Volunteer financial advisor volunteer roles in bristol
Use your expertise to shape education, influence communities, and grow as a leader. Roles available at colleges England.
Are you a business leader or corporate professional looking to make a meaningful impact outside the boardroom?
By becoming a volunteer governor at a further education (FE) or sixth form college, you’ll help shape the strategic direction of an organisation that transforms lives through education and skills—while strengthening your own governance experience and leadership credentials.
Why it’s relevant to professionals like you
Further Education colleges train over 1.6 million learners annually, preparing the skilled workforce that keeps our economy moving—from engineers and IT specialists to healthcare professionals and construction experts.
As a college governor, you’ll sit on the board of an FE institution (and registered charity), where your insight into strategy, risk, people, or finance will have a direct impact on how public funds are spent, how performance is measured, and how learners are supported to succeed.
This is an opportunity to:
- Apply your corporate skills in a charitable leadership role
- Gain board-level experience and enhance your CV
- Contribute to local economic growth and social mobility
- Support a vital sector during a time of transformation
What you’ll do
As part of a governing board, you’ll:
- Set strategic direction: Help define the college’s mission and goals
- Hold leadership to account: Monitor finances, performance, and outcomes
- Ensure governance excellence: Make decisions in the best interests of learners and stakeholders
- Act as a charity trustee: Ensure financial sustainability and legal compliance
You’ll also engage with senior leaders and external stakeholders, including local employers, regulators, and community partners.
Who we’re looking for
We welcome professionals from a broad range of sectors, including but not limited to:
- Finance, Audit & Risk
- HR, People & Culture
- Strategy, Transformation & Operations
- Technology, AI & Digital
- Legal, Governance & Compliance
- Marketing, PR & Communications
- Education, Apprenticeships or vocational courses
What matters most is your strategic thinking, commercial awareness, and commitment to helping others succeed.
Prior education experience is not required. Full induction and training are provided, with access to DfE-funded development and peer mentoring where needed.
Time commitment
Expect to give approximately 1–2 days per month, including:
- Attending board and committee meetings (in-person or remote)
- Reading papers and preparing questions
- Participating in training and occasional college visits
The time commitment is manageable alongside a full-time role—and many employers actively support staff to take on governance roles as part of their professional development.
Where you’ll be needed
Some colleges offer remote governance and meetings take place online. This may suit you best, or we may suggest a role where you volunteer on a hybrid basis at a college within a reasonable distance from you. We are recruiting governors for colleges across England, with new opportunities added regularly.
What’s in it for you?
· Enhance your board-level and governance experience
· Develop strategic oversight and leadership outside your day-to-day role
· Expand your professional network
·Give back in a way that creates long-term, measurable impact
· Gain exposure to the education, charity, and public sectors
Ready to step into a strategic, purpose-driven leadership role?
If you’re ready to bring your corporate insight to the education sector and help shape the future of skills, opportunity, and social mobility—we’d love to hear from you.
Apply now to become a volunteer college governor.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Ready to make a meaningful difference through purposeful leadership?
At Sight Concern Bedfordshire, we’re here to make sure people living with sight loss can lead full, independent, and active lives. Rooted in our local communities across Bedfordshire and Luton, we’ve been quietly making a big impact for over 25 years.
We’re now actively looking for a new Chair of Trustees to help shape our next chapter.
This is a special opportunity to bring thoughtful, grounded leadership to a charity with a clear mission and deep community ties. You’ll be stepping in at a pivotal point as we modernise, grow our partnerships, and explore how assistive technologies and accessible services can unlock new possibilities for those we support.
As Chair, you’ll work closely with our CEO as a trusted partner, someone who can offer encouragement, challenge when needed, and help build a culture of inclusion, community, and accountability. You'll ensure our governance remains robust and fit for the future, and that our Board continues to deliver collaboratively, constructively, and always aligned with our values.
You’ll also represent the charity externally to help us grow our network and strengthen local relationships, as well as amplifying our voice when the opportunity arises. You’ll also help us foster an environment where people feel valued, lived experience is in our central scope, and blind and partially sighted individuals remain at the heart of every decision we make.
We’re not just looking for someone to keep the wheels turning, we’re looking for a leader who understands how crucial it is to lead with integrity, empathy, and purpose. Someone who understands that the best kind of change evolves through collaboration, not control.
You don’t need to have been a Chair before, but you should bring experience as a senior leader in a professional setting or have worked closely with a CEO or senior executive. An understanding of charity governance is key, and we’re also looking for someone with flourishing people skills and a genuine commitment to inclusion and accessibility.
If you’ve got previous Trustee experience too, that’s a bonus.
Does this sound like you?
If the answer is yes, and you're ready to help guide our charity through a meaningful and exciting phase of its journey, we’d love to hear from you.
The official Recruitment Pack can be found on the Sight Concern Bedfordshire website.
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!
the3million is currently seeking up to three new non-executive directors to strengthen its dynamic board and support the work of this passionate organisation at the forefront of migrants’ rights in the UK.
Nine years after the Brexit referendum, we are navigating ongoing challenges affecting EU citizens’ communities. We are continuing to build power from the ground up, empowering people to get their voices heard. Your contribution will be crucial to making change happen.
These positions are voluntary and therefore unpaid.
About the3million
We are the leading organisation representing EU citizens in the UK. Our vision is a world where EU citizens can thrive, reach their potential and have an equal voice in UK society. Our work ranges from informing people of their rights and community organising of EU citizens’ communities, to holding the Government to account on the implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement and promoting access to justice.
We are a grassroots and non-partisan organisation, working with a variety of stakeholders, from MPs to NGOs, legal advisors and the media on specific issues affecting migrants’ rights. We regularly engage with the Home Office and its monitoring bodies to advocate for change.
We were formed through the efforts of volunteers from many different backgrounds who came together in the immediate aftermath of the Brexit referendum in 2016. We hold on to that can-do, nimble spirit and friendly and non-hierarchical collegiality.
In 2024, the3million’s contribution towards creating lasting and significant change for EU citizens living in the UK was recognised at the EmpowerEU Awards, in the "Outstanding Achievement” category.
the3million was incorporated as a limited by guarantee not-for-profit company with Companies House in November 2017. As such, the role of members of the Board of Directors is similar, though not identical, to that of Charity Trustees.
What does the role involve?
You will join a small board of professionals committed to helping EU citizens in the UK. We are specifically seeking directors with expertise, skills and knowledge in any or several of the following backgrounds: fundraising, legal compliance, HR, risk management, community organising, racial justice and safeguarding.
As a the3million non-executive director, you’ll play a vital role in keeping the organisation on track with its objectives. You will apply your professional experience towards shaping our strategy on fundraising, governance, campaigning and other areas of work.
The main purpose of your role:
As directors at the3million, you will have responsibility to:
- Ensure the3million is meeting its aims and objectives and acting in line with any relevant legislation or regulations
- Act in the best interests of the organisation
- Ensure the3million applies its resources exclusively in line with its strategic aims
- Ensure the financial viability of the3million
- Contribute effectively to the Board of Directors in giving clear strategic direction, and evaluating performance against set targets
- Support the Chief Executive Officer and monitor their performance
- Act with reasonable care and skill
What you will gain:
- An insight into how the organisation runs;
- Confidence in building relationships with a wide range of people, and the opportunity to learn from the varied experiences that other Board members bring to the table;
- An opportunity to use your skills, knowledge and experience to the benefit of the organisation and the communities we serve;
- A sense of pride when hearing about the difference our campaigning and organising efforts make, knowing you have had a role in protecting the rights of EU citizens in the UK.
Being a director is a voluntary role and is not paid, but expenses including for travel are reimbursed.
Director Person Specification
Key skills:
- Knowledge of and ability to carry out the core responsibilities of being a director (please note that onboarding and support is available to new Board members, particularly those who have not served on a Board before)
- Timeliness and clarity in your communication on and around meetings or projects
- Strategic vision: an ability to think about the ‘bigger picture’ and longer term (5 years ahead) as well as the ‘here and now’
- A willingness to act as an ambassador for the3million, promoting our work to friends and colleagues
- An ability to work as a member of a team, to comment, challenge or question in a way that is helpful, supportive and constructive
- A good sense of judgement
Qualification and experience
You will ideally have one or more of the following:
- Experience of working in senior teams, preferably at board level;
- Experience of volunteering/working in the third sector;
- Fundraising;
- HR;
- Community organising;
- Safeguarding;
- Racial justice;
- Experience working in the migration field would be an advantage.
Personal attributes
- Integrity and honesty
- Proactiveness
- A demonstrable commitment to the3million's aims and values
- Team player, flexible and adaptable
Time commitment
- A two hour evening board meeting every two months (online)
- Regular discussion and meeting with fellow directors (online)
- Follow up to meetings – reading and commenting on minutes, carrying out any agreed actions.
- One to two away-days per year (in-person);
Restrictions
- Over 18
- Must be currently based in the UK
- Not bankrupt
- Subject to satisfactory DBS check and references
- Not excluded by Companies House or Charity Commission
- Conflicts of interest that would be so significant as to undermine the role in general, such as being a member of a group that discriminated against people based on gender, ethnicity or nationality.
Who should apply?
Applications are welcome from everyone with the relevant passion and experience in one or more of the areas listed above. Having worked in the migration sector or in campaigning is not necessarily required. We recognise that many other settings offer transferable skills.
One of the3million’s core values is equity - we are people-led, we value diversity and are enriched by differences. We strive to listen to, engage with and represent the broadest range of people.
We are particularly eager to hear from candidates with lived experience of migration. If you are from a background that is underrepresented in the migration sector we also strongly encourage you to apply. This could include coming from a community that experiences racism, living with a disability or not having been to University.
We recognise our team is not currently representative of communities that experience racism and that our own ways of working may replicate wider societal oppression and injustices. We are actively working towards becoming an anti-oppressive organisation, including taking steps to create a more inclusive recruitment process.
We believe our work will be stronger with greater diversity. the3million welcomes the whole person to work, and we understand that each of us brings our experiences, our backgrounds and our own unique lens to what we do.
Please send your CV along with an accompanying letter explaining your reasons for applying. We highly recommend going through the role specifications below before you start your application.
Next steps
Applications are welcome from everyone with the relevant passion and experience. If you would like to speak to someone on our current Board or a staff member to find out more about us before applying, you are welcome to do so.
Shortlisted applicants will be invited for a one-hour interview. Interviews may be carried out over the weekend.
Successful applicants will be onboarded by other Board members, ensuring they are welcomed into the organisation.
Application Instructions
Please send your CV along with an accompanying letter explaining your reasons for applying. Applications submitted without a covering will not be reviewed.
If you are on LinkedIn, please share with us the URL of your profile.
Please also download and fill in the equality and diversity monitoring form. We only use this information to understand the demographics of people we are reaching and to guide us in making the3million fairer. This process is separate and confidential; this information is not reviewed or taken into account in the recruitment process.
Please email all the above to us at recruitment[at]the3million[dot]org[dot]uk.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.