Support volunteer volunteer roles in banbridge, armagh city, banbridge and craigavon

sheRebuilds

sheRebuilds is a nonprofit project that supports women who have experienced domestic violence by helping them rebuild their lives through psychological support, coaching, and career development.

sheRebuilds addresses social challenges faced by women who have experienced domestic violence, focusing on the long-term impact that abuse has on their emotional well-being, self-confidence, and economic independence. Many survivors struggle with trauma, social isolation, and limited access to opportunities for education and work. By offering psychological support, coaching, and career development guidance, the project helps women rebuild stability, regain their voice, and re-enter society with renewed strength and professional skills.

sheRebuilds provides a holistic, free support system for women who have experienced domestic violence. We combine psychological care, and professional coaching to help survivors heal from trauma and rebuild their lives with confidence. Through sessions with psychologists, interview preparation, and LinkedIn profile guidance, participants gain the emotional resilience and career tools they need to enter the job market and create sustainable independence. Our closed, safe community ensures that every woman feels supported, connected, and empowered to take her next step.

Join sheRebuilds and help empower women who have survived domestic violence! Your skills in social media, content creation, or partnership outreach can make a real difference. Together, we can raise awareness, connect with more women, and create a supportive community. Be part of a project that changes lives.

Social Media & Partnerships Manager

Volunteer Role Description (remote, unpaid)

Support sheRebuilds by managing social media accounts ( LinkedIn, Facebook), creating and posting engaging content, interacting with followers, and helping identify potential partners and collaborations to increase visibility and attract more women to the project.

Weekly Time Commitment

4-6 hours per week

Duration of Volunteer Role (remote)

6+ months

Victory Afghanistan

Remote (must be based outside Afghanistan; UK or Europe preferred for time zone, but open worldwide)

Commitment: 6 hours per week through November 2025 (with the option to continue)

Compensation: Volunteer (unpaid)

About the Role

Victory Afghanistan is a US registered 501c3 charity based in Chicago, led by Afghan women and supported by more than 100 volunteers from 27 countries. We provide free online English education, mentoring and career pathways for over 850 Afghan girls and women who are currently banned from attending school or university.

We are seeking a highly motivated, strategic and entrepreneurial Career Pathways Manager to launch and lead a team focused on developing employment and internship opportunities for our senior students.

After completing our six level English programme and four semester mentoring course, students face three possible pathways:

1. Applying for international university scholarships abroad

2. Completing an online university qualification

3. Finding paid online work or remote internships — this is where you come in

Your role will be to build this pathway from the ground up, supported by a small team of Afghan volunteer project coordinators (each committing up to six hours per week). All are graduates or senior students from our programme.

You Will

• Develop a clear understanding of the online work landscape for Afghan women

• Explore safe and realistic income and internship pathways

• Identify potential partnerships with charities, NGOs, UN affiliates and socially responsible businesses

• Collaborate with Afghan project coordinators and our international leadership team

• Help shape long term systems for students to access paid work or meaningful career building experiences

Who You Are

• A committed professional with a background in charities, NGOs, international development, HR or social entrepreneurship

• Someone with excellent English and strong internet access

• Highly organised, adaptable and able to take initiative with limited resources

• Based outside Afghanistan (UK or Europe preferred for time zone, but open globally)

• A strong communicator with a sense of humour and a practical, solutions focused mindset

• Ready to commit around six hours per week through November 2025 (current semester)

Why Volunteer With Us?

This is a serious volunteer role in the middle of a humanitarian crisis. You will be helping to build something that could genuinely change the trajectory of a young woman’s life.

Victory Afghanistan is not just another charity. We are a global community of more than 100 volunteers from 27 countries, united in our mission to keep education alive for Afghan girls.

Interested?

Please send us a short message introducing yourself, your background, and why you are interested in this role. We will then arrange a conversation to explore fit and expectations.

We are a fast moving team made up of people from across the world. We are passionate, practical and committed to doing the most we can for the girls we serve. If this sounds like you, we would love to hear from you.

We are looking for a Growth Coordinator to support organisational growth and strategisation. If you think you have any of the skills, interests or experience to support us in this role, please feel free to apply!

Spero is a UK-born, newly formed, youth-led, non-profit global storytelling platform dedicated to sharing diverse perspectives from around the world. We're creating a place for people to look beyond their own borders and to learn and connect with the real lives and experiences of others everywhere. 

Our aim is to foster understanding and connection in an increasingly polarised world by sharing authentic stories, building empathy, and encouraging thoughtful dialogue. Part of our mission is to humanise global issues, making them more engaging and accessible - especially for young people who often feel disconnected from traditional news and politics.

We’re looking for motivated people with the passion, time, and curiosity to join our team. Our volunteer roles are a chance to gain meaningful experience, contribute to an impactful mission, and grow your skills in a supportive, creative environment. 

Spero is entirely volunteer-run, so these positions are unpaid and remote. But in return, you’ll gain hands-on experience in project management, communications, research, teamwork, creative production, and problem solving all while helping us build something that matters.

Application Deadline: Wednesday 17th September 23:59 BST

All volunteers should have:

• Interest in global issues and diverse perspectives.
• Ability to be proactive, work both independently and collaboratively, and manage time effectively.

Additional Requirements:

• Networking and outreach
• Engagement with a range of stakeholders
• Fundraising research and writing
• Measuring and reporting the impact of work
• Maintaining financial records
• Project management
• Writing and maintaining policies or governance documents

What you need to know:

• Roles are part-time, flexible, and designed to fit around other elements of your life
• We are asking for a commitment of about 5-8 hours per week for a minimum of 3 months (but hopefully long-term if you enjoy our work)
• Our team meets on Mondays, 7:30–9:00 pm BST (attendance at most meetings is important, so make sure timing works if you’re international).
• Expected start date Monday 29th of September
• As a coordinator you will provide flexible support to your area of work as well as across the organisation. You will get the chance to take on an area or project with direct ownership and responsibilities.

If you’re passionate about global issues, creativity, and working in a dynamic team, we’d love to hear from you!

Why does this role matter to Human Appeal? 

Volunteers are an integral part of Human Appeal’s success. They are the ones that create real change for those most in need. This is your chance to meet new people, gain new skills and experience and have fun whilst being part of a great cause.

We are seeking to recruit an enthusiastic, fast learning Senior Engagement Intern, Midlands & Wales intern to join our growing team at Human Appeal; helping us with admin tasks, recruitment of volunteers for events and online fundraising campaigns, research for various upcoming events and help with general tasks.

Main tasks include: 

• Administrative tasks such as collating data, contacting signups for various challenges, deployments and events. 

• Assist with administrational tasks relating to fundraising

• Research venues, catering and other fundraising related tasks for upcoming events 

• May be asked to go to occasional events dependent on location 

Knowledge/Experience/Skills required: 

• A good understanding of humanitarian relief

• Effective written and oral communication skills 

• Problem solving skills 

• Ability to prioritise your workload 

Benefits of volunteering with us: 

• Experience of operating within the Fundraising department of an international charity 

• Opportunity to develop knowledge and skills in Fundraising

• Excellent support as part of a friendly team 

• Excellent training opportunities 

• Offer to provide references after 3 months of volunteering 

• Support in developing your CV (should you want it) 

• Opportunities to take part in Human Appeal events 

Learning & Development: 

To enable you to take part in this opportunity Human Appeal will provide:

• A detailed induction to provide you with an overview of Human Appeal 

• Training and shadowing providing all the information and skills needed to fulfil the role

• A dedicated member of staff to provide ongoing support and supervision 

• Payment of “out of pocket” expenses in line with Human Appeal’s expenses policy 

• A volunteer handbook that outlines all of the policies and procedures you will need to be aware of whilst volunteering 

NEUROMANCERS CIC is a peer-led organisation providing autonomous, abolitionist, and accessible mental health care for and by the neurodivergent+ community. 

We are looking for volunteers who can dedicate their much-valued time and passion as Media & Admin Coordinators. We are a digitally-based, national organisation so all volunteering will be remote. 

Our Media & Admin Coordinators will support us behind-the-scenes, working both independently and collaboratively. Your main responsibilities will be writing and designing social media posts and newsletters to entertain and inform our community.

If you love creating digital content, are chronically online, and passionate about neurodivergent liberation, this may be the role for you!

Commitment: Minimum six months. Role can be renewed every six months. 

Hours: Approximately 3hrs per week, flexible to your availability. Our volunteer responsibilities are shared between multiple people. 

Tasks: We are a digitally-based, national organisation so all volunteering will be remote. You will be expected to attend monthly meetings and meet deadlines. Most tasks will be done in your own time. 

Criteria: We hope that all applicants have experience relevant to the role of interest. If not, please ensure you clearly outline how you could fulfil the role in your application.

Alongside this, applicants will be...

• Self-identified as neurodivergent+
• Organised, responsible, and reliable communicators
• Able to navigate technology such as email, design templates, or web meetings 
• Aligned with NEUROMANCERS values
• Based in the UK with access to a quiet working space
• Knowledgable about non-clinical peer support practices, Disability Justice, prison, police, and psychiatric abolition and the neurodivergent paradigm
• Committed to anti-racism, LGBTQ+ rights, anti-speciesism, anti-ableism, and total liberation for all

Are you passionate about building a more inclusive, sustainable and resilient economy? Are you looking for a meaningful way to use your finance expertise?

ECU is a small, dynamic non-profit working to transform the economy so that everyone has the freedom and security to live a good life. 

ECU’s board members are responsible for ensuring that ECU is well-run and delivers on our ambition to accelerate the transition to a fair, sustainable and resilient economy. They are responsible for fulfilling the legal duties of a Company Director, as set out by Companies House. Although ECU is not a charity, it is focused on delivering a public purpose, so most aspects of the role are similar to that of a charity trustee role.

We are now recruiting for ECU’s first Treasurer, who will lead at board level on monitoring ECU’s financial performance and sustainability, ensuring that we have robust financial policies and processes in place, and supporting other board members to fulfil their collective responsibilities around finance. 

This is an exciting time to join ECU. We have an ambitious vision for change, a strong analysis of the opportunities and barriers to progress, and a clear view of our role in building a better economy. Our board is committed, collaborative and inclusive, with a strong understanding of its role and remit, and a culture of open dialogue. Our work is challenging, fascinating, and fulfilling – and, with rising levels of inequality, an unfolding climate emergency, overstretched public services and a growing concentration of corporate power, it couldn’t be more important.

Are you a qualified accountant, looking to make a real difference to a human rights charity?

The Restraint Reduction Network (RRN) is looking for a dedicated and passionate honorary Treasurer to join our Board of Trustees.  

About the RRN Treasurer role

This is an exciting opportunity to volunteer with the RRN in a vital governance role: the Treasurer maintains an overview of the RRN’s financial affairs, ensuring effective and appropriate financial measures, controls and procedures are in place. As a member of the Board of Trustees, the Treasurer also supports good governance helping set the strategic direction of the charity for the years to come.

The role would suit a qualified accountant with some knowledge of charity accounting and the ability to communicate financial information to the wider board in a clear and accessible way. 

With a passionate Board of Trustees and a committed staff team, you’ll join an organisation focused on positive change.

This is a voluntary role. Any expenses incurred while carrying out the duties of the role will be reimbursed.

About the RRN

RRN is a national charity with an ambitious vision to eliminate the unnecessary use of restrictive practices across health, social care and education. We want to develop a culture of respect for human rights across services.

If you share our vision, we would love to hear from you.

IAPWA (International Aid for the Protection & Welfare of Animals) is a UK-registered animal welfare charity dedicated to creating a better future for animals in need. As a small charity, who has big plans, we can’t do it without the support of volunteers and fundraisers. That’s where you come in.

Help Us Launch Our Postal Donation Project & Secure Business Sponsorship!

Are you a dynamic, results-driven individual with a passion for animal welfare and fundraising? Do you have experience in corporate relationships or securing sponsorships? Join our team and make a significant impact by helping us fund our exciting Postal Donation Project!

As part of our dedicated volunteer team, you’ll play a key role in enabling us to send donation packs to our supporters, who will fill them with preloved items and return them to us for our monthly auctions. But we need your expertise to secure the funding to make this project possible.

What You'll Do:

• Develop a Sponsorship Package: Create a compelling sponsorship proposal that outlines the benefits for businesses to support our project.

• Reach Out to Businesses: Approach local and national businesses for sponsorships, highlighting how their support will make a meaningful difference to our cause.

• Build Relationships: Cultivate strong, long-term partnerships with corporate sponsors, ensuring they feel appreciated and valued for their contribution.

• Collaborate with the Team: Work alongside other team members to ensure the successful execution of the project, including tracking donations and managing logistics.

• Help Us Reach Our Goals: Your efforts will enable us to distribute donation packs to supporters, resulting in more valuable items for our auctions and more funds raised for the animals we care for.

What We’re Looking For:

• Fundraising Experience: Ideally, you’ll have some experience in securing sponsorships or working with corporate donors, or a passion to develop these skills.

• Strong Communication Skills: You’ll be confident in reaching out to businesses and building relationships, whether in person, by phone, or via email.

• Organised and Motivated: You’ll need to stay on top of tasks, follow up on leads, and keep detailed records of your communications with sponsors.

• Team Player: You’ll be working with a small dedicated team, so a collaborative attitude is essential.

Why Volunteer With Us?

• Make a Real Difference: Securing funding can help us grow our Auctions for Animals fundraising potential. .

• Professional Growth: This role is an excellent opportunity to build on your fundraising and corporate relationship skills, while working with a supportive team.

• Flexible Commitment: Work on your own time and from home. We provide all the support you need to succeed.

The Charities HR Network – Trustee 

Following a period of significant growth, The Charities HR Network (CHRN) is looking for three new Trustees to join its board in 2025.

As the UK’s only network dedicated to supporting HR professionals in the charity sector, CHRN plays a vital role in connecting professionals, championing best practice, and providing tools and resources that really make a difference.

This is a voluntary role with real influence. Trustees help guide CHRN’s strategic direction, support the CEO and team, and ensure that its growing membership continues to be served in meaningful and forward-thinking ways.

Active for over 20 years, the CHRN now supports over 150 charities and is aiming to double this reach within the next three years. As part of this next chapter, CHRN is particularly keen to appoint trustees with experience in talent acquisition, learning and development, or organisational development. Two of these appointments will also help lead specialist groups in these areas.

CHRN welcomes applications from individuals with senior experience in HR or the charity sector. Previous board experience isn’t required, but the ability to think strategically, a collaborative approach, and a commitment to inclusion and equity is important.

Key details:

• Remote/virtual meetings (likely one per year face to face) – trustees can be based anywhere in the UK
• Time commitment: around 4–6 board and committee meetings per year
• Voluntary position with expenses covered
• A supportive and inclusive team culture, with opportunities to influence sector-wide change
• Personal and professional development through board-level experience, networking, and leadership of special interest groups
• Initial tenure of 3 years, with an option to extend for an additional 2 years

Trustees at CHRN are hands-on, insightful, and central to the success of the organisation. They work closely with the CEO and team to support service delivery, develop partnerships (including with the CIPD), and ensure that CHRN continues to meet the evolving needs of its members.

To apply, candidates should send a CV and short supporting statement to Peter Reeve, CEO. Informal conversations are welcome in advance and Peter can be contacted via email or LinkedIn.

Deadline for applications: 5pm, 15 September 2025

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.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a charity at the very start and to make a difference in shaping how we move forward.

Who are we looking for?

At present we are working towards being fully operational, over the next year Living Reasons will be looking to expand its reach and part of that journey is to tap in to social media as a whole to communicate openly and confidently about the areas we work in. What we are doing, we feel is new and grabbing those opportunities.

With this in mind, we want people who have a specialist interest, experience in or want to learn more about one of more of the areas the Living Reasons will be working in and confidently host lives on social media or in our currently being built website option for video drop in live sessions that are two way conversations with people.

This role will mean having to deal with challenging members of the public, there will always be moderators to ensure the people taking part in the live session remain respectful but there may be the need to respectfully challenge people's opinions in an attempt to educate. 

Living Reasons will never shy away from complex conversations and being challenged on our stance, we are sure we will learn from these sessions as well.

So if you have a strong sense of general social justice, fairness, equality, diversity and equity in all areas of life and for all people, then this could be the role for you. Get in touch, and we can discuss in more detail.

What is the plan?

The person who is starting the charity up is autistic, has ADHD, CPTSD and also multiple physical conditions that effect daily life and is part of the LGBTQ+ community and has faced a lot of issues in life because of these things.

Living Reasons is being created to fix what we think is a challenging situation that is getting harder to achieve every week, month and year in the current economic, political, environmental and societal landscape. It is not easily defined but we hope the charity objects below will help put context to what we want to achieve, what we can say is that below are the issues we are trying to address, how we do this will change as quickly as society does, but the issues we want to tackle are these:

1) Outdated and damaging employment practices

2) Accessibility to services

3) Limited employment, training and education opportunities

4) Lack of support during times of crisis or need

5) Lack of equity and agency for many people in society

6) Institutional discrimination that is not challenged

7) Abuse of the legal system at all levels

8) Abuse of power in government bodies

9) Poor access to healthcare

10)  Unequal treatment of many people in society by large corporations

11)  Assumptions made by wider society based on incorrect, outdated or discriminatory rhetoric that is used in daily life

12)  Outdated company engagement with the public

13)  Lack of support that is not talked about and not being addressed

Our Living Values -

Creativity

1) Imaginative Development (Individual)

2) Instilled Collaboration (Internal)

3) Changing The Status Quo (External)

Prospectivity

1) What Can You Do (Individual)

2) What Can We Do (Internal)

3) What Can They Do (External)

Revolutionary 

1) Inspire With Confidence (Individual)

2) Boundaryless Innovation (Internal)

3) Challenge Traditions (External)

Attentivity

1) Analyse and Redesign (Individual)

2) Rebel and Reform (Internal)

3) Enquire and Reimagine (External)

Seeking Website Administrator to maintain The IWI’s websites and assist members with any technical issue.

Responsibilities:

• Website Maintenance: Keeping the organisation’s websites up-to-date with the latest content, ensuring accuracy, relevance, and optimal performance. 
• Content Management: Managing and updating website content, including text, images, videos, and other media. 
• Security Management: Implementing and maintaining website security protocols, such as firewalls and encryption, to protect against cyber threats. 
• Performance Monitoring: Tracking website performance metrics, such as traffic, load times, and user behaviour, and identifying areas for improvement. 
• Troubleshooting: Identifying and resolving technical issues that may arise, such as broken links, slow loading times, or errors. 
• User Experience (UX): Ensuring the websites are user-friendly, easy to navigate, and provides a positive experience for visitors. 
• Technical Support: Providing technical assistance to website users and resolving any issues they may encounter. 

Specific Tasks:

• Managing domain names and web hosting.
• Backing up website data and implementing disaster recovery plans.
• Optimising website pages for search engines (SEO).
• Analysing website traffic using tools like Google Analytics.
• Collaborating with developers on website design and functionality.
• Developing and implementing website strategies to improve performance and user engagement. 

Skills and Qualifications:

• Technical Skills: Knowledge of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, web servers, and web security principles. 
• Problem-Solving Skills: Ability to identify and resolve technical issues quickly and efficiently. 
• Communication Skills: Ability to communicate effectively with users, colleagues, and stakeholders. 
• Organisational Skills: Ability to manage multiple tasks, prioritize effectively, and meet deadlines. 
• Analytical Skills: Ability to analyse website data and identify areas for improvement. 
• Attention to Detail: Ensuring accuracy and consistency in website content and functionality. 
• Adaptability: Staying up-to-date with the latest web technologies and trends. 

Seeking Human Resources Coordinator to assist new staff with onboarding, as well as to communicate with staff and assist with any HR related inquiries.

Responsibilities:

• Manage internal and external HR related inquiries or requests.
• Maintain both hard and digital copies of staff records.
• Assist with the recruitment process by placing hiring notices, confirming scheduled interview dates and issuing staff contracts.
• Update records of new staff.
• Support other assigned functions.

 Skills and Qualifications:

• Minimum 2 years of experience as an HR coordinator (essential).
• Exposure to labour laws and employment equity regulations.
• Effective HR administration and people management skills.
• Full understanding of HR functions and best practices.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Works well under pressure and meets tight deadlines.
• Highly computer literate with capability in email, MS Office and related business and communication tools.
• Organisational and time management skills.
• Strong decision-making and problem-solving skills.
• Meticulous attention to detail.

betterSoil

betterSoil is a sustainable start-up and a movement that is passionately committed to the health of our earth's soil.

We are currently losing around 10 million hectares of fertile soil worldwide. That's about 14 million football pitches. However, good soils are the source of more than 90% of our food. At the same time, the world's population will grow to 10 billion people by 2050. Food will therefore become scarce, especially high-quality food, as this depends on the quality of the soil. The effects of climate change are worsening the situation of soils because droughts and extreme rainfall are becoming more severe and more frequent. Current farming methods lead to high CO2 emissions, diseased soils produce low-quality food and biodiversity is rapidly declining, as around half of biodiversity lives in the soil.

Since 2020, betterSoil has been involved at European level, e.g. with an event with the EU Parliament and prominent supporters such as Prof. Dr Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker, Dr Franz Fischler (Former EU Commissioner for Agriculture) and Dr Peter Johnston (European Policy Centre) in a national and international context to improve soil quality for climate resilience and climate protection as well as the promotion of biodiversity and sustainable food production. Our way of working goes far beyond soil consulting. We combine local, indigenous knowledge with the latest science and offer practice-orientated betterSoil recipes for farmers. We also offer individual consultations for companies and organisations of all kinds. In this way, we create a comprehensive awareness of soil health that helps to position oneself more sustainably and thus achieve business goals. 

Market Insights Analyst

The Opportunity We are looking for a Market Insights Analyst to research and produce engaging, data-driven content on agriculture and agribusiness markets. This role is ideal for someone passionate about sustainability, food systems, and global market trends.

Key Responsibilities • Research & Analysis o Track global and regional agriculture trends, commodity markets, policy developments, and ag-tech innovations. o Collect and interpret data (e.g., crop prices, input costs, trade flows, climate impacts). o Identify emerging opportunities and risks in agribusiness. • Content Creation o Write concise, engaging articles and market briefs. o Develop charts, infographics, and simple data visualizations. o Collaborate with our team to plan monthly or bi-weekly issues. • Community & Collaboration o Interview farmers, experts, or partners when needed. o Participate in virtual team check-ins and share insights.

Skills & Experience • Background in agricultural economics, agribusiness, market research, or sustainability (students and early-career professionals welcome). • Strong analytical and writing skills; able to turn complex data into clear, compelling stories. • Comfortable with digital tools for research and publishing (e.g., Excel/Sheets, Mailchimp/Substack, Canva, or similar). • Knowledge of EU or global agricultural policy, climate issues, or ag-tech is a plus.

What You’ll Gain • Get recognized for your impact – we’ll provide a written confirmation of your volunteer work in climate action. • Hands-on experience in market intelligence and agri-food sustainability. • Opportunity to shape a high-impact global newsletter from the ground up. • A professional reference and visibility across a global network of changemakers.

Minimum Hours per Week

7-9 hours per week

Duration

6+ months

Title:  Communications volunteer

Summary

Help us grow and engage our audiences by creating communications materials for us to use externally and across our website, social media, print materials and newsletter, so that we can help support the mental health of more women across Sussex.

Description

Our charity delivers counselling and therapeutic groups for women across Sussex. We are looking for an experienced communications professional to work with to support with all or some of the following:

Communications:

· Help to create a communications plan with the CEO, mapping out key activities and campaigns over the year

Blog:

·         Create helpful mental health blog content for women, using SEO keywords

Outreach:

· Build contacts and reach out to potential press to raise awareness of our organisation

Events:

· Assist with fundraising events and promotion of these from the Brighton 10K run, our Christmas raffle and party.

You will be working with the CEO who will provide our existing brand/style/logo guidelines and brand research/user personas.

What impact will they have?

Your creative output will shape how we present ourselves to our clients and funders. With your help we will be able to continue to reach and support more women across Sussex.

About the volunteer

Description

We are looking for a volunteer who:

· Has experience in creating and writing SEO blog content

· Has the ability to quickly understand the needs of our team / organisation / participants

· Has good communications and organisation skills

· Understands the resource constraints of a small charity and is able to work with these.

Skills

· Marketing and communications

Where and when

Location

Can be fully remote or partly remote if based near Brighton.

Time

Time commitment

· 0-6 hours / week – the role could be an ongoing role

Volunteer availability

Either inside or outside office hours.

Application details

Application instructions: please send published content examples (social, blog or e-newsletter posts) a CV and details of your availability and interest in the role