Client support advisor volunteer roles

Customer Service / Receptionist Volunteer

We’re looking for a friendly volunteer in our Guildford office to be the first point of contact our clients see.

 What will you do?

• Complete an introduction to Citizens Advice South West Surrey (CASWS)
• Complete required training for your role
• Provide a customer facing reception service to clients who drop in to see us in our Guildford office, including:
  • Ensuring relevant forms are completed
  • Assigning clients to Advisers for more detailed support
  • Booking appointments
  • Monitoring the flow of clients in the drop in
  • Assist clients with form filling
  • Complete day sheets
  • Scan and upload documents to case recording system
  • Write up notes on case recording system
  • When the drop-in service is at full capacity, ensuring that you understand the clients’ issue and support them by providing information, signposting them to another more appropriate organisation or asking them to attend another CASWS drop in.
• Complete administrative duties including:
  • Monitoring emails
  • Processing client enquiries both by email and phone
  • Sending out appointment information
  • Provide Advisers with admin support, where required
  • Other ad hoc tasks to support the day to day running of our service

What’s in it for you?

• gain and build on valuable skills and experience such as communication, IT skills and working in a team
• increase your employability
• contribute to the smooth running of the advice service which makes a real difference to peoples’ lives
• work with a range of different people, independently and in a team.

And we’ll reimburse expenses too.

What do you need to have?

You don’t need specific qualifications or skills, but you’ll need to:

• be friendly and approachable
• be non-judgmental and respect views, values and cultures that are different to your own
• have good IT skills
• be calm under pressure
• be able to demonstrate resilience with challenging clients
• be willing to learn about and follow the Citizens Advice aims, principles and policies, including confidentiality and data protection
• be willing to undertake training in your role

How much time do you need to give?

We can be flexible about the time spent and how often you volunteer so come and talk to us.

Valuing inclusion

Our volunteers come from a range of backgrounds and we particularly welcome applications from racially minoritised people/people of colour, disabled people, people with physical or mental health conditions, LGBTQ+ and non-binary people.

Interested?

If you are interested in becoming a customer service volunteer / reception volunteer and would like to discuss flexibility around location, time, ‘what you will do’ and how we can support you, please contact us.

We are looking for someone keen to move into the area of advising small charities on management and governance issues and working with them on other services we provide.

We are a very ambitious local grant-making charity that also offers various training, support and consultancy services to small charities and community groups in West London. Our broad-ranging plans are now beginning to bear fruit and so we need volunteers to help us in the following areas as demand for our services continues to grow:

· Supporting small groups and start-ups with basic governance and management issues

· Facilitating coordination between groups including organising events linking those with common interests

· Monitoring our grant holders and assessing the impact of our services on groups

· Outreach to new groups

· General admin support

· Possibly helping out with grant application assessments when needed

Our ideal candidates would have a good all-round management or professional background gained over a number of years, but they need not be experienced in the areas mentioned above. You'd be given full training, with the opportunity to shadow the people already working in these areas. Far more important is adaptability, initiative, an ability to get on well with people from all sorts of backgrounds, and good organisational and writing skills. Most crucially you would have a demonstrable commitment to our ideals of promoting a strong and influential civil society in West London. You will thrive on challenges and find rewards in seeing our objectives achieved.

You would ideally be able to commit an average of 1 day a week and the work would involve dealing with our clients during office hours, so you will probably be someone who is working part-time, or is perhaps retired or semi-retired, or is otherwise not in full-time employment. We would also be prepared to consider applicants only able to commit a few hours a week for some of the duties mentioned above.

Much of the work would be taking place from home, but it will also involve some face to face contact with clients, so living in or around the Ealing, Hounslow or Hillingdon boroughs would be a definite advantage.

All reasonable expenses will be reimbursed and refreshments provided where suitable.

You will welcome clients and visitors, and support the smooth running of our local office at our drop in sessions on Mondays or Thursdays (or both)

Commitment: 6 hours/week (flexible)

Receptionists are the first point of contact for clients, welcoming visitors. You’ll record client details on our computer system, explain waiting times, and help ensure the service runs smoothly. The role builds communication, IT, and teamwork skills while making a real difference in the community. Full training and expense reimbursement are provided.

What you gain: Communication skills, admin experience, confidence using IT, and full training.

You'll gain valuable transferable skills in communication, problem solving, teamwork.

Whether you are starting out, changing career, retired, or returning to work, volunteering strengthens your CV and provides practical experience.

Provide a welcoming and supportive first point of contact for clients and visitors across our Dudley and Wolverhampton offices.

Role Responsibilities:

• Provide reception cover and welcome clients into the Information Hub.

• Carry out initial triage by listening to clients’ needs and directing them appropriately.

• Book in clients who have appointments with advice staff

• Handle calls and emails, and record client information accurately.

About You:

• Friendly, approachable, and empathetic.

• Good communication and basic IT skills.

• Organised, reliable, and able to work independently and in a team.

• Willing to travel between Dudley and Wolverhampton offices.

Commitment:

• Volunteer 1 day a week (you can volunteer if you want up to 5 days a week), volunteering between the hours of 9am – 3pm, for minimum 6 months commitment.

NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED, FULL TRAINING WILL BE PROVIDED
Plus, we'll reimburse your travel expenses (fuel or bus fares, car parking), so volunteering won't cost you anything but your time.

Why Volunteer with Us? 
✨ Valuable Experience: Gain practical skills and a sense of fulfilment with a trusted charity that has over 80 years of experience.
✨ Training and Support: Enjoy comprehensive training and ongoing support to help you succeed.
✨ Social Connection: Meet like-minded individuals and become part of our wonderful team.
✨ Personal Fulfilment: Experience the joy of making a real difference in someone's life.
✨ Flexible Hours: We offer flexible volunteering hours to suit your lifestyle.
✨ Health and Wellbeing: We prioritise the wellness of our volunteers, contributing to professional   success.
✨ Professional Development: We're committed to continuous development and growth opportunities.
✨ Diversity and Inclusion: We embrace individuals from all walks of life and encourage authenticity.

�� What Our Volunteers Say:
"Now that I am retired, volunteering at Citizens Advice gives me a purpose in life. I feel I can serve my community and make a difference to local people who are in difficulty. I learn a lot, use my skills and discover new skills as well as having new and varied experiences every day."
-Volunteer Generalist Advisor

"I now feel braver when looking at new job opportunities. I can utilise my skills and experience from volunteering in the hubs."
-Cost of Living Support Hub Volunteer

Ready to make a difference?
�� For further information about the individual roles, please visit our website:

If you require any of the information in an alternative accessible format, please let us know and we will be happy to assist.

We are seeking a Receptionist for our Yate office.

This is an important role which involves greeting clients and adding their details to our database.

The rewarding position will be of great help to our charity – which provides free, independent and confidential advice to anyone who needs it in South Gloucestershire.

The charity is particularly keen to encourage applications from people with a diverse range of backgrounds. This is especially the case for people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds who are currently under-represented.

The service aims to provide high-quality advice to members of the public. It also aims to influence Governments and other organisations by informing them of the effect of their actions on the lives of clients.

The role involves:

• supporting our team of Advisers
• greeting clients and adding their details to our database for use by our Advisers
• adhering to Citizens Advice South Gloucestershire’s vision, mission and values which includes offering a free and confidential advice service

You will have:

• strong attention to detail
• IT competence (essential)
• a friendly, approachable manner
• respect for views, values and cultures which are different to your own

What you will get out of it:

• Brilliant skills which will be of use for future work
• Excellent training and support
• The camaraderie of being part of a great team

Applicants should be able to commit to a three-hour session each week for at least six months. Full training will be provided.

Help deliver library books to people across Wolverhampton who are unable to access library services.

Role Responsibilities:

• Collect library materials from a designated library and deliver them safely to clients’ homes.

• Follow a set delivery route one day per week, with each session lasting a maximum of approximately three hours.

• Report any concerns about a client’s wellbeing to the Coordinator for further assessment.

About You:

• Hold a full, current UK driving licence (maximum 6 penalty points) and have access to your own car (mileage expenses covered).

• Be friendly, approachable, positive, reliable, and punctual.

• Able to work independently and as part of a team.

Commitment:

• Volunteer 1 day per week (hours agreed) for a minimum of 3 months.

• An enhanced DBS check is required (arranged and paid for by the organisation).

NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED, FULL TRAINING WILL BE PROVIDED
Plus, we'll reimburse your travel expenses (fuel or bus fares, car parking), so volunteering won't cost you anything but your time.

Why Volunteer with Us? 
✨ Valuable Experience: Gain practical skills and a sense of fulfilment with a trusted charity that has over 80 years of experience.
✨ Training and Support: Enjoy comprehensive training and ongoing support to help you succeed.
✨ Social Connection: Meet like-minded individuals and become part of our wonderful team.
✨ Personal Fulfilment: Experience the joy of making a real difference in someone's life.
✨ Flexible Hours: We offer flexible volunteering hours to suit your lifestyle.
✨ Health and Wellbeing: We prioritise the wellness of our volunteers, contributing to professional   success.
✨ Professional Development: We're committed to continuous development and growth opportunities.
✨ Diversity and Inclusion: We embrace individuals from all walks of life and encourage authenticity.

�� What Our Volunteers Say:
"Now that I am retired, volunteering at Citizens Advice gives me a purpose in life. I feel I can serve my community and make a difference to local people who are in difficulty. I learn a lot, use my skills and discover new skills as well as having new and varied experiences every day."
-Volunteer Generalist Advisor

"I now feel braver when looking at new job opportunities. I can utilise my skills and experience from volunteering in the hubs."
-Cost of Living Support Hub Volunteer

Ready to make a difference?
�� For further information about the individual roles, please visit our website:
Please download and complete the application form

If you require any of the information in an alternative accessible format, please let us know and we will be happy to assist.

Support Dudley residents with long-term health conditions or disabilities by providing information regarding welfare benefit applications and delivering structured self-management group programmes.

Role Responsibilities:

• Facilitate small group Welfare Benefit Guider sessions (up to 6 residents) to those who need assistance to complete their own welfare benefits application forms (e.g. Personal Independence Payments (PIP) application forms).

• Deliver 6-week Long Term Health & Wellbeing Programmes (2.5 hours per week) to groups of up to 12 residents per group with long term health conditions or disabilities to help improve their quality of life.

• Create supportive, inclusive group environments and record participant information accurately.

About You:

• Lived or caring experience of long-term physical or mental health conditions is preferred but not essential 

• Ability to empathise with clients is essential. 

• Confident speaking in group settings (in person and online) with good communication and basic IT skills.

• Able to handle sensitive information with tact.

Commitment:

• Deliver sessions at community venues across Dudley (and potentially Wolverhampton), including some evenings/weekends. 

• Deliver 3 x 6 weeks Long-term Health & Wellbeing Programmes per year

• Deliver 2 x 3-hour Welfare Benefits Guider Sessions per month

• An enhanced DBS check is required (arranged and paid for by the organisation).

NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED, FULL TRAINING WILL BE PROVIDED

Plus, we'll reimburse your travel expenses (fuel or bus fares, car parking), so volunteering won't cost you anything but your time.

Why Volunteer with Us? 

✨ Valuable Experience: Gain practical skills and a sense of fulfilment with a trusted charity that has over 80 years of experience.

✨ Training and Support: Enjoy comprehensive training and ongoing support to help you succeed.

✨ Social Connection: Meet like-minded individuals and become part of our wonderful team.

✨ Personal Fulfilment: Experience the joy of making a real difference in someone's life.

✨ Flexible Hours: We offer flexible volunteering hours to suit your lifestyle.

✨ Health and Wellbeing: We prioritise the wellness of our volunteers, contributing to professional   success.

✨ Professional Development: We're committed to continuous development and growth opportunities.

✨ Diversity and Inclusion: We embrace individuals from all walks of life and encourage authenticity.

�� What Our Volunteers Say:

"Now that I am retired, volunteering at Citizens Advice gives me a purpose in life. I feel I can serve my community and make a difference to local people who are in difficulty. I learn a lot, use my skills and discover new skills as well as having new and varied experiences every day."

-Volunteer Generalist Advisor

"I now feel braver when looking at new job opportunities. I can utilise my skills and experience from volunteering in the hubs."

-Cost of Living Support Hub Volunteer

Ready to make a difference?

�� For further information about the individual roles, please visit our website:

Please download and complete the application form

If you require any of the information in an alternative accessible format, please let us know and we will be happy to assist.

Trustee Opportunity at Citizens Advice
Citizens Advice South Lincolnshire is seeking new trustees to help shape the future of our high-performing advice charity.

With offices in Grantham, Spalding and Stamford, plus outreach centres across the region, we support a population of 225,000 people. Last year, we helped 14,000 clients with 60,000 issues and secured over £7 million of additional income for them. We are here for everyone to help people move on with their lives.

As a trustee, you’d join a well-known, respected charity, influence strategy, strengthen governance and contribute to meaningful change. This is an opportunity to share your expertise with other professional, dedicated trustees, gain valuable experience, build on your leadership and strategy skills, and increase your employability. Prior Board experience is not required.

We welcome expertise in digital media, finance, fundraising, HR, IT, law, marketing, PR, risk management, senior management, local government, or strategy.

What do you need to become a trustee?

Trustees don’t need specific qualifications, but we expect all trustees to have six core skills:

● Insight into the organisation: considering CASL’s objects and its public benefit strategically

● Challenging constructively: clarifying facts; stimulating thought

● Analysing issues: being objective; evaluating risks; using evidence; planning ahead

● Weighing up opinions: using evidence; balancing long- and shortterm; prioritising value

● Interpersonal skills: communicating clearly; listening actively; supporting a healthy culture

● Confidence and self-awareness: collaborating with others; treating everyone with respect.

The Board also values specialist skills as assets among its members:

● experience or qualifications in:

 ‣ business or charity leadership

 ‣ equity, diversity and inclusion

 ‣ facilitation

 ‣ finance and accountancy

 ‣ human resources

 ‣ IT, AI or digital media

‣ law or governance

‣ local government

‣ marketing, PR or communications

‣ risk management, or

‣ strategy development

● past experience as a client or service user of this (or a similar) organisation

● a track record of charitable fundraising, or

● being an effective chair. 

Finally, competent trustees should have these six personal qualities to some extent, and demonstrate them in their behaviours:

● Committed - motivated, dedicated, persevering; plays an active role.

● Responsible - accountable, independent, reliable; accepts collective responsibility.

● Trustworthy - ethical, principled; is a critical friend and focuses on continuous improvement.

● Collaborative - team-oriented, approachable; builds relationships and seeks consensus.

● Confident - independent; contributes constructively and expresses opinions courageously.

● Thoughtful - curious, adaptable, open-minded; appropriately challenges the status quo

Working Chance is a unique, pioneering, award-winning national charity that supports women with criminal convictions into employment. We support women to create independent purposeful lives through helping them to build careers, we break cycles of reoffending and we inspire employers to embrace inclusive hiring.

This is an exciting time for Working Chance as we start developing our new three-year strategy which will come into effect from 1 September. The new strategy will see us taking an ever bolder stance on speaking up for women with convictions, solidifying our position as a thought leader on how to improve the employment rate of these women, and moving into providing consultancy for employers seeking our guidance and input on their recruitment and employment practices.

We are looking for an inspiring and committed Chair of Trustees to lead our Board at this exciting point in our development. This is a unique opportunity to shape the strategic direction of a highly respected and impactful charity, while championing a mission that addresses inequality, social justice and economic inclusion.

As Chair, you will work closely with the Chief Executive and fellow trustees to ensure strong governance, clear strategic focus, effective oversight and financial sustainability, while acting as an ambassador for Working Chance and its values. Download the Appointment Brief to learn all about the role, the charity and the recruitment process, and if you think you might be the person we’re looking for, we’d love to hear from you.

Closing date: 9am on Monday 16 March

Lead with Purpose. Shape the Future of Later Life.
Are you ready to guide a dynamic, forward-thinking charity? At Age UK Merton, we believe later life should be lived with dignity, joy, and opportunity. For nearly seventy years, we've been supporting older adults in Merton with advice, practical help, and social connection. Now, as we navigate an ever-changing landscape and deliver on our ambitious strategic plan, we're seeking an exceptional Chair of Trustees to help us steer the next chapter.

Time Commitment: Approx. 2-3 days per month
Location: Merton (Board meetings and events)
Remuneration: Voluntary (expenses reimbursed)

About Age UK Merton
We're a 'small but mighty' charity with a big impact. Our mission is simple: to provide quality advice and services that meet the needs of older adults in Merton. From befriending and activity programmes to practical home support and accredited advice, we help thousands of people each year to love later life. With an income of £1.2m, a dedicated team of staff and volunteers, and strong partnerships across health, care, and community sectors, we're proud of our achievements and excited about what is to come.

Why This Role Matters
As Chair, you'll lead a committed Board and work closely with our CEO to ensure Age UK Merton thrives in a challenging environment.
You will:
* Shape strategic direction: Drive delivery of our three-year plan, focusing on outreach, sustainability, and improved health and wellbeing outcomes.
* Champion collaboration: Strengthen partnerships across health, care, and voluntary sectors to reduce inequalities and improve lives.
* Ensure strong governance: Uphold charity law and best practice, ensuring financial resilience and effective administration.
* Be a visible leader: Represent Age UK Merton externally, inspire stakeholders, and help diversify income streams for long-term sustainability.

What Makes This Opportunity Inspiring
* Impact and Purpose: Your leadership will directly improve the lives of older adults in Merton.
* Strong Foundations: Accredited for quality advice and befriending services, with a clear strategic plan and committed team.
* Exciting Growth: We're expanding outreach and engagement, co-designing services with clients, and building a sustainable future.
* Collaborative Culture: Trustees and staff share values of quality, integrity, kindness, inclusivity, and collaboration.

Ideal Candidate Profile
Essential Skills and Experience
* Previous Board-level experience, ideally as Chair or Trustee.
* Strategic vision, financial acumen, and strong leadership skills.
* Ability to build relationships and represent the organisation publicly.
* Commitment to Age UK Merton's mission and values.

Desirable
* Understanding of adult social care or health sectors.
* Knowledge of Merton and its communities.

Recruitment Timeline
To ensure equitable access to information and uphold AgeUK Merton's commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, they will be hosting a Q&A webinar in place of individual informal calls with the outgoing Chair. We encourage all interested candidates to submit questions in advance, which will be addressed during the session. Please register your interest in attending this webinar on Wednesday 11th February 2026 and we will send you a link.

Application Deadline: 9th March 2026
Interviews: w/c 13th April 2026

How to Apply
Charity People Ltd is acting as a recruitment agency advisor to AgeUK Merton on this appointment. Interested candidates are invited to submit a CV to Senior Appointments at Charity People and request a candidate pack in the first instance.
For an informal conversation about the role or if you have further questions prior to applying, please contact Fabrice Yala at Charity People

We want you to have every opportunity to demonstrate your skills, ability, and potential; please contact us if you require any assistance or adjustment so we can help make the application process work for you.

Charity People is a forward thinking, inclusive organisation that actively and deliberately promotes equity, diversity and inclusion. We know organisations thrive when inclusion is at the forefront. We evidence our commitment by matching charity needs with the skills and experience of candidates irrespective of background e.g. age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. We do this because we believe that greater diversity leads to greater results for the charities we work with.

Role: Trustee 
Hours: Attendance at Board meetings six times a year, with reading and preparation before meetings
No Salary:  Unpaid volunteer role, expenses paid
Location: Meetings held on zoom or at our head office in London SE20
Deadline:  17th May 2026
Interviews:  In person in London SE20

ABOUT US

Bromley & Croydon Women's Aid (BCWA) aims to empower anyone suffering domestic abuse so they can make informed choices about their future. Our services are confidential, non-judgmental and respectful of diversity.

BCWA puts anyone who contacts us for support at the heart of decision making, so that they can gain the confidence, strength and self-respect needed to free themselves from abusive relationships

Our Ethos

BCWA believe in providing high-quality services to anyone fleeing domestic abuse. We have been working since 1975 to:

• focus on maintaining the independence, confidence and self-esteem of anyone we help
• be responsive to the needs of individuals in a culturally appropriate and sensitive way
• treat our residents, clients, staff and partners with integrity, honesty and respect.

Our Mission Statement

Our mission is to end all forms of domestic abuse in our community.  Our vision is to support and empower women to create change in their lives, so that they and their children can live free from domestic abuse and improve their quality of life.

OUR SERVICES

BCWA provide a wide range of services including:

Refuge

We provide safe accommodation for any woman and her children who is experiencing domestic abuse, or who is at risk of abuse.

Children are welcomed by Child Support Officers. Refuges have fully-equipped playrooms, where the project workers organise activities, after-school clubs, play sessions, fun days and one-to-one therapeutic activities.

BCWA is a registered housing provider with the Regulator or Social Housing (i.e. a Housing Association) and operates supported housing in a mix of owned and leased properties, some as managing agent for other housing associations, some operated independently.

Advice & Support

BCWA telephone Helpline supports women in the community who want to know what their options are around domestic abuse, or who need a non-judgmental listening ear. We run 12-week ‘Keys to Freedom’ support groups which offer a path to recognising abuse and peer support for recovery.

We offer advice to the friends and families of anyone experiencing domestic abuse. We give our expertise to legal and social services professionals, and we support women at appointments, accompany them to court, and also put them in contact with other services that can help them.

Our other services include:

Japanese service - BCWA, in partnership with the Japanese Embassy in London, offers outreach advice in Japanese to survivors of domestic abuse

NRPF/EEA service - Our specialist advisor works with migrant women without recourse to public funds (NRPF) and those from the EEA to regularise their immigration status and access benefits & support.

Men's service - All BCWA locations are women-only spaces, but men can be supported via our One Stop Shop service or by the IDSVA (high-risk) service in Bromley.

Our Approach to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

Our work is based on building meaningful, supportive, enduring and respectful relationships with women from all cultures. We cannot do this without a strong commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. BCWA’s approach is to try to make sure that EDI is central to everything we do and informs both our services and our organisational culture. 

Our goal is to develop and deliver consistently inclusive programmes, projects and services that support and bring together survivors of domestic abuse and their children and facilitate empowerment and recovery. We believe this enables best practice domestic abuse support, hope this will make everyone's experiences richer, and ultimately lead to more inclusive communities and sector best practice. 

BECOMING A TRUSTEE

What is a Trustee?

Trustees ensure their charity has a clear strategy, and that its work and goals are in line with its vision. A trustee's role in a charity is to be the ‘guardians of purpose’, making sure that all decisions put the needs of the beneficiaries first. They safeguard the charity’s assets – both physical assets, including property, and intangible ones, such as its reputation. They make sure these are used well and that the charity is run sustainably.

Why become a Trustee?

Being a Trustee can be very rewarding. As a Trustee you have the chance to support and shape the work and strategic direction of an organisation, and you can make a significant difference to a cause that matters to you.

Being a Trustee offers the opportunity for professional development. It can let you gain experience of strategy and leadership, and boost your CV. It will give you experience of being a non-executive director, such as setting a strategic vision, influencing and negotiation, and managing risk. If you already have significant experience in these areas, it can be stimulating to use it in a different and potentially challenging context. You will be part of a team and will have the opportunity to apply your unique skills and experience while learning from others. Working closely with a passionate team of people who have different perspectives is often one of the most enjoyable aspects of the role. Trustees often say that being a board member has been one the richest sources of learning in their professional lives.

Why join our board?

BCWA was founded by a group of local women in Bromley who wanted to do something practical to support women in their local community and has been run by women and for women ever since. Over the past few years the organisation has grown considerably but still operates very much in the spirit of grassroots feminist women’s movement of the 70s, out of which it was founded.

Many of our trustees, staff and volunteers have lived experience of domestic abuse, and the organisation actively welcome survivors at all levels. We are a supportive, warm and friendly group and we genuinely strive to foster great relationships. Our Board is made up of a diverse group of women with a broad range of backgrounds, skills and experience. This team operates on mutual respect and true collaboration in order to provide the best leadership possible to the charity. We are solutions oriented, creative, forward-thinking and passionate about working to end domestic abuse.

BCWA has seen sustained growth over the last few years and has increased its property portfolio to provide a range of dispersed ‘move on’ accommodation for women leaving refuge, with continued support.

The charity is also committed to an ongoing process of service improvement via stakeholder feedback and analysis of needs and gaps in provision. Our local knowledge and specialist expertise positions us very well to innovate in co-producing new services.

In addition to trauma-informed accommodation and community-based services, BCWA has developed a therapeutic service alongside, which encompasses child play therapy and a specialist in-house counselling service for women. This supports the health and wellbeing of survivors going forward as well as working towards the prevention of repeat victimisation.

A trusteeship with BCWA is an exciting opportunity to be part of a dynamic organisation, contribute to the local community and impact thousands of women’s lives for the better. It is a truly pivotal time to join the board at BCWA, as we develop and implement innovative new services that will add significantly to the breadth and impact of support available to survivors of domestic abuse in Bromley & Croydon.

What skills are we looking for?

We are looking for a range of new trustees with a range of different skills to shape and steer the future of this dynamic organisation, as well as bring wisdom, energy and new perspectives to our governance.  We would particularly welcome applications from women with knowledge of or experience working in the following sectors:

· Social housing, social investment, housing, company or charity or general legal background

· Provision of mental health services

· AI expertise

ROLE DESCRIPTION

We are looking for strategic-minded individuals with a variety of skills to join our board. Our trustees play an essential role in making sure that BCWA achieves its core purpose. They oversee the overall management and administration of the charity. They also ensure that we have a clear strategy and that our work and goals are in line with our vision.

Trustee duties

• To ensure the BCWA is carrying out its purposes, as set out in its governing document.
• To ensure the charity complies with its governing document, charity law and any other applicable laws.
• To act in the charity’s best interests, making balanced and adequately informed decisions.
• To contribute actively to the Board of Trustees in giving firm strategic direction, setting overall policy, defining goals and setting targets (including evaluating performance against set targets).
• To provide guidance using previous experience and expertise on a range of aspects of BCWA's business, including support to set up new initiatives.
• To ensure the effective and efficient administration of the Organisation.
• To monitor the financial, strategic and operational performance of BCWA.

In addition to the above responsibilities, each Trustee should use any specific skills, knowledge or experience they possess, to enable the Board to reach sound decisions. This may involve leading discussions, focusing on key issues, scrutinising reports, providing advice and guidance on new issues, particularly where a Trustee has specific expertise. Our board meets bi-monthly and holds an Annual General Meeting.

Personal skills and qualities

• Willingness and ability to understand and accept their responsibilities and liabilities as trustees and to act in the best interests of the organisation.
• Ability to think creatively and strategically, exercise good, independent judgement and work effectively as a board member.
• Effective communication skills and willingness to participate actively in discussion.
• A strong personal commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.
• Enthusiasm for our vision: working to end domestic abuse.
• Commitment to Nolan’s seven principles of public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.

What impact will you have?

You will be joining an organisation actively opposed to all forms of discrimination providing a service that is confidential, non-judgmental and respectful of diversity.

You will have the opportunity to showcase your skills as well as learn new ones.

We are a feminist organisation and recognise the gendered nature of domestic abuse and other forms of violence against women and girls.

Time Commitment

• Attendance at board meetings which take place six times a year. Meetings are held in the early evening, mostly on-line, with one or two held in-person at our south-east London Head Office.
• Trustees will also need to carry out any pre-meeting reading and preparation and may be contacted occasionally for advice.

Further Information

We are very happy to have informal discussions about the role and warmly welcome candidates to visit us or observe a board meeting if they wish.

New Trustees are assigned an existing member who is responsible for their induction and support for a period of 6 months.

As our organisation works with extremely vulnerable clients, safeguarding is one of our key priorities. Please contact us if you would like more info or to view our SG policies. In light of this, offers are subject to an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references.

Female applicants only: In light of the nature of work, the candidate’s gender is considered to be an occupational requirement in accordance with Schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010. 

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion: BCWA is committed to supporting and promoting equality & diversity and creating an inclusive working environment. To achieve this, we seek to employ a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds to better represent the communities we serve. 

BCWA is an Equal Opportunities Employer. 

Reg. Charity No.1068007.