Programmes intern volunteer volunteer roles in Belfast
Purpose of the role
In this important role, you will be responsible for assessing the eligibility of applicants for our grants and services, in adherence with Variety’s structured grant management approach (guided interviews, weighted scoring and panel review) to maximise impact for disabled and disadvantaged children and young people.
You will be required to handle grant applications and supporting information with the utmost confidentiality, following organisational policies to ensure the privacy and security of all sensitive and personal information.
Using our defined eligibility criteria and assessment tools, you will evaluate applications and conduct fair and consistent assessments, making award recommendations to support the decision-making process. You will bring an independent voice, playing a key role in ensuring that decisions are made fairly, equitably and transparently and will be required to support your recommendations with evidence of sound analysis and reasoning.
Key Responsibilities
• Review applications and supporting evidence prepared by the case management team.
• Clarify points with applicants when required (within agreed boundaries).
• Conduct structured, remote assessments (by telephone/video call) to understand need, urgency and likely impact on the child, their family life and communities.
• Establish the baseline for monitoring and evaluation by articulating the impact of the intervention.
• Where applicable, use the weighted assessment tool (base on the eligibility criteria and the Theory of Change) consistently and document clear, impartial rationales to prioritise need.
• Prepare concise, written recommendations aligned to policy, criteria and evidence.
• Attend quarterly Assessor Network meetings, which are a forum for sharing good practice, peer support, news sharing, undertaking essential training and reward and recognition.
Optional, Additional Responsibilities
• Where applicable, support the Impact Monitoring and Evaluation team to undertake post-award follow-up interviews to measure the impact made over time.
• Where applicable and available, represent Variety at events, presentations of awards and through online content.
Adherence to Policy and Quality
• Act as a beacon of good practice in fair grant assessment.
• Uphold safeguarding, confidentiality, GDPR, equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and anti‑bias standards throughout the assessment process.
• Escalate concerns (quality, safeguarding, unusual risk, conflicts of interest) in line with policy.
• Follow process controls and segregation of roles, supporting a robust, auditable trail.
• Participate in induction, refresher training, and calibration sessions to ensure consistency and continuous improvement.
• Adhere to Variety’s Code of Conduct.
Time Commitment
• Assessments: the time commitment for these varies and is flexible but we expect you will be spending 4 – 8 hours per month on these, dependent on demand and pool of assessors.
• Assessor Network: hybrid meetings that will last 1.5 – 2 hours and will be held quarterly.
• Training: short modular induction plus periodic refreshers usually rolled into Assessor Network meetings.
Support & Supervision
• Induction & training: policy, criteria, assessment skills, impact tools, safeguarding, data protection.
• Ongoing support through Programme Manager, Programmes Support Officer and Head of Programmes.
• Expenses: out‑of‑pocket expenses will be reimbursed in line with Variety’s Expenses Policy.
Impact Measures (Volunteer‑Appropriate)
• Timely completion of assigned assessments; adherence to guidance and safeguarding.
• Quality of written rationales; consistency of weighted scoring.
• Constructive contribution to committee discussion and calibration.
• Positive feedback from applicants (tone/respect) gathered via staff.
• Case study preparation
Person Specification
We welcome people from many walks of life. If you’re feel that you are the right person for this role but are unsure whether you “tick every box,” please still consider applying; training and support are provided.
What you’ll bring (essential)
• Fair assessment mindset: you can weigh information against clear criteria and explain your reasoning.
• Analysis skills: comfortable reviewing forms/evidence and using a simple scoring tool. Able to summarise and analyse complex information to extract relevant data, paying attention to detail.
• Communication: great written and spoken English (we have templates to help).
• Lived experience or insight: personal, professional or volunteer experience that helps you understand the challenges faced by disabled or disadvantaged children and young people (or you can demonstrate thoughtful knowledge of these issues).
• Friendly and approachable: comfortable conducting sensitive conversations by telephone/video call with empathy and professionalism.
• Reliability and care: you follow guidance, meet agreed timeframes where you can, and ask for help if something isn’t clear.
• Values & conduct: commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion; willing to complete safeguarding training and a DBS check.
Helpful extras (nice to have, but not essential)
• Comfortable using basic digital tools (email, online forms, video calls) – we can show you the rest.
• Experience in any of the following is desirable:
o Grant-making
o Community/children’s services
o Health/education/SEND
o Occupational Therapy
o Social care
o Structured interviewing
o Teaching
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Message from the Chair of Trustees
The Trustees represent different backgrounds and experiences, but what pulls us together is a
commitment to SEED’s work on the ground in Madagascar. Several of us have been to Madagascar
and have either volunteered or worked with SEED, so we have seen first-hand how important our
work is, and the positive impact SEED has in the communities we serve. Madagascar is an
extraordinary country with exceptional biodiversity but has severely lacking infrastructure and a
high level of anthropogenic threats due to extreme poverty and considerable dependence on
natural resources.
We are looking forward to welcoming a new Chair of our Board of Trustees to join the amazing
team of dedicated staff and volunteers who are delivering sustainable development, conservation
and community work through a range of projects based on local needs. The current Chair has been
in post since 2022 and served as a Trustee for 2 years prior to that. A change of leadership and a
fresh perspective is timely and will ensure we approach the next phase of our growth and
development with new ideas. You will be assured of a warm and supportive welcome with the
benefit of a team containing years of experience, combined with new members who bring global
expertise in their field.
SEED is growing thanks to successful marketing, fundraising project development and delivery. We
are now looking to build on our implementation of our strategic plan, to deliver sustainable
development for the people of southeastern Madagascar. We are privileged to work with its
wonderful people, and we hope that you will want to join us.
Introduction to SEED
SEED has been working in the southeast corner of Madagascar for over 20 years. SEED stands for Sustainable, Environment, Education and Development and we focus on building meaningful, sustainable change in one the poorest regions of one the poorest countries in the world.
Our projects range from school building to maternal health, from Agroforestry to Lemur Conservation and rights.
We are active on social media where you can find us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube. The majority of our staff are Malagasy, working in Fort Dauphin to design and deliver projects on the ground, alongside our international team, who bring external expertise and international best practices. In Madagascar, we have 95 staff in total (70 Malagasy and 25 international). They are supported by a small UK-based and remote working team of 10.
Governance structures
SEED’s Board of Trustees has 8 members, including the Chair, who meet quarterly. There are three sub-committees of the board focusing on: Audit and Risk; Marketing and Fundraising; and HR. These are chaired by a Trustee and consist of at least one other Trustee and up to two of the Senior Management team. We also have lead Trustees for Safeguarding and Whistleblowing.
The Board is international with Trustees based in a number of different countries, so the Board works remotely.
The operations are run by the Managing Director and the Director of Programmes and Operations who are both long standing senior managers.
The Chair of Trustees role
Chair of Trustee Board
In addition to the general role of Trustee, the Chair of SEED’s Board of Trustees holds overall accountability for the charity delivering its mission. Working closely with the Board and the staff senior team , they will provide leadership and direction to ensure SEED fulfils its charitable aims and objectives and abides by its governing documents and relevant legislation. They will work collaboratively with board members and senior management to ensure SEED delivers maximum benefit to the communities it serves.
Chair Role Description
Terms and conditions: Voluntary role
Responsible to: Board of Trustees
Base: The Board works remotely
Line manager of: Managing Director
Overview of SEED
SEED Madagascar is a successful, growing British Charity working in partnership with communities in the southeast of Madagascar. We integrate high-quality community health, rural livelihoods, schools and conservation programmes to support long term, sustainable change and add to international best practice through research and publication.
SEED has been working in Madagascar for over 20 years and has a wide range of impactful projects ranging from school building to sexual health, from beekeeping to improving lemur habitats. More recently, SEED has been working to address the famine in the southeast with emergency food distribution.
Employing most of its staff in Madagascar, SEED also engages international staff and interns as well as running a volunteer programme. Full details of our operations can be found on our website which includes our annual report and accounts, fundraising advice and information on our staff and Trustees.
The role will carry the usual responsibilities of a Trustee as defined by the England and Wales Charity Commission and we encourage all applicants to read through this prior to making an application.
Accountability:
As a Trustee you are responsible and liable for the governance and functioning of the charity and are accountable in varying degrees to a variety of stakeholders including service users, members, funders, the Charity Commission, and Companies House.
SEED Trustees should uphold the fiduciary duty required of all charity trustees to act in the best interests of both current and future beneficiaries of the charity, being held personally liable for any breach of that duty.
Key Responsibilities
- To ensure that the Board of Trustees understands and fulfils its responsibilities for the governance of the organisation
- To provide strategic oversight and ensure that all decisions are taken in the best interests of SEED and its charitable aims.
- To provide leadership for the Board of Trustees in their role of developing and agreeing the strategy of the organisation.
- To ensure that SEED has the effective policies and procedures needed to function properly, legally and safely including those for safeguarding, whistleblowing and anticorruption.
- To effectively chair the Board meetings, facilitating debate and bringing about consensus and clear decision making.
- To work with the Board to bring about strong and constructive working relationships and sharing of the workload across the areas of expertise.
- To oversee the membership of and effective working of the subcommittees
- To build and maintain a constructive and supportive working relationship with the MD. To be overall line manager for the MD, assessing their performance and discussing development needs with them.
- To work closely with the MD to support them in achieving the vision of the organisation ensuring they have the support needed for the effective running of SEED and bring scrutiny as needed so they are held to account for achieving agreed strategic objectives.
- To plan with the MD the annual cycle of Board meetings, setting agendas and monitoring the decisions taken at meetings are enacted.
- To review the Board’s performance and composition to ensure that SEED has a diverse, high performing Board working together in support of SEEDs strategy and Charitable objectives.
- To support recruitment and onboarding of new members to the board as needed to ensure continuity of the board responsibilities.
- To work with each Trustee to support them fulfilling their duties and responsibilities for the effective governance of the charity.
- To ensure the Board regularly reviews major risks and associated opportunities.
- To lead the Board in fulfilling its duties to ensure the sound financial health of the charity, with systems in place to verify financial accountability and that SEED is operating within the legal and financial guidelines set out in the current legislation
- To represent the interests of the board and charity externally as and when needed
Person specification
- Knowledge and understanding of the role and responsibilities of a Chair of a Charity and Board Membership – experience as a board member as a minimum
- An understanding and experience of strategic planning within the corporate or charity setting.
- A proven leader with the ability to think strategically and creatively and to challenge proposals with clear logical thinking
- A strong commitment and passion for international development and an understanding of this sector, ideally able to bring experience of working within it.
- Demonstrable alignment to the charity’s mission, vision, and values
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills
- Experience of people management and able to build strong relationships with people who are working on a voluntary basis at senior level
- An understanding of, or a willingness to understand, the strategic, legislative, political and cultural contexts that affect and influence SEED’s work
- Enthusiasm and commitment to equality and diversity in all aspects of SEED’s work
- An interest in Madagascar and an understanding of the challenges of working within different cultures and environments
- Be able to work to and advocate for all of SEED’s policies and procedures, safeguarding those that SEED works with and investigating and/or reporting any concerns appropriately
SEED Madagascar actively encourages equality, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace and aims to create a working environment free of bullying, harassment, victimisation, and unlawful discrimination, where individual differences and the contributions of all staff are recognised and valued
Time commitments and requirements
There are a minimum of four Board meetings per year with the potential for additional Board meetings and Trustee only discussions. The Chair will discuss and agree the agenda in advance with the Managing Director, Chair the meeting and ensure follow up actions take place. These meetings are on a Sunday, are virtual and typically last 3 hours.
The Chair will participate on one sub-committee which has its own quarterly cycle of meetings. The Chair will manage the MD and have regular discussions about progress and undertake the annual review process. The Chair and all Trustees are required to undertake mandatory training as part of their induction and regular updates and additional training. The Chair will work with the Board to ensure each member is taking an active part in the Board and sub committees.
The Trustee Board are encouraged to have one trustee a year take a trip to Madagascar to familiarise themselves with the environment the SEED works in and to meet and get to know the staff in country (some expenses will be covered).
Thank you!
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
From touchdown to takeoff and everything in between, here at Travel Radar we don’t just report on aviation and air-travel news, we take off with it! Since 2015, we’ve soared from being a small startup to one of the world’s leading sources for commercial aviation and air-travel coverage, and we’re only just getting started! With a remote crew of over 50+ enthusiasts, we deliver fresh content 24/7, 365 days a year to over 30 million readers across the globe.
Travel Radar is growing; We are looking for 2x Operations Managers to join our team and support our growth by supporting our contributors, interns and volunteers in the smooth operations of the organisation. You will have a hands-on role managing a busy team within the organisation, composed largely of volunteers and interns.
Responsibilities and A Little More About the Role:
- Coordinate management activities and operations to secure efficiency and compliance to company policies
- Supervise department staff and divide responsibilities to ensure KPIs are met
- Hold a monthly department meeting with team members
- Handle a team inbox and handling internal correspondence as required
- Submit timely reports and prepare presentations/proposals as assigned
- Other administrative tasks to support the smooth running of the department
Who We're Looking For:
- Passion for Business/Organisation Management, Administration and Office Management is ideal
- Willingness to learn new skills, software and (likely) a new industry - Aviation and Air-Travel
- Great communication and teamwork skills
- Proficiency in the Microsoft Office365 Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel)
- Interpersonal skills and ability to interact and work with staff at all levels
Why volunteer at Travel Radar?
- Fully remote position
- Perkbox / Discount Program with over 4,000 deals and discounts
- Great Training and Learning Resources, including a CPD Level 5 Accreditation in Business Administration
- Option to gain a recognised CIPD award (through experience) funded by the company
- Latest Tech including free subscription to Office365, Grammarly Premium, Adobe Photoshop and Canva Pro, as well as access to company Chromebook devices and Virtual Machines
Additional Information:
Commitment per Week: 6-12hrs per week (Approx)
Reports to: Senior Operations Manager
Interviews for this position will be held remotely via Microsoft Teams, as applications come in. Please indicate in your cover letter if you have any preferences on times/days of the week to attend an interview.
Non Charity Employer
51 - 100
Our mission to change how travel is seen involves showing people how to make their journeys as fulfilling as possible whilst empowering our team!
