Trustee volunteer roles in north west

Are you passionate about supporting young people and giving back to your community?

Whether you have experience in fundraising, governance, building corporate partnerships, or simply a willingness to get involved and make a difference – we’d love to hear from you!

About us

We’re part of the Royal Air Force Air Cadets, a national youth organisation empowering 12- to 20-year-olds through flying, adventure training, sports, and leadership development.

West Mercian Wing supports over 900 cadets across 27 Squadrons in Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Shropshire, the Black Country, and overseas in Cyprus.

Each squadron has a committee, a team of trustees who support the squadron by overseeing governance, fundraising, and building community partnerships. Trustees are vital in ensuring squadrons can continue providing incredible opportunities for cadets.

Squadrons in this area

• 24 (Market Drayton) Squadron, Hedley Way, Buntingsdale, Market Drayton, Shropshire, TF9 2HA
• 28 (Shawbury) Squadron, RAF Shawbury, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY4 4HL
• 79 (Whitchurch) Squadron, Old Drill Hall, Mill Street, Whitchurch, Shropshire, SY13 1SE
• 1165 (Oswestry) Squadron, Drill Hall, Willow Street, Oswestry, Shropshire, SY11 1AL
• 1119 (Shrewsbury) Squadron, Bligny House Army Reserve Centre, Copthorne Road, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY3 8LZ

Why become a trustee?

Volunteering as a trustee isn’t just about helping others - it’s about growing yourself too!

• Gain valuable experience in leadership, governance, and fundraising.
• Expand your network and become part of a supportive team.
• Make a lasting difference to young people in your community.
• Shape the future of an organisation with a rich legacy.

What’s involved?

Meetings are structured but friendly, typically every three months for around two hours. A typical agenda includes:

• Updates from the Chairperson, Treasurer, and Squadron Commander
• Funding requests and financial decisions
• Future planning, upcoming events, and key priorities
• Opportunities to contribute based on your skills and interests

Beyond meetings, involvement is flexible depending on your availability and expertise.

What we’re looking for

We welcome all backgrounds and skill levels, but we’d particularly love to hear from those with experience in:

• Fundraising
• Governance & charity compliance
• Corporate partnerships

No military background or youth work experience is required—just enthusiasm, reliability, and a passion for making a difference!

Opportunities for progression

Trustees can take on leadership roles within their squadron, support squadrons at sector or wing level, or even contribute to regional and national RAF Air Cadets governance. Some trustees also transition into squadron volunteer roles, working directly with cadets.

To join us, you’ll need to

• Be 20 years or older
• Have lived in the UK for at least 3 years
• Attend an evening meeting every three months (varies by squadron)
• Bring enthusiasm, reliability, and a willingness to support young people.

Typical joining process:

1. Submit an expression of interest.
2. We’ll invite you to visit your chosen squadron to learn more.
3. Complete a simple online application if invited.
4. Undergo a DBS and background check.

This process usually takes a few weeks, depending on availability and checks.

Ready to make an impact?

If you’re excited about supporting young people and helping your local squadron thrive, we’d love to hear from you!

PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide is the UK charity dedicated to the prevention of suicide and the promotion of positive mental health and emotional wellbeing in young people.  Suicide is the biggest killer of people aged 35 and under in the UK. We believe that suicide is preventable.

PAPYRUS was founded in 1997 by a group of bereaved parents, who had each lost children to suicide. Our founding parents shared core beliefs that suicide is preventable, and that those of us with lived experience of suicide have a valuable and unique contribution to make to the wider conversation around suicide. Since then, PAPYRUS has grown into a UK-wide charity.

We are a leading suicide prevention charity in the UK. Our suicide prevention helpline, HOPELINE247, is staffed by highly trained professional advisers, who work with young people – and anybody concerned for a young person – to help keep them safe from suicide.

We work with communities across the UK, engaging them in our mission to prevent suicide in children and young people. We engage them through our resources and training, learning with them and galvanising them to help save young lives.  We also press for change to current legislation around suicide prevention on a regional and national level.

The Board of Trustees works with the Chief Executive to ensure that PAPYRUS has a clear strategy in place to deliver its charitable purpose. As detailed in our governing document; a majority of the trustees will be those who have been touched by suicide.

We are recruiting a Treasurer to join our Board of Trustees. We are looking for a diverse range of people with passion, commitment, energy and a range of experience and expertise.

PAPYRUS is committed to the principle of equal opportunity, and its recruitment policies are designed to ensure that no job applicant, employee or volunteer receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

To apply for this opportunity, please visit our careers site.

The closing date for applications is Sunday 19 October 2025 (midnight).

We are looking for a trustee who understands charity finance.   Ideally you would  be a qualified accountant, perhaps retired, but with a particular expertise in charity finance.  We have a bookkeeper who does the work for us, so we are not looking for someone to do our accounts but we need a trustee who can give them direction and ensure the Board has the necessary financial information.  

We are looking for someone who cares about and wants to  help young people who are in the care system to make it to and through university. This is not about helping individual youngsters personally. We are building and funding programmes to enable others to help them more effectively.  

You need to be willing to be a trustee. This involves preparing for meetings by reading the papers, speaking up in meetings and sharing your opinions and experience, working with others on the board and with our education partners to develop ways we can fulfil our goal of increasing the number of care-experienced young people who successfully complete a degree and find work.

You need to be able to meet the time commitment which is to attend our (virtual) trustee meetings.  These are held on a Wednesday afternoon once a quarter – the dates are published well in advance.  We also get together, in person, for up to a full day once a year – again usually on a Wednesday. You will need to prepare for meetings and there may be the occasional other tasks so we recommend thinking of a time commitment of 2 -3 hours a month.

Previous experience as a charity trustee is highly desirable, but not essential, as you will have a full explanation of the duties and responsibilities of trustees during your induction.

Refugee Action has spent over 40 years supporting refugees and people seeking asylum to live with dignity and build safe, fulfilling lives in the UK. We stand up for rights, challenge injustice, and work alongside communities to create lasting change. 

Our current strategy is our most ambitious yet. We are delivering innovative services that refuse to compromise on best practice, strengthening and supporting hundreds of community-based organisations, and advocating for systemic change – intentionally led by the voices of people with lived experience. 

We are proud to have a majority of trustees with lived experience of forced displacement, and to be on a continuing journey to embed anti-racism into all we do. The Board is united in its mission, committed to inclusive governance, and determined to meet the challenges of a complex political and funding environment. 

Refugee Action is seeking a new Chair (or Co-Chairs) who can lead the Board into our next chapter – someone with governance experience, sound judgement and a deep understanding of commitment to the rights of refugees and people seeking asylum through their own lived experience of forced displacement. You will work closely with our Chief Executive to steer the organisation through both opportunity and challenge, helping ensure we remain bold, independent and effective in all we do. 

You will be the right candidate if you share our values, can bring your understanding of your own lived experience of forced displacement, and apply this to help shape the future of Refugee Action.  

Closing date: midnight, Sunday 12 October 2025. 

Please note that the deadline for applications has been extended to midnight Sunday 12 October 2025.

Trustee (Voluntary Role)

Location: Nationwide

Department: Volunteer Roles

Salary: Volunteer Role

Job Type: Part time

Contract Type: Permanent

Do you want to help lead an organisation committed to addressing low literacy and numeracy levels amongst people in the criminal justice system?

We’ve made substantial progress in recent years, with improvements and expansions to our delivery model and significant growth in our staff team. To support our strategic development, we are recruiting new Trustees to help steer our activities and strengthen our governance.

Working collaboratively with our non-executive Board of 14 trustees, your responsibilities will include shaping and monitoring the charity’s strategic direction, overseeing financial planning, risk and compliance, supporting and constructively challenging senior staff, and acting as an ambassador for our work. You’ll also ensure our governance is robust and that we meet our regulatory obligations. The role typically involves between four and ten days each year and is unpaid, though reasonable travel and other expenses will be reimbursed.

To succeed in this role, you will bring strong personal commitment to our mission, the confidence to engage in strategic and governance discussions, and a readiness to support and challenge respectfully. You do not need prior trustee experience - training and support will be provided. We particularly welcome applicants with skills or experience in governance/regulation or legal practice, digital strategy, marketing and brand development, fundraising, board-level financial management, HR and organisational development, educational practice, leadership across public/private/charity sectors, government relations, and equality, diversity, inclusion and belonging. We are equally interested in those with lived experience relevant to our mission (for example, developing reading skills later in life or having personal experience of the criminal justice system).

If you share our dedication to supporting literacy, numeracy, and transformation within the criminal justice system, we’d love to hear from you - please see our recruitment pack for further details.

Benefits: Induction training and ongoing training to support and develop you in your volunteer role; ongoing support and quarterly reviews to gain the most from your volunteering experience; flexible volunteering opportunities, subject to the requirements of your role; reasonable, out of pocket, volunteering expenses are reimbursed.

REF-224 167

Little Village is a baby bank: a simple idea with a big impact on the lives of families living in poverty in London. Our work is vital: more than one in three children in the capital live in poverty, with profound impacts from educational disadvantage to reduced life expectancy. We invite community donations of pre-loved baby and children’s items, passing them onto families who need them and saving them from landfill. Meanwhile, our guidance and signposting service provides tailored, one-to-one support, delivered with warmth and understanding.

Families either visit a Little Village hub, or items are packed with care and delivered to their home. But it doesn’t stop there. We also connect families into a wider network of support, helping them to build and extend their own ‘village’.

Thanks to the generous donations of loved items, precious time and money, in 2023 Little Village was able to support more than 8500 children. But the demand for help still outstripped our capacity to respond week on week. This role will play a crucial part in helping us to ensure stock is where it needs to be in order to reach more children with the things they need.   

Our wonderful Finance Trustee is reaching the end of her two terms, and we’re now seeking a successor to step into her very big shoes. 

We’re looking for a qualified accountant who can: 

• Bring fresh eyes and ideas to how we do things in help us increase our effectiveness 

• Collaborate with a passionate team of board members and the charity’s SLT to make our sum of the parts even stronger 

• Provide visionary financial oversight and robust governance at Board level. 

• Work alongside our Director of Finance to safeguard the charity’s stability and ensure its resources are managed with care and foresight. 

• Champion strong policies, processes, and controls that enable transparency, accountability, and lasting impact. 

• Share our passion for tackling child poverty and supporting families. 

• You may or may not have prior Board experience (it’s not essential!). 

  We are especially keen to diversify our Board and particularly welcome applications from men and people under-represented in charity governance, including those from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, and people with lived experience of poverty. 

The role is primarily remote, however, you will be required to attend 3 hour quarterly board meetings, plus a strategy away day and involvement in sub committees. Please see the job pack on our website for further details.

Closing date is 9am on Monday 13th October 2025.

We're a brand new start-up at the very begining of our journey and looking to recruit this exciting new role of Trustee (Volunteer) for approx 3 hours per month at MINDSET. This is a Flexible and Remote Volunteer Role.

About MINDSET:

The silence around men's mental health is a crisis. At MINDSET, we're not just another charity; we are a burgeoning movement, building a powerful Brotherhood to redefine men's wellbeing. Our purpose is to empower men to thrive, not just survive, by providing safe spaces for open dialogue, personal growth, and compassionate peer mentorship. We believe true strength lies in vulnerability, connection, and purpose.

Are you a visionary leader with a passion for social change?

Do you believe in the power of authentic connection to redefine men's mental well-being?

We're seeking dedicated Volunteer Trustees to join our inaugural Board. This is a unique opportunity to provide strategic direction and governance for a charity poised to make a profound impact. Your experience, wisdom, and commitment will be instrumental in laying the foundations for a legacy of purpose, guiding us as we empower men to thrive, not just survive.

We're looking for individuals who bring:

• Strategic insight and sound judgment.

• Experience in governance, finance, legal, marketing, or HR (a diverse skill set is key).

• A deep commitment to our mission and values.

• A willingness to challenge and support our growth.

This is your chance to step beyond the day-to-day and help steer a charity with immense potential. If you're ready to lend your expertise and passion to a brotherhood dedicated to transforming lives, we want to hear from you.

Ready to build a legacy of strength through vulnerability?

MINDSET Charity

@MINDSETCharity

Since its inception in 2020, SBP has grown rapidly, establishing an exciting and evolving portfolio of nature recovery projects across Scotland. Following the recent appointment of our first Chief Executive Officer, we are now seeking to recruit a new Chair of Trustees who can provide leadership and stability through a period of further change, and work very closely with the CEO and the rest of the Board.

The Chair will hold the Board and Executive Team to account for the charity’s mission and vision, providing inclusive leadership and ensuring collective ownership and effective governance. The Chair will support the CEO and the rest of the Management Team as appropriate, to achieve agreed objectives. They will also develop the knowledge and capability of the Board, and will appraise the CEO’s performance on an annual basis. In partnership with the CEO and others, they will act as an ambassador for rewilding and a key public face and spokesperson for SBP.

We are looking for candidates with demonstrable experience and understanding of the following:

● Operating at a senior level within an organisation, ideally working with or as part of a Board of Trustees/Directors

● Strong understanding of charity governance, and overall legal compliance

● Accomplished strategic thinking and direction, and strong leadership skills, including the ability to bring people together to ensure the charity has maximum impact

● Sound financial management expertise and a broad understanding of charity finances to ensure organisational health and sustainability

● Strong understanding of risk management and mitigations, and mediation and conflict resolution

● Exceptional public speaking skills for event moderation

● Positive engagement with internal and external stakeholders

● Profiling and networking for advocacy and fundraising Previous experience in the rewilding and broader environmental sector is not essential.

We are keen on transferrable, innovative, and creative approaches that will help our charity and people to thrive, and to lead on rewilding in Scotland.

Other desired attributes

● Commitment to nature restoration in Scotland, and willingness to learn more about rewilding and emerging and evolving trends in the sector

● Sound project management and leadership skills, and the ability to advise and work collaboratively with the Board, CEO and other members of SBP staff

● Strong relationship building, and interpersonal and communication skills

● A positive, entrepreneurial, and inclusive outlook The role will ideally suit an individual based in Scotland but applications from outwith Scotland will be considered. 

Would you like to improve the urban walking environment and our quality of life? Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking, is looking for an enthusiastic and experienced person to chair our board of voluntary trustees. 

We are a charity that can influence anyone’s daily life. Our mission is to achieve a better walking environment and inspire people to walk more. 

This is a pivotal time in our history: with a dynamic and experienced new Chief Executive, Catherine Woodhead; and a period of development, with a new strategy incoming that will take us towards our centenary in 2029. 

With our thousands of members and supporters we run campaigns for positive change and influence policies that improve our streets such as encouraging families to walk to school, 20mph speed limits and controlling pavement parking. 

We manage innovative national projects, engaging schools, communities and workplaces to encourage more people to walk short journeys. Our year-round walk to school challenge captures the imagination of children in over 2000 schools. 

We work with local authorities and businesses to improve streets and public spaces. Our reports, such as The Pedestrian Pound, make a substantial contribution to the active travel agenda. 

We are seeking someone with strong leadership and networking skills, with experience of good governance and helping organisations through growth. You will possess a substantial reputation which will add to the credibility of Living Streets. The role is a voluntary unpaid position, though reasonable expenses will be reimbursed. The term of office is for six years.

Closing date: 03/11/2025 (12pm)

Interviews: 20/11/2025 

Interview Location: London Head Office 

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

Living Reasons – What we are planning, who we are and where we are now:

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

Who are we?

Well, it is a small operation at this point, there are three people that are working to set up the charity, but we are all neurodivergent and have disabling aspects to our lives and experienced lack of opportunity or presumed ideas based on others perception of us. We are just people who care in reality and want to make a true change in society for everyone we work with.

Where are we now?

We are ready to become a CIO; we want to go straight to a fully incorporated charity so that we are able gain the most support as possible and open up opportunities for growth from day one as well as ensure people know they can trust us.

We need 3 trustees to start and understandably, two of us don’t want to be trustees due to personal reasons, so we need at least another two, maybe more, trustees to start up. That is hopefully where you come in!

We have our governing document, and we are still completing the further documents we want to launch with. We hope that new trustees will add to the plan and bring fresh ways of us working and how communicate the message of the charity.

The charity objects

· To promote social inclusion for the public benefit by preventing people from becoming socially excluded, relieving the needs of those people who are socially excluded and assisting them to integrate into society.

For the purpose of this clause ‘socially excluded’ means being excluded from society, or parts of society, as a result of one or more of the following factors: unemployment; financial hardship; youth or old age; ill health (physical or mental); substance abuse or dependency including alcohol and drugs; discrimination on the grounds of sex, race, disability, ethnic origin, religion, belief, creed, sexual orientation or gender re-assignment; poor educational or skills attainment; relationship and family breakdown; poor housing (that is housing that does not meet basic habitable standards; crime (either as a victim of crime or as an offender rehabilitating into society).

· The relief of financial hardship, either generally or individually, of people living in England and Wales by making grants of money for providing or paying for items, services or facilities

· The promotion of equality and diversity for the public benefit by conducting or commissioning research on equality and diversity issues and publishing the results to the public; advancing education and raising awareness in equality and diversity and promoting activities to foster understanding between people from diverse backgrounds.

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)

So, who are we looking for?

The answer to this is complex. What we are looking for in a trustee is someone who is passionate about creating equity for everyone while sustaining equality, someone that has lived experiences that would mean they can relate to the objects of the charity, whether that be personally, as a support for someone that does or has struggled to be given equity in society or someone that works or has worked in an industry that has played a part in restricting others in society and want that to make real change.

We think this covers a large number of people.

The role of trustee in Living Reasons will always be a remote role, meetings will be held online as standard as we would like to have trustees that are from all areas of the UK and that anyone can be a trustee, regardless of any accessibility requirements.

Additionally, to the personal experiences, the below are also necessary for all trustees of all charities:

1) Must not have an unspent conviction

2) Must not be barred from working with children or vulnerable adults

3) Must not be in undischarged bankruptcy, or other debt management programme

4) Must not be barred from being a trustee or company director

The requirements of skills and understanding of the undertaking of trusteeship with Living Reasons:

1) Being a trustee comes with requirements and responsibilities in terms of acting in the best interest of the charity at all times in line with the law and the charity’s governing document, which will be supplied to all trustees before agreeing to be a trustee and will be discussed with any person selected to be a trustee before they agree to be a trustee.

2) An understanding of financial information is required, this is to ensure that financial reports are assessed correctly and that any anomalies are highlighted, this does not mean you need to have in depth accounting or finance experience by any means, but it is important that you are able to analyse financial reports and risk as they arise.

3) Specific to Living Reasons, you will need to be someone that thinks creatively and is not scared of challenging traditions and pre-existing ideas and open to hear from a wide audience to make informed but innovative changes that are sustainable, realistic but also dynamic and challenging the current societal norms.

Exciting opportunity as Chair of trustees of a small and dynamic arts and crafts re-use charity in SW London looking to take the charity forward and grow and diversify its income streams.The Chair will join an established and small board of trustees and must be experienced in leading a board in terms of strategy, risk and planning, financial governance, building positive relationships, one-to-one reviews with trustees to bring out the best in them, building the board and growing the charity's impact. 

The Chair will have a wide-ranging impact, shaping the charity's strategic direction and helping it achieve the charity's mission to promote artful re-use of waste materials diverted from landfiil and incineration for use with a wide range of beneficiaries for artistic, educational, recreational or therapeutic benefit throughout south-west London. Your leadership will ensure that the charity provides and extends its range of support and services to existing and future beneficiaries and maintains its role as an active participant in the circular economy. 

About the opportunity

We are seeking committed vegetarians or vegans to join our volunteer board of trustees. Vegetarian for Life (VfL) is the only UK charity specifically dedicated to supporting older vegetarians and vegans. We believe that all older people should be able to maintain their chosen diet and lifestyle and enjoy good quality plant-based food wherever they live.

Our trustees work with the CEO to ensure strong governance and help realise the strategic aims of this unique and growing charity. Since its formation in 2007, VfL has earned widespread respect for its advocacy, training, and resources that support dignity and choice in later life.

In line with our new Vision for 2030, we are looking to strengthen our board with a new trustee who brings experience of business development, marketing and income generation gained (most likely) from the Private Sector. We are particularly interested in individuals with proven experience in:

• Growing a business in an ethical and sustainable way
• Generating income from new streams and commercial partnerships
• Developing and marketing new products and services

You’ll work alongside a committed board and leadership team as we seek to build VfL’s long-term sustainability by enhancing our earned income to complement support from our strong reserves.

Experience of charity governance is welcomed but not essential. More important is a strategic mindset, commercial insight, and a strong commitment to VfL’s mission.

The role of trustee is a voluntary one, with expenses paid when incurred in connection with the role. The board meets quarterly, mainly via video conferencing, with at least one in-person meeting annually in Manchester. Meetings are held on Saturdays, with additional (short) discussions scheduled by arrangement when needed.

For further information and an informal chat please contact Amanda Woodvine, CEO.

Trustees play a vital role in ensuring Skelmersdale & District Foodbank meets its core purpose by overseeing the management and administration of the charity and ensuring that the foodbank has a clear strategy in line with our vision and goals.

What will you be doing?

As a trustee you will share collective responsibility for the governance of the charity and all decisions made by the board, ensuring the organisation is well run, fulfils its mission, is compliant with charity law and that the charity is open and accountable. 

Trustees ensure that the food bank acts in conformity with its purpose and with charity legislation, and that good governance, best practice policies and rigorous financial supervision are in place. They will be required to work collaboratively, with other trustees and with the staff and volunteers of the foodbank, and other external agencies

Key tasks:

• approve, support and guide the charity’s purpose, vision, strategy, goals and objectives
• manage the charity’s resources responsibly and efficiently, ensuring the charity’s assets are used only to carry out its purpose, avoid undue risk, and do not over-commit the charity
• ensure the charity is accountable, actively complying with statutory accounting and reporting requirements and the law.
• ensure that key risks are identified, monitored and controlled appropriately
• ensure appropriate financial plans are in place, budgets are monitored, progressed and evaluated and ensure the charity is accountable, actively complying with statutory accounting and reporting requirements and the law
• ensure the charity has appropriate procedures to comply with current legislation and good practice, including employment, health and safety, equality, diversity and inclusion, safeguarding and GDPR compliance/data protection
• prepare for, regularly attend, and participate in board and subcommittee meetings and any trustee away days.
• act with reasonable care and skill, giving your time, thought and energy to your role.
• serve as an additional promoter of the food bank in the community, promoting the organisation to key stakeholders and beneficiaries, and present on behalf of the food bank at meetings and conferences as and when required

What are we looking for?

We are looking for people who want to help their local community. Our ideal candidates would demonstrate:

• a knowledge of and commitment to the work of Skelmersdale & District Foodbank
• a passion for combating poverty within Skelmersdale and its surrounding areas
• experience of working in a governance role
• willingness to devote the necessary time and effort
• an ability to work effectively as a member of a team
• understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of trusteeship
• willingness to speak their mind
• the ability to think creatively

Applications are particularly welcome from people who live or work in West Lancashire and who reflect Skelmersdale’s diverse community. The food bank would particularly welcome applications from those with experience in one (or more) of the following areas: 

• Partnership engagement
• Benefits advice and support

Whatever your background, we want to make sure you are supported and empowered and enjoy your time volunteering with us. We know that having volunteers from a diverse range of backgrounds, with varying experiences, can help to make what we do as effective as possible. As such, we welcome all applicants regardless of age, religion or beliefs, disability, ethnic background, gender reassignment, sex, or sexual orientation.

What difference will you make?

By supporting the governance of the food bank, you are part of a team providing a vital holistic support function in your local community, ensuring a dignified experience to anyone visiting or anyone who comes into contact with Skelmersdale & District Foodbank.

Skelmersdale & District Foodbank are looking for someone with accounting experience to join the board as a trustee to advise on financial matters, ensure we meet our financial obligations, and help us build a sound financial strategy.

What will you be doing?

The Treasurer leads the financial affairs of the charity and ensures that they are conducted within required legal and accounting best practice, working with the Chairperson and other trustees to ensure the financial viability and development of the organisation.

Treasurer’s key tasks:

• ensure the board fulfils its financial responsibilities
• ensure that the food bank has proper systems for budgeting, financial control, insurance and reporting
• inform the trustee board members of the finances of the food bank by written report, at least on a quarterly basis ensuring that the board have a clear picture of the financial health of the food bank
• ensure that financial reports: are comprehensible and properly discussed at trustee board meetings; are provided in the proper format and at the proper time, as required by the relevant charity regulator body (Charity Commission of England & Wales); have properly appointed auditors or independent examiners, as our income is over £25K

Other responsibilities, along with the board of trustees, include:

• to approve, support and guide the charity’s purpose, vision, strategy, goals and objectives
• to manage the charity’s resources responsibly and efficiently, ensuring the charity’s assets are used only to carry out its purpose, avoid undue risk, and do not over-commit the charity
• to ensure the charity is accountable, actively complying with statutory accounting and reporting requirements and the law.
• to ensure that key risks are identified, monitored and controlled appropriately
• to ensure appropriate financial plans are in place, budgets are monitored, progressed and evaluated and ensure the charity is accountable, actively complying with statutory accounting and reporting requirements and the law
• to ensure the charity has appropriate procedures to comply with current legislation and good practice, including employment, health and safety, equality, diversity and inclusion, safeguarding and GDPR compliance/data protection
• to prepare for, regularly attend, and participate in board and subcommittee meetings and any trustee away days.
• acting with reasonable care and skill, giving your time, thought and energy to your role.
• serving as an additional promoter of the food bank in the community, promoting the organisation to key stakeholders and beneficiaries, and present on behalf of the food bank at meetings and conferences as and when required

What are we looking for?

We are looking for people who want to help their local community. Our ideal candidates would demonstrate:

• a knowledge of and commitment to the work of Skelmersdale & District Foodbank
• a passion for combating poverty within Skelmersdale and its surrounding areas
• previous experience or an ability in: financial accounting and reporting procedures; communicating financial information to those who may have little or no financial background; keeping all financial records up to date
• willingness to devote the necessary time and effort
• an ability to work effectively as a member of a team
• understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of trusteeship
• willingness to speak their mind
• the ability to think creatively

Applications are particularly welcome from people who live or work in West Lancashire and who reflect Skelmersdale’s diverse community.

Whatever your background, we want to make sure you are supported and empowered and enjoy your time volunteering with us. We know that having volunteers from a diverse range of backgrounds, with varying experiences, can help to make what we do as effective as possible. As such, we welcome all applicants regardless of age, religion or beliefs, disability, ethnic background, gender reassignment, sex, or sexual orientation

What difference will you make?

By leading on the financial matters of the food bank operation, you are part of providing a vital holistic support function in your local community, ensuring a dignified experience to anyone visiting or anyone who comes into contact with Skelmersdale & District Foodbank.