Community link worker volunteer roles

Chair of Trustees role:

You will be chairing the Board of Trustees, ensuring that we have minimum representation required for decisions to be made, keeping the board aligned in decision-making, ensuring all minutes are recorded and that all decisions by trustees are made with the appropriate context provided.

This is a great opportunity to develop further governance skills and experience, and help steer an important charity in the right direction.

Trustees meetings are usually held every six weeks, plus there is an AGM, away days, and any sub-committee meetings that trustees may be involved in. Most meetings will remain virtual but there will from time to time be a need to attend key meetings and events in Nottingham. The time commitment is approximately 4hours per month, but there may be occasions when more time is required for a short period.

Who are we looking for?

• Previous chairing experience
• Relevant experience in any of the following financial management, HR, charities, fundraising, social prescribing, NHS, health inequalities (including deaf community), local authorities, marketing, business development, governance, strategy or legal
• A willingness to devote the necessary time and effort
• Good, independent judgement
• The ability to challenge and ask questions
• An understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of trusteeship
• A commitment to Nolan’s seven principles of public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty, and leadership

NB: We are looking for both a Chair of Trustees and additional Trustees (particularly those with a finance background, but other functions are also welcome). If you are interested in a Trustee role instead of the Chair role, please mention this in your covering letter when applying. 

Both the Chair and Trustee positions are unremunerated, but reasonable expenses will be reimbursed.

About Self Help UK

Self Help UK is a leading peer support organisation with over 40 years of experience in developing and delivering peer-led services. Our mission is to empower individuals and communities by embedding peer support principles into health and wellbeing initiatives. We have created a range of innovative programmes that help people living with cancer and other long-term health conditions to navigate challenges and take control of their health and wellbeing.

We work in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support on projects that make a real difference. These include national and local initiatives for the Deaf community, volunteer-led support for anyone affected by cancer, and prehabilitation services for those facing complex treatment. In 2026, we will collaborate with our Integrated Care System to improve health literacy and increase cancer screening uptake among underserved communities in Nottingham. Looking ahead, we are exploring a new direction to position Self Help UK as a holistic, person-centred support provider, embedding peer support and volunteer-led activity at the heart of everything we do. Our vision is to challenge health inequalities and enable people to feel confident, informed, and supported in shaping their own health journey.

A selection of causes covered by Self Help UK

• Peer support
• Long-term health conditions
• Cancer diagnoses and prevention
• Voluntary sector support
• Health inequalities (including the deaf community)
• Under-served communities

The Willats Trust is a grant-making, cross-denominational Christian charity with a vision to see our estates and most deprived communities around the UK transformed by the love of Jesus.

Our mission is to fund relational evangelism through local expressions of church, by working with like-hearted partners to share the good news of Jesus in the areas of greatest deprivation across the UK.

Since our establishment in 1858, sharing the Gospel in these communities has always been our priority. Thanks to the generosity of Mr Willats, who gifted a significant property portfolio to the charity at its inception, we have been able to use funds generated from this property portfolio to finance grant-making to support evangelists, church planters, or other activities related to evangelism and making disciples in the top 20% areas of deprivation across the UK.

Following a strategic review in 2025, we have an ambition to more than double the amount we award in grants from £500,000 to £1m a year. Over the next ten years, we want to see more thriving Jesus-centric churches planted in our areas of greatest deprivation and led by people who look like the communities they are serving. This means part of our grant-making supports immediate tactical needs, but part of our grant-making also seeks to influence the underlying factors which will enable the long-term fulfilment of our vision.  

We believe the kingdom of God works best when we all bring what is in our hand and let God do the multiplication. Our posture is to come alongside like-hearted partners who share the same vision and work together in partnership to support and equip those God has called to these communities.

We are seeking to make two Trustee appointments. Individuals who bring expertise in one or more of the following areas:

- Mission-related: someone with lived experience of planting, leading or supporting Jesus-centric churches in communities experiencing significant deprivation. You will probably also carry a sense of calling that is bigger than a single geographic area and will be able help us think strategically about how we use our resources to contribute to increased church planting and evangelism in our areas of greatest deprivation, alongside others, over the next decade and bring deep relationships with others already serving in this space.

- Commercial property: someone with professional property expertise relating to exiting portfolios of residential and non-purpose-built HMO properties, or property development, who can advise on asset optimisation and property exits over the coming years, which will enable us to give more money away.

- Legal, financial or HR: individuals with strategic leadership skills and a passion to see resources deployed for Kingdom-purpose.

The time commitment required of a Trustee is usually likely to equate to approximately 6-8 days per year.

It’s a crucial and exciting time in the history and further development of The Willats Trust. By being a Trustee you will be able to make a difference across the UK and get to have a ringside seat to see what God is doing, as we know his heart is always for the most overlooked and forgotten. We are full of expectancy for what God is going to do in this current season and want to play our small part in this, alongside others.

We appreciate the rich diversity of our Trustees and Staff and seek to create a culture where everyone develops and fulfils their potential. We recognise the immense value of different perspectives brought by those with varied backgrounds, characteristics and experiences. We particularly welcome applications from under-represented sections of the community (specifically in our context, women, individuals of Global Majority Heritage and those from non-Anglican church worshipping backgrounds).

Please note that this role has an Occupational Requirement to be a committed Christian as permitted under Schedule 9, Part 1, of the Equality Act 2010.

Closing date: 12 noon BST on Friday 8th May 2026.

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.