Employment and careers service team leader volunteer roles

Architect Our Impact: Join Us as Head of Programmes and Services

In East London, potential is everywhere—but the path to progress isn't always clear.

For many adults who are currently NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training), the distance between where they are and where they want to be can feel insurmountable. At Unlock YOUR Potential, we are building the bridge.

As we move toward official charity status, we aren't just looking for a volunteer; we are looking for a Founding Head of Programmes and Services. This is a high-impact, strategic leadership role for a builder, a dreamer, and a doer who wants to design the blueprint for social mobility in our community.

The Challenge: From Concept to Community Impact

You won't just be managing existing services—you will be the visionary who launches them. You will lead the design, setup, and rollout of a holistic ecosystem designed to empower adults 18+ to reclaim their futures.

Your Portfolio of Change:

• Corporate Mentorship: Building structured pathways for industry professionals to guide our participants.

• Career Coaching: Developing 1-to-1 frameworks that turn career goals into reality.

• Wellbeing Sessions: Ensuring our approach is person-centred, addressing the mental and emotional barriers to employment.

• Job Clubs & Beyond: Launching practical, high-energy hubs for skill-sharing, networking, and application support.

• Service Design: Creating the "how" behind everything we do—ensuring our programmes are inclusive, effective, and scalable.

Is This Your Next Mission?

We are looking for a leader who can balance "big picture" strategy with the "sleeves-rolled-up" energy of a start-up.

• The Strategist: You have experience in programme management or service design and know how to move from a "good idea" to a "live service."

• The East London Advocate: You understand the unique challenges and the incredible vibrance of our local community.

• The Innovator: You aren't afraid to try new approaches to adult education and employability.

• The Leader: You can inspire a growing team of volunteers and partners to deliver excellence.

Why Join the Founding Team?

This is more than a volunteer role; it’s a legacy project. You will have a seat at the table during our most formative stage, helping to decide exactly how Unlock YOUR Potential serves East London.

• Complete Autonomy: Build the programmes you’ve always wanted to see in the world.

• Direct Impact: Watch your designs change the lives of local adults in real-time.

• Strategic Growth: Gain unique experience in the "start-up" phase of a charity’s journey.

Ready to Build Something Extraordinary?

If you have the professional expertise to lead and the passion to drive social change, we need you. Please get in touch with a brief summary of your background in programme leadership and why you want to help us unlock the potential of East London.

Unlock YOUR Potential:

Building the Framework for Future Success.

Independent Chair and Non-Executive Director Recruitment

Somerset Skills & Learning CIC (SS&L)
Voluntary roles | Somerset / Hybrid

Changing lives through learning

Somerset Skills & Learning (SS&L) is a thriving Community Interest Company delivering education and skills to around 4,000 learners each year. Working with over 145 employers, we improve confidence, wellbeing, employability and life chances across Somerset and beyond.

We are now seeking two Independent Non-Executive Directors to join our Board at an exciting and pivotal time.

Following seven successful years on the Board, our Chair will step down in November 2026. As part of this recruitment, we will identify our next Non-Executive Chair, offering a unique opportunity to shape the future direction of a values-driven organisation making a tangible difference.

The Opportunities

Non-Executive Director – Finance & Sustainability

You will bring senior financial leadership experience to help guide SS&L’s long-term sustainability.

You will contribute to:

• Financial strategy, oversight and resilience
• Risk management, audit and governance
• Supporting sustainable, values-led growth

Non-Executive Director – Further Education Quality & Impact

You will bring expertise from the further education or skills sector to help ensure high-quality outcomes.

You will contribute to:

• Quality assurance and continuous improvement
• Learner outcomes and progression
• Strategic curriculum development aligned to community need

About the Roles

As a Board member, you will:

• Provide strategic oversight, challenge and support
• Help shape organisational direction and impact
• Work collaboratively with fellow Directors and the Executive team

From these appointments, we are particularly interested in individuals with the capability and interest to step into the Chair role.

Commitment

• Approximately 4–5 hours per month
• Four Board meetings per year (hybrid)
• Participation in sub-committees
• Voluntary roles (reasonable expenses reimbursed)

About You

We are looking for individuals who:

• Bring senior leadership or Board-level experience
• Can offer constructive challenge and strategic insight
• Share our commitment to inclusion, learning and community impact

We particularly welcome applications from individuals who reflect the diversity of the communities we serve.
 

How to Apply

Full details about this opportunity in the attached brief. For a confidential discussion, please contact Anna Jay, Managing Director, Public Leaders Appointments

Closing date for applications: Midday, 21st May 2026. Interviews 10th or 11th June 2026.

If you are inspired by the opportunity to help shape an organisation that is transforming lives through learning, we would love to hear from you.

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.