Chair of the board of trustees volunteer roles

Role summary

The Lay Advisory Group helps drive and strengthen patient and public involvement (PPI) within Kidney Research UK and provides opportunities to influence change externally to help transform kidney health. This is a senior volunteer role and will provide effective leadership for the Lay Advisory Group and its work.

After leading the group for five successful years, the current lead is stepping down, so we are looking to appoint a new lead. You can find out more about the group and meet the current members here.

What does the group do?

• Attend and input into group meetings every other month 

• Act as a charity ambassador at events 

• Engage with the charity to advise on projects such as policy, marketing or communications. 

What is the role of the lead? 

• Chair the group meetings every other month 

• Actively lead the work of the Lay Advisory Group focusing on developing a variety of ways to strengthen the patient voice across the charity 

• Work alongside the patient involvement team to identify external PPI opportunities 

• Develop interaction with the board of trustees by sitting as a permanent observer at trustee meetings.

What’s the role?

Role: Bristol SU Co-opted (external) Trustee (non-student)

Hours: Meetings are during working hours. The role requires a level of flexibility (hours, commitment and expectations section on the role description)

Voluntary: Reasonable expenses reimbursed when carrying out trustee duties

Location: Bristol and Online

Requirements: Trustee meetings and subcommittees occur in person (some opportunity for online as well) but the events (training and awayday) are in person in Bristol. 

Duration: 3 years (with potential for another 2 terms of 3 years)

Closing date:  Friday 27 February 2026, 5pm

Help shape our future and improve the lives of over 30,000 students.  

This is an exciting time to join Bristol Students’ Union. We are starting the second year of a strategy that will see us become a Union for all Bristol Students; we have a new Co-opted Trustee Co-Chair; recently undertook a Board Effectiveness Review and will be reviewing and amending our Articles next year

We’re more digitally connected, and embracing the opportunities and challenges that our new Temple Quarter campus and Mumbai Enterprise Campus brings us in September 2026. As a Trustee, you’ll be crucial in helping shape this journey as well as addressing pressing issues such as: 
 

· Access to education

· Mental Health 

· Accommodation

· Race inequality 

· Poverty 

· Inclusivity 

· Internationalisation 

Ultimately, you’ll be involved in providing strategic, financial and governance oversight to help achieve our vision of “a Union for all students”

What will you bring?

Experience as a trustee, a member of a commercial board, or in a senior management role with leadership or governance responsibilities is essential. This is due to the nature of our board: as a membership organisation, we have a strong representation of student voice through officers and student trustees. They are almost always first-time trustees and will benefit from co-opted trustees with strong insight and experience in leadership, governance and strategic decision making.

We value and are looking for committed and engaged trustees. However, whilst we’re relatively open in terms of skillsets, ideally, you’ll have expertise in one or more of these areas:

· Legal especially charity or company law

· Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity

· Charity governance

Most importantly, you’ll be committed to making a difference to the lives of our 32,000 members and around 400 clubs and societies.

Please note, this role is not open to current University of Bristol students or anyone who has been one within the last two years. Student trustee opportunities and other student leadership roles will be available in the March 2026 election.

Who are we?

Part business, part charity, part membership body. Bristol SU is an enjoyable and rewarding organisation to be part of.   Our professional staff do something extraordinary every day: they support student leaders to give students a voice in their education and help shape their academic experience, help students get the most out of their student experience and help them make the change they want in the world. We have over 30,000 members, 400 clubs and societies, a diverse range of professional services, and an innovative strategy that will help to create an inclusive and supportive University community.

We’re a registered charity, and company limited by guarantee.  We have a turnover circa £7 million and have a diverse team of 94 salaried staff, also with a team of student staff working alongside our student leaders to make change happen.

87% of our staff recommend us as a great place to work.  We are accredited as a Disability Confident Employer, we have opened a new base in Senate House, launched new services and spaces, and diversified, empowered our staff team, our elections turn out has been among the best in the sector and we have high satisfaction rates and high levels of participation and engagement from our members.

Bristol SU strives to have an inclusive culture and an environment for all, underpinned by respect and compassion. We want to be a place where everyone feels welcomed, included, supported, valued and safe. We recognise that people from some backgrounds/ identities may face additional barriers. We are committed to taking positive action to expand the diversity of our staff team by offering two guaranteed interview schemes – a guaranteed interview scheme for people of colour and a guaranteed interview scheme for disabled people.

The Bristol SU Board 

You can see our current board here. It consists of: 

· 4 elected students

· 7 elected full-time officers

· 4 co-opted trustees

· 1 nominated trustee (through university).

Key dates and how to apply

· Closing Date: Fri 27 February 2026

· Shortlisting: w/c 2 March 2026

· Interviews:  w/c 16 March 2026

Please visit our Bristol SU website to download our Applicant pack for more information and how to apply. 

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. 

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 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. Join us!

What will you be doing?

In addition to the responsibilities of all board members, the Treasurer will: 

1. Support the Board to review and monitor ECU’s financial performance and sustainability
2. Ensure the Board receives timely, accessible and accurate financial information
3. Support the team to develop and maintain robust and proportionate financial policies, processes and risk management systems

What are we looking for?

• Commitment to ECU’s mission and values
• Commitment to the legal duties and responsibilities
• Financial management experience, policies, risk
• Qualifications
• Able to interpret, interrogate and communicate financial information
• Work as part of a diverse team, and devote the time 

Desirable - treasurer experience

What difference will you make?

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.

Before you apply

• Your interest in this role and what you could bring to it
• What would you want to learn and gain?

Interview 25 Feb in London (expenses paid)

We are looking for someone who shares our vision of shaping a recognised, valued and inclusive sport and physical activity sector that everyone can be a part of, and who is committed to the highest levels of governance, risk management and assurance.

The Audit and Probity Committee reports directly to CIMSPA’s Board of Trustees and is a crucial part of our governance structure, overseeing our risk landscape.  By ensuring that risk is adequately managed and that the organisation is governed with integrity, the committee guides CIMSPA’s strategic decision-making processes.  Alongside this, the committee provides oversight, challenge and scrutiny across a range of areas, including our internal controls and our financial performance and management. 

Specialisms

Based on the committee’ annual skills review, we have identified the following specialisms as a priority for recruitment:

• Government and policy-making

• Legal and regulatory

Therefore we are seeking to appoint a committee member with significant experience in at least one of these areas.

Core Skills

We also expect all committee members to have significant experience in one or more of the following:

• Finance

• Audit and risk

• Governance and compliance

• Our system interventions (as detailed in our strategy)

• Business and commercial

• Digital

Please note - an in-depth knowledge of the sport and physical activity sector is not essential.

Key responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Ensuring that the committee fulfils its purpose as stated in its Terms of Reference.
• Ensuring that the committee complies with CIMSPA’s Charter and Statutes, charity law, company law and all other relevant legislation/regulations as they relate to the committee.
• Managing CIMSPA’s resources responsibly and honestly, with a duty of prudence.
• Working in partnership with CIMSPA’s CEO or senior leadership team to ensure the strategic aims of the organisation are achieved as they relate to the committee, maintaining a management and oversight role.
• Ensuring that the committee is accountable.

Closing date for applications: Monday 2nd March 2026 at 9am

Provisional date for virtual interviews: Monday 16th March 2026

Do you have experience in digital and social media? Can you help us improve our communications and raise the profile of the work we do?

We are seeking an expert, creative Volunteer Digital and Social Media Lead. You will help us promote our programmes supporting people in prison and young people at risk of entering the justice system, as well as our Community Bike Shop, which funds and strengthens this work.

What you’ll do:

• Design and schedule engaging posts, stories, and reels across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and more to grow our audience.

• Develop strategies for viral campaigns and collaborations to boost awareness and donations and share your expertise with our team.

• Analyse metrics (engagement, reach, growth) and refine tactics based on what resonates.

• Create eye-catching visuals using tools like Canva.

• Update our website as required and make suggestions for improvements.

• Work with our expert Trustee to consider how we can use online retail platforms to sell our refurbished bikes.

What we’ll provide:

· Creative freedom within agreed priorities and tone of voice.

· Access to the right tools plus shared photos, stories and impact stats.

· A named contact, light-touch sign-off, and occasional check-ins to remove blockers.

Time commitment: we’ll agree a realistic scope with the right volunteer based on their availability.

Reasonable agreed expenses will be paid.

Thank you

Mark Flannagan
Chief Executive

About us

UpCycle, works with individuals in prisons and young people at risk in marginalised communities.  We use bicycle maintenance workshops to help build life skills, enhance employability, prevent offending and reoffending, and foster social reintegration.  We also offer lead rides, bike fit-it sessions and other ways to engage with vulnerable people.

In prisons

· We delivered 956 un-refurbished bikes and received back 768 refurbished bikes across eight prisons and one Young Offenders Institution, training over 238 individuals.

In the Community

· Over 1034 bikes were donated to our Community Bike Shop, of those we refurbished and distributed more than 612 to underserved communities locally and overseas.

· Workshops in Bradford engaged 361 participants in diverse cycling-related activities across the area.

· "Bike to the Future" and other initiatives reached 220 young people with more complex needs.

Make a difference – become a school governor

You do not have to be a parent or member of staff to be a school governor – applications are appreciated from all with an interest in the local community. School governors come from all walks of life and specialist knowledge is not always needed. What IS essential is a desire to get involved in children’s education and make a difference to their lives.

We welcome applications from those with educational, health & safety and safeguarding experience but school governors are all volunteers and training and support is provided. The University of Chichester (Multi) Academy Trust partners new governors with a ‘buddy’ – a trusted and more experienced colleague on the governing body – who initially acts as their mentor. Briefing information and assistance is also available through newsletters, websites and helplines provided by the Department for Education.