe.

Peer Mentors are also actively encouraged to get involved in fundraising, outreach and social media activities where they feel comfortable and able to.

Skills 

• Strong written communication skills, such as being able to effectively compose a written e-mail in response to a young person.
• Ability to build strong, professional relationships and maintain trust between yourself and a young person, such as through active listening and adapting to the individual needs of different young people.
• Ability to demonstrate empathy to others.
• Ability to work in a challenging environment and recognise when you may need support yourself.
• Proficient in the use of IT tools, such as Microsoft Outlook.

Our mission is to continue to grow towards becoming one of the best charities in the UK. Our aim is to do this by building a diverse team, rich with different backgrounds and perspectives. Therefore, even if you feel you only are a 75% match, we would still love to hear from you. Skills can be learned, but diversity cannot.

Skills development for you:

As a Peer Mentor at Youth4Youth, you will be required to take part and graduate our Youth Services Academy. This program requires an upfront commitment of 10 - 13 hours of training prior to taking on the role of communicating with young people. This investment in you not only equips you with the understanding of what it takes to be a successful peer mentor, and the skills that you will need, but also is an investment in you. This training will provide you with core soft skills that are transferrable to many opportunities, whether that's in everyday life for you, your education setting or your place of work. All Mentors graduating from the Youth Services Academy will be provided with an electronic certificate to demonstrate your successful completion of the program, which can be shared with potential employers.

Benefits of volunteering with Youth4Youth

We recognise that you will be joining us and giving your time as an 'in-kind' donation, but there must be benefits for you too. When joining our team, you will be open to the following benefits:

• Professional and personal development opportunities in a variety of skill areas through volunteering in real roles. This may be general development or tailored to your specific needs or ambitions
• Becoming a member of a strong network of likeminded individuals, spread across the UK, who you can connect with and collaborate with both within and outside of the Charity
• Access to bespoke discounts, specifically designed for non-profit workers and Youth4Youth volunteers
• Opportunities to truly shape the future of the Charity, having a direct influence over the impact that Youth4Youth has on its direct beneficiaries

The hiring process:

Unlike other roles at Youth4Youth, the hiring process has been simplified for peer mentors, recognising the demographic of individuals that we are seeking to fill these positions. To put you at ease, the hiring process includes:

• An initial application, stating your reasons for wishing to become a Peer Mentor
• A remote interview conducted via Microsoft Teams

Successful candidates at this stage will be invited into the final stage of the recruitment process which includes:

• Satisfactory references being received (these do not need to be employment references)
• A satisfactory DBS check being received
• Successful completion of the Youth Services Academy

Invitation to apply for the position of Society Chair

A. Description of the Society

The Society is the third oldest local conservation charity in England, founded in 1897 by many of the public figures who  campaigned to procure the passing of the 1871 Hampstead Heath Act, which saved Hampstead Heath as a public open space in perpetuity, and who went on to found the National Trust.

The Society is an unincorporated association, constituted by its contractual constitution, and is a registered charity. Its charitable objects are as follows:

3. (a)  to preserve those parts of Hampstead Heath which are subject to section 16 of The Hampstead Heath Act 1871* in their wild and natural state, and also to preserve the natural and characteristic features of the later additions to the Heath, so far as is consistent with their enjoyment by the public;

(b) to promote and maintain the amenities and characteristics of the environs of the Heath, and of the buildings and streets of Hampstead; and

(c) to promote public interest in the study of natural history, conservation, and the history of the areas referred to in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Rule 3.

*[Section 16 provides: The [Metropolitan] Board [of Works] shall at all times preserve, as far as may be, the natural aspect and state of the Heath, and to that end shall protect the turf, gorse, heather, timber and other trees, shrubs, and brush-wood thereon.]

The Society’s geographical remit is limited to Hampstead Heath, the fringes of the Heath, and the old borough of Hampstead (now legally subsumed into the London Borough of Camden).

It is governed by a ‘general committee’ of some 15 trustees which is supported by (i) three subcommittees (each of approximately a dozen members) responsible for the distinct areas of Hampstead Town, Hampstead Heath, and local planning applications, and (ii) a Plaque Selection Panel which is responsible for the erection of plaques on buildings in Hampstead Town commemorating famous residents.

The Chair, along with principal Society officers, is elected annually at the annual general meeting.

The Society has approximately 2,000 members and is in sound financial and reputational shape. Further details of the Society may be found on the Society's website. 

B. General role of the Chair

The general role of the Society Chair includes the duties outlined in the English Charity Commission document entitled “The essential trustee: what you need to know, what you need to do”, namely:

· help plan and run general committee meetings and in members’ meetings

· take the lead on ensuring that meetings are properly run and recorded

· take the lead on ensuring that trustees comply with their duties and the charity is well governed

· act as a spokesperson for the charity

· act as a link between trustees and committee members.

Reference should also be made to “A Chair’s Compass - A guide for chairs of charities and non-profit organisations”. 

Given the local remit of the Society, it is desirable that the prospective Society Chair should be resident in Hampstead (including West Hampstead), Belsized, Highgate or Hampstead Garden Suburb. The prospective Society Chair will be invited to join the general committee and ‘shadow’ the current Chair for the appropriate period before taking over.

C. Core and specific tasks of the Society Chair

Convene, set the agenda for, and chair bi-monthly meetings of the general committee, and approve the draft minutes of those meetings

Convene and set the agenda for the Society’s annual general meeting in June of each year, deliver a verbal annual report at that meeting, and approve the draft minutes of that meeting

Write the annual trustees’ report for inclusion in the annual return to the Charity Commission

Settle and approve the Society's annual financial statements as prepared by the Treasurer and the Society's auditors/examiners

Write a column of approximately 2,000 words for the Society's newsletter published in January, May and October

From time to time, as an observer, attend meetings of the Society's three subcommittees (Town, Heath and Planning) and the Society’s Plaque Selection Panel

Support the Society’s vice-chairs in their chairing of the Society’s three subcommittees (see above)

Oversee recruitment to the general committee and, as required, the Society's three subcommittees

As required, be the public or official face of the Society in dealings with the media, and the City of London Corporation (the freehold owner of Hampstead Heath and the sole trustee of the Hampstead Heath registered charity), Camden Council (including Hampstead Ward local councillors) and other local or governmental bodies

As required, lead (even if only in  a titular or nominal sense) campaigns run by the Society

Attend and, as required, host Society events, including the New Members Party, the Xmas Party and Society lectures (usually two to three a year)

Maintain relations with other non-governmental bodies with which the Society has regular dealings in matters of common interest, including the Vale of Health Society, the Highgate Society, the Hampstead Garden Suburb Residents Association, the Hampstead Neighbourhood Forum,  Heath Hands, the Kenwood Estate, Keats House, Camden History Society, the London Forum and Civic Voice

Identify, and suggest to its editor, items for inclusion in the Society's newsletter

Are you creative? Would you like to support others to express their emotions through arts and crafting?

Art plays a valuable role in mental wellbeing with research showing that crafting, regardless of the medium you use can boost your mood, self-confidence and reduce stress overall. Taking part in art-based activities increases our resilience and engages us in the here and now. You will be supporting people to express their emotions, provide a time for people to relax and feel proud of their final art products! We are recruiting for a volunteer to support and facilitate an art and craft group.

What you will be doing

• To prepare arts and craft sessions, involving individuals in the planning process where possible
• Inspire and motivate individuals to develop their arts and craft skills, assisting them in the creation of their projects and supporting them to brainstorm and use their own initiative
• Encourage individuals to continue independent activities

The skills you need

• Experience of arts and/or crafts either in a professional, educational, or personal level
• Able to collaborate with individuals to plan an art group session and facilitate confidently
• A calm and patient manner
• Ability to provide a trusting, open, kind-hearted atmosphere that encourages learning and participation
• An effective communicator with a patient and sympathetic nature

What's in it for you

• Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications
• Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
• Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards and Celebration events; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering; We hold social events and outings for our volunteers to get together and have some fun

We seek a Chairperson to head our Board at Evolve Counselling who will guide our strategic direction in the provision of lowest cost mental health counselling for individuals and businesses. 

Location: Cambridgeshire area of operations. Chair can be fully remote. 

Voluntary: Reasonable expenses paid 

Commitment: Initial term of 1 -3 years. Flexible hours per month 

Closing date: Wednesday 2nd July 2025

Overview 

For over 40 years Evolve Counselling has provided lowest-cost professional mental health counselling for adults in Cambridgeshire, Peterborough, Northamptonshire and beyond, through the skill and dedication of our team of 60+ BACP-registered counsellors.

The role 

We are looking for a new Chair who understands the growing demand for our services and the challenges of competing as a medium sized charitable business at this time. We shall look to our new Chair to build trust and engagement with our CEO, the Trustee Board, our volunteers, and supporters, as we capitalise on great recent work to stabilise and find new opportunities for significant growth. 

The new chairperson will ideally bring health and wellbeing experience and commercial skills, as well as a demonstrable empathy for charitable working and commitment to the Nolan Principles of public life. 

The role of the Chair is hugely rewarding and the scope under the leadership of the current CEO for Evolve to grow and innovate is significant. You will have significant senior leadership experience to drawn upon as you take ultimate responsibility for directing and inspiring the Trustees, making sure we are financially sustainable, and well run for our clients. Our ethos is to look upwards and outwards as we strive for a leading position in mental health services for all, and your commercial acumen, professional contacts, and powers of persuasion in business will be a huge support for our ambitions. 

Including quarterly board meetings, committee sessions (at present virtual), a face-to-face AGM event, plus away days, and regular meetings with our CEO and the trustees, we anticipate a flexible time commitment of around 2 - 5 days per month. 

For further information or an informal discussion on the role, please contact Kevin Bottrell.

Application process: Expressions of interest in the first instance by email to our CEO Gordon Ackroyd.

Please read the attached Trustee Information Pack for more detail

As a Trustee, you will play a crucial role in the governance and strategic oversight of the charity, ensuring that we operate effectively, achieve our mission, and comply with all legal and regulatory requirements. Trustees are collectively responsible for safeguarding the charity’s assets, ensuring they are used exclusively to further our objectives, and overseeing the charity’s financial health, including budgets, financial controls, and reporting. Acting with integrity and in the charity’s best interests is at the heart of the role.

To strengthen our board and support the growth of our charity, we have identified three key areas where additional expertise is needed:

• Marketing
• Legal
• Fundraising

Each of these areas play a vital role in helping us achieve our mission, enhance our impact, and ensure the charity’s sustainability for years to come. In the attached Recruitment Pack, we have outlined individual role profiles for each of these specialisms.

We welcome candidates from diverse professional backgrounds who share our commitment to supporting those affected by Body Dysmorphic Disorder. If your current or previous skills or experience align with any of these profiles, we encourage you to apply and join us in driving meaningful change.

HLP is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), supporting a fairer society through our work.

We want our board to reflect the diversity of our helpline communities and sector and to expose bias, provide richer discussions with well-rounded perspectives that will help trustees in their decision-making, which in turn will increase the charity’s legitimacy and impact.

Helplines Partnership is keen to support the above initiatives in increasing the diversity of its board and therefore we are particularly interested in receiving trustee applications from all communities.

We would particularly like to hear from people who:

• Are looking to be part of the leadership of an established and highly respected charity
• Have, or are seeking to develop, experience in a non-executive role
• Are willing and able to devote the necessary time (see time commitment below)
• Care about mental wellbeing and helplines and feel motivated by our vision, mission and values

Time Commitment:

The successful candidate will be required to attend three two-hour teleconference Board meetings per year and one face to face meeting (historically held in London).  Also the Annual Conference which you will be required to attend in person during November. 

This is an unpaid voluntary position; however, reasonable travel expenses will be covered.

What are we looking for?

•  Some experiences of the charity / helpline sector are desirable but not essential.
• As an organisation, we work remotely, using IT solutions such as Teams, Zoom and SharePoint so location is not so relevant. Being comfortable with the use of these technologies would be helpful.

What difference will you make?

 As a small charity, your contribution will be significant and effective. As part of HLP’s Board, you will be helping directly to ensure the effectiveness of the organisation.

Quotes from Trustees who are coming to the end of their tenure:

“Being a trustee at HLP has been a great experience – challenging and positive in equal measure. From a personal point of view, it helped me develop strategic leadership skills and gave me a chance to contribute to areas such as policy development and financial management. Working with and listening to my fellow Trustees was also a great development and networking opportunity. It was also a way of helping HLP grow its impact and do even more for its members and helplines around the country.”

 Becoming a helplines trustee has brought me far more than I imagined. I have gained new friends, learnt new skills and experienced excellent networking across many new areas, I can highly recommend it.

 It has been a privilege to serve as a Trustee with HLP over the last three years and more recently as Co-Chair along with Elizabeth Rimmer. Looking through a professional lens it has been invaluable learning and development for me and allowed us to develop deeper links across the nations in relation to knowledge sharing and networking for our helpline memberships. 

 On a personal level I have very much enjoyed working with the HLP board and staff team who are all genuinely passionate about what they do and the helplines and people they represent. 

​We hold new volunteer inductions at the start of each term, so apply ASAP to be in time to join our next induction.

Action for Refugees in Lewisham works to relieve poverty and isolation amongst refugees, asylum seekers and other vulnerable migrants in Lewisham. At the Rainbow Club supplementary school we aim to help children between the ages of 4 and 11 to improve their literacy, numeracy and social skills in a friendly and supportive environment.  We need your skills and enthusiasm to assist the teacher in the delivery of a literacy and numeracy class and work with other volunteers to develop a programme of recreational activities. The Rainbow Club runs on Saturday mornings during term-time.

Your duties will include:

• Arriving punctually for the 9am briefing by the Rainbow Club Headteacher;
• Working in a team with other volunteers and teachers to deliver literacy, numeracy, arts, sport activities – this includes ensuring children remain engaged throughout the lesson and carry out set tasks as instructed by the teacher;
• Working one-to-one with specific children if and when required;
• Filing classroom work and homework in children’s individual files and keeping all materials and resources tidy and properly stored;
• Liaising with parents as and when required for example distributing leaflets and news about future meetings and events and also assisting with parents' day;
• Following the teacher’s policies on discipline and classroom management;
• Supervising the children during break times;
• Supporting the children during class trips;
• Ensuring classrooms are clean and tidy at the end of each day – this may include being part of a regular team rota;
• Providing feedback and comments to the Rainbow Club Headteacher when required.

ShowerBox is a registered charity that has been providing free and secure showers as well as toiletries and supplies, warm drinks, snacks and haircuts to individuals facing homelessness since 2018. Our mission is to enhance our guests’ sense of physical well-being and dignity, help combat social isolation, and provide access to other essential resources such as health clinics and mobile libraries. By empowering individuals, we hope to help them make long term improvement in their lives.

Learning of individuals having passed away from preventable illnesses on the streets due to an inability to get clean and the social stigma associated with poor personal hygiene, Sarah Lamptey (our CEO) started offering weekly showers in St. Giles churchyard in Soho, London, from 2019. ShowerBox became a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) in 2021 and since then has been expanding nationally. Now, we operate in multiple sites – Central London, Birmingham, and Barking – either independently or in partnership. Central London remains our biggest site, followed by Birmingham and Barking, and we are in initial discussion with others. We receive our funds through philanthropy – currently supported by National Lottery Community Fund, Vitol Foundation, HS2, amongst others. 

As we look to expand to new sites, we are seeking two passionate new trustees to help us grow and thrive. As a Trustee, you will play a vital role in shaping our strategy, expanding our network, and ensuring our charity is impactful. It will be a volunteer role.

What are we looking for?

• Interest in making a difference in the lives of people experiencing homelessness/housing security

• Experience serving as a Trustee or Board member (in either for-profit or non-profit organisation)

• An understanding of legal duties, responsibilities, and liabilities of trusteeship

• Ability to devote time and effort to support a small and growing charity

• Prepared to attend four board meetings per year (mostly online) plus one or two ad hoc committees and/or events in line with their expertise, specific interest, or as needed

We are keen to hear from individuals with the skills and experience to help direct our organisational development within: 

• Operations, HR & Compliance

• Fundraising & Communications

We are particularly interested to hear from professionals with expertise in the following areas:

• UK charity law and compliance

• Risk management & GDPR

• Safeguarding, staff and volunteer wellbeing

• Fundraising and communications strategy (charity / social enterprises)

• Philanthropy or Corporate Partnerships 

• Individuals with a track record in income diversification, particularly from trusts/foundations, major donors, or Corporate Social Responsibility.

• Experience working in the Homelessness or public health sector, especially in the UK 

Please send your CV and a short cover letter outlining why you are interested in working with ShowerBox. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.