Lead volunteer volunteer volunteer roles

Prisoners Abroad is the only charity supporting British citizens in prison abroad, their families, and people who have returned to the UK after serving a prison sentence overseas.

We run volunteer-led support groups for family members of British prisoners that are currently detained abroad, and have a vacancy for a Family Support Group volunteer in York and the North East. The support groups may be a mixture of in person and on Zoom.

We are looking for someone with an empathy for our work, who can provide a welcoming and friendly environment for family members who have been affected by overseas imprisonment and who will enjoy being part of our team to deliver our family support work.

Make A Smile is seeking a dedicated and knowledgeable Safeguarding Officer to help us ensure the safety and wellbeing of the children, families, and volunteers we support across the UK. If you have safeguarding experience and want to use your skills to make a meaningful impact, this role offers the chance to help shape safe, joyful experiences for vulnerable children.

About the Role

The Safeguarding Officer plays a central role in maintaining high safeguarding standards across all Make A Smile Chapters. You will work closely with the Recruitment Manager to deliver high‑quality safeguarding training to volunteers, ensuring they understand their responsibilities and feel confident when working with children.

You will also lead on maintaining and updating our safeguarding policies, liaising with relevant organisations to ensure they remain comprehensive, compliant, and aligned with current legislation. A key part of the role involves supporting local officers to ensure all volunteers have an up‑to‑date DBS check before attending events.

As the charity’s central point of safeguarding expertise, you will provide guidance on concerns, advise on escalation routes, and help embed a strong safeguarding culture throughout the organisation.

What We Need You to Do

- Deliver safeguarding training to volunteers
- Maintain and update safeguarding policies
- Ensure DBS compliance across all Chapters
- Provide guidance on safeguarding concerns
- Promote best practice and support volunteers
- Liaise with external organisations and stay up‑to‑date with legislation

Qualities and Experience

We are looking for someone with:

- Proven safeguarding experience (charity, education, healthcare, or social care preferred)
- Strong understanding of safeguarding legislation and best practice
- Excellent communication and organisational skills
- A calm, supportive, and approachable manner
- The ability to coordinate processes across multiple teams
- Good judgement, discretion, and attention to detail
- A commitment to Make A Smile’s mission and values

How This Role Helps Make A Smile

The Safeguarding Officer ensures Make A Smile can operate safely, responsibly, and confidently. Your leadership protects children, supports volunteers, and strengthens trust with families and partners. By maintaining robust safeguarding processes, you enable us to continue delivering magical, meaningful experiences to vulnerable children across the UK.

Our vision for volunteering

Volunteering is and always will be at the heart of Cats Protection. It is joyful and inclusive. As a charity, working in partnership, together we transform the lives of cats, people and communities.

The difference you will make to cats and people

Thousands of cats each year rely on the help of animal charities because they have been abandoned, they have strayed or because there has been a change in their owner’s circumstances. Becoming an administration volunteer is just one way you can help improve the lives of cats in your local community. Our administration volunteers help provide vital admin support to our volunteer groups and teams across Cats Protection. They help keep up to date records of the number of cats that have been rehomed, collate supporter details and send out newsletters. This could be the perfect volunteer role if you have administrative experience, a passion for cats, or both!

You can expect us to

• Make you feel welcome, included and respected in line with our values and behaviours
• Support you in having a positive and impactful experience at Cats Protection
• Cover agreed out-of-pocket expenses in line with our Expenses Policy
• Provide you with access to learning, development and engagement opportunities

What we need from you

You’ll be:

• Recording relevant information related to your volunteer group
• Signposting enquiries to the relevant teams within Cats Protection
• Sending information to supporters, volunteers and to our Head Office
• Distributing information leaflets if required

Time expectation

Our administration volunteers usually spend 2 to 3 hours per week in this role, which is flexible and can be shared by more than one volunteer if needed.

You may be just the volunteer we’ve been looking for!

We are committed to building a diverse, compassionate and inclusive organisation where everyone can be themselves and do their best. We are courageous and compassionate in our purpose of helping people see the world through cats’ eyes. Together, we can make a difference. Together, we are all for cats. Join the UK’s leading cat welfare charity and help make a better life for cats, because life is better with cats.

Our vision for volunteering

Volunteering is and always will be at the heart of Cats Protection. It is joyful and inclusive. As a charity, working in partnership, together we transform the lives of cats, people and communities.

The difference you will make to cats and people

If you enjoy driving and would love to use those skills to help our cats, this could be the role for you. Our transport volunteers provide vital assistance to our teams and volunteer groups in the local area by transporting equipment, litter, food – and even cats! They have the essential role of connecting our network of volunteers, sites, vets and supporters.

Without the passionate and committed teams of volunteers across Cats Protection, we wouldn’t be able to help the thousands of cats and kittens each year that rely on us for help.

You can expect us to

• Make you feel welcome, included and respected in line with our values and behaviours
• Support you in having a positive and impactful experience at Cats Protection
• Cover agreed out-of-pocket expenses in line with our Expenses Policy
• Provide you with access to learning, development and engagement opportunities

What we need from you

You’ll be:

• Arranging and transporting equipment, litter and cat food
• Transporting cats to and from vets, foster homes and centres
• Transporting equipment to and from events

Time expectation

Our transport volunteers usually spend two to four hours per week in this role, which is flexible and can be shared by more than one volunteer if needed.

You may be just the volunteer we’ve been looking for!

We are committed to building a diverse, compassionate and inclusive organisation where everyone can be themselves and do their best. We are courageous and compassionate in our purpose of helping people see the world through cats’ eyes. Together, we can make a difference. Together, we are all for cats. Join the UK’s leading cat welfare charity and help make a better life for cats, because life is better with cats.

We’re Mind, the leading mental health charity. We won’t give up until everyone experiencing a mental health problem gets support and respect. We provide advice and support to empower anybody experiencing a mental health problem and we campaign to improve services, raise awareness, and promote understanding.

Our volunteers are a fundamental part of our shops. Any time which they volunteer at our shops, help us be there for more people who are experiencing a mental health problem. 

About the volunteer role

To provide our volunteers with opportunities to gain a variety of skills and experience, we offer them a range of volunteer roles to choose from, which include:

• Stock preparation volunteer
• Volunteer shop sales assistant
• Volunteer stock generation assistant
• Volunteer window dresser/Merchandiser
• Specialist knowledge volunteer (antiques and collectables)
• Specialist knowledge volunteer (books and entertainment)
• Housekeeping volunteer

Key tasks

There is a variety of tasks within the above mentioned roles that our volunteers get involved with, including:

• Welcoming and assisting customers with their purchases, providing them with great customer service and a delightful shopping experience
• Receiving donated items from members of the public
• Sorting, steaming, tagging and preparing donated items for sale
• Creating visually appealing window and in-store displays
• Keeping the shop floor well stocked, clean and coordinated
• Processing sales and serving at the till
• Signing up gift aid donors
• Stock rotation
• Identifying special or valuable items within donated stock

About you

• Passionate about customer service 
• Good communication skills 
• Friendly and helpful
• Respectful of others and their diversity

Experience & skills you will gain

• Experience of working as part of a team
• Retail experience 
• Stock organisation
• Selling skills 
• Customer service skills 

Our Commitment

We are committed to becoming actively anti-racist in everything we do. This is a critical priority for Mind. We embrace diversity and understand that being an inclusive organisation, recognising different perspectives, will enable us to provide excellent services. We are committed to ensuring all our employees are treated fairly and equitably at work and promoting equity in physical and mental health for all.

Why we want you

As branch chair you and your branch members will create a range of activities to help spread the word about SSAFA within your community. To ensure that our Armed Forces community know that SSAFA are here to help and that we need the public’s support to continue offering our services.

What you will be doing

• Overseeing an appropriate programme of awareness raising activities so that potential beneficiaries, volunteers and supporters are aware of SSAFA as first in mind for support.
• Building relationships with the regional and national SSAFA team, local voluntary organisations and, if applicable, SSAFA serving community teams, local military establishments, etc.
• Attending events as a key SSAFA representative.
• Providing timely reports and information to SSAFA’s central office
• Overseeing a programme of meetings including an AGM, branch meetings, committee meetings, training etc.
• Working with other volunteers, regional and national team members to attract and recruit new volunteers as required.
• Work closely with the community engagement co-ordinator to recruit, welcome, induct, support, and manage volunteers in line with SSAFA policies, such as the Volunteering Policy, Volunteer Code of Conduct, Data Protection Policy, and Safeguarding Policy.

The skills you need

• Motivating leadership with an ability lead a team of volunteers.
• Friendly and approachable
• Great written and verbal communication skills
• Basic IT skills

What's in it for you

• Gain experience of holding a key local role with oversight of all SSAFA activity in the local area.
• Support and friendship from your local SSAFA branch and the wider SSAFA community.
• Use your skills, knowledge, and life experience to benefit others.
• Support in your role from the team at SSAFA
• Develop your experience and skills which you can highlight on your CV and in job interviews.

Disclaimer

SSAFA is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all those involved in our work and expects volunteers to share this commitment.

Are you passionate about creating transformative learning experiences that empower individuals and communities? 

Tell My Truth and Shame the Devil C.I.C. is seeking a skilled Instructional Designer to join our founding volunteer team. This role is central to designing, structuring and delivering educational programmes that support survivors, young people and marginalised communities to access knowledge, develop skills and achieve personal and collective growth.

Purpose of the role:

The Volunteer Instructional Designer supports our mission by designing engaging, effective and learner-centred educational materials. In this role, you will collaborate with subject matter experts, program staff and other volunteers to transform ideas and content into structured learning experiences that are accessible, inclusive and impactful.

About the Role:

As Instructional Designer, you will work closely with the Membership Director, Book Club Coordinator, and Social & Digital Media Education Lead to develop structured learning pathways, modules, and resources for our membership programmes. Your work will ensure that all learning experiences are engaging, accessible, and aligned with our anti-capitalist, community-driven, and survivor-centred mission. This is a hands-on, impactful role combining strategy, creativity, and operational delivery.

Experience Qualification and Requirements

Essential Technical Competencies:

• Experience in instructional design, curriculum development or educational programme creation in formal or informal learning environments.
• Proven experience designing and delivering community-based education, training or learning programmes.
• Experience using content creation tools (e.g., Microsoft PowerPoint, Google Workspace, Canva).
• Basic familiarity with e-learning tools, learning management systems or content creation software is a plus.
• Ability to develop structured learning pathways with clear outcomes and assessments.
• Ability to translate complex or technical information into clear, accessible and inclusive learning materials.
• Knowledge of accessibility and inclusive design best practices.
• Hands-on experience contributing to open-source projects.
• Implementing security, accessibility or system optimisation practices in real-world projects.

Desirable / Can Be Developed:

• Experience in instructional design, learning design or educational content creation.
• Developing skills in structuring learning objectives, activities and simple assessments.
• Willingness to collaborate with facilitators, subject matter experts and community members.

Qualifications:

• Formal qualifications are not required but desirable.
• Experience in education, instructional design, learning and development or a related field is valued.

Main Responsibilities/ Key Duties

• Design and develop educational programmes, courses and learning resources for members and volunteers.
• Collaborate with subject matter experts, facilitators and leadership to ensure content is accurate, relevant and impactful.
• Structure learning experiences with clear objectives, assessments and progression pathways.
• Integrate digital platforms, multimedia resources and interactive tools to enhance accessibility and engagement.
• Evaluate learning outcomes and gather participant feedback to continuously improve programmes.
• Ensure all learning programmes comply with safeguarding, accessibility and data protection standards.
• Ensure all integrations follow best practices for security, data privacy and performance, maintaining
• compliance with GDPR and other relevant standards.
• Facilitate knowledge transfer by providing clear resources for onboarding new volunteers, team members and technical contributors.
• Maintain documentation of course materials, learning pathways and instructional guides for internal use.
• Support capacity-building by training facilitators, volunteers and community members in programme delivery.
• Collaborate with leadership, technical teams and stakeholders to define the long-term vision and goals for digital platforms and systems.
• Identify opportunities for innovation, including new features, technologies, tools or workflows that improve platform functionality, user experience and operational efficiency.
• Continuously monitor the open-source platform to ensure optimal performance, uptime and reliability, using monitoring tools, analytics, and performance metrics.
• Identify and diagnose technical issues, bugs, or system errors promptly, assessing root causes and prioritising fixes based on impact and urgency.

What This Role Offers You:

• Leadership experience in designing and delivering learning initiatives that directly impact communities.
• Personal and professional growth through hands-on instructional development and facilitation.
• The opportunity to shape transformative learning systems within a pioneering, values-led CIC.
• The satisfaction of empowering survivors, young people, and community members through education.

What This Role Is Not For:

• Individuals seeking purely administrative or content curation work without engagement.
• Those unwilling to adapt learning resources to diverse audiences and community needs.
• People expecting pre-packaged or rigid course structures—this role requires creativity, collaboration, and active problem-solving.

Next Steps

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to

• A values-led conversation.
• If you are ready to design meaningful learning experiences that empower communities and foster personal transformation, we want to hear from you. 
• Apply now and help build education systems that create lasting social impact.

A Final Word
Design learning turns knowledge into action. Shapes the path from curiosity to competence.

If you know that: Education is the bridge between knowledge and action.A bridge between knowing and doing

Our vision for volunteering

Volunteering is and always will be at the heart of Cats Protection. It is joyful and inclusive. As a charity, working in partnership, together we transform the lives of cats, people and communities.

The difference you will make to cats and people

As a charity we receive numerous enquiries on a daily basis from members of the public related to cats and their welfare. Our enquiries volunteers are part of a passionate team of volunteers that help Cats Protection signpost and manage these enquiries. They help our cats by answering questions from members of the public, providing advice and signposting queries to other volunteers and employees if needed.

You can expect us to

• Make you feel welcome, included and respected in line with our values and behaviours
• Support you in having a positive and impactful experience at Cats Protection
• Cover agreed out-of-pocket expenses in line with our Expenses Policy
• Provide you with access to learning, development and engagement opportunities

What we need from you

You’ll be:

• Responding to enquiries from members of the public 
• Communicating with others and providing information in response to queries
• Signposting queries and requests to other team members

Time expectation 

Our enquiries volunteers usually spend 4 to 6 hours per week in this role, which is flexible and can be shared by more than one volunteer if needed. 

You may be just the volunteer we’ve been looking for!

We are committed to building a diverse, compassionate and inclusive organisation where everyone can be themselves and do their best. We are courageous and compassionate in our purpose of helping people see the world through cats’ eyes. Together, we can make a difference. Together, we are all for cats. Join the UK’s leading cat welfare charity and help make a better life for cats, because life is better with cats.

Volunteer Admin Support

Across the UK, our local branches help disabled people live the lives they choose. Every year, our skilled volunteers respond to thousands of requests, designing and creating bespoke equipment free of charge.

As a local admin support volunteer you are the lynchpin of our local branch activities. You will often be the first point of contact, ensure useful information is circulated to other members and help us make sure we keep all the data and details we need up to date.

What the role involves

This is a varied role that each branch tends to do a bit differently, but it will involve:

• Keeping records and data up to date and taking notes at meetings

• Preparing mail-outs

• Answering enquiries

• Accessing the branch REMAP and Portal accounts

• Booking venues for meetings

• Ensuring branch members are aware of current agreements/activities

We can support you to develop the skills you need for this role, and there’s an induction that covers all the areas above. You’ll also have chance to discuss your role and any additional needs with us.

What you’ll need for this role

• Confident using Microsoft Office, the internet and email

• Comfortable organising the administration of a group

• Able to follow REMAP policies and procedures

• Able to understand and apply our risk management system

• Able to apply disability, equality, and inclusion practices

• Able to keep people’s personal details safe

• Able to keep people’s personal details safe

• Willing to follow Remap policies and procedures and a commitment to our aims and values

You’ll also need to complete the induction checklist and some online training.

Where will I volunteer?

This role is largely home based, but it varies from branch to branch – some branches hold in-person meetings once a month or so, and their volunteers tend to be based in the area the branch covers.

If it works better for you, however, there’s a possibility this role could be done remotely.

Time commitment

This also varies, but it’s generally around 1-3 hours a week.

Why volunteer

When you volunteer with us, you join a community of committed people with a passion for helping to improve the lives of others. We’re a volunteer led organisation and we couldn’t do what we do without your hard work, skills and commitment.

N.B. We’ll reimburse any out-of-pocket expenses during your time with us.

Do you want to see more happiness and kindness in the world? We’re looking for dynamic Volunteers to be part of creating exactly that!

About the Role:

Our volunteers bring people together for shared online learning experiences, based on positive psychology, that boost the wellbeing of everyone involved.

Our groups and courses can be run online or in-person in your local area.

- The amazing 6-week Happiness Habits Course is designed to be run by pairs of volunteers.  It features expert videos, science-backed exercises and the chance to form meaningful connections. Our course has been specially designed to gather the insights of the world's leading experts on six fundamental aspects of a happy and meaningful life: Gratitude, Self-Care, Relationships, Resilience, Kindness, and Meaning. It is a very impactful (many say life-changing) experience.

- Alternatively, you can get involved by supporting a Monthly Group, bringing like-minded people together to learn evidence-based tools for creating a happier and more meaningful life. Explore the monthly themes and encourage people to set personal actions towards happiness, that support both themselves and others.

Volunteering with Action for Happiness is a path of action that consistently feels like you are making a difference in the world. You don’t have to be an expert - or be happy all the time. If you are a warm and enthusiastic person that is more than enough to get started.

Why Volunteer with Us?

Do something that matters: spreading happiness and witnessing people transform for the better is a huge source of meaning.

Grow your skills: inspiring others, learning together and reinforcing your own happiness skills all contribute to personal growth.

Build community: meeting like-minded people, building lasting friendships and belonging to a global community contributing to a better future for all.

How do I know it’s right for me?

Try out free VOLUNTEER TRAINING via the Action For Happiness website and decide for yourself.

We've designed it especially to help you answer questions like this as it explains thoroughly what being a volunteer involves and helps you reflect on your readiness.

What is the time commitment?

You'll need to set aside a couple of hours for the training initially and a few more for planning your course or group and connecting with your co-volunteer. Then you'll need a couple of hours per session for facilitating (x6 weekly sessions for a course, or x1 session per month for a group). 

- Apply today! Together, we can inspire change that ripples out through people’s lives, communities and the world.
 

It’s an exciting time to join Victim Support, as we prepare to begin delivery of the Witness Service from April 2026. We look forward to welcoming current Witness Service staff and volunteers to Victim Support — and we’re also now beginning recruitment for several new roles and to fill vacant positions.  

The Witness Service provides free, independent support to any witness giving evidence in criminal courts in England and Wales — both for the prosecution and the defence.  

Our trained staff and volunteers help people understand what to expect before, during and after a trial, and offer practical and emotional support every step of the way, so witnesses can give their best evidence.   

The Witness Service also supports bereaved family members, and friends and family who are accompanying witnesses in court.   

This is an exceptional opportunity to help us ensure a smooth transition and shape a high-quality, high-impact and trauma-informed service — so every witness feels informed, supported and more confident in court.  

Witness Service Volunteers provide support to victims and witnesses of crime prior to and during the court process helping them to feel safe and informed. 

Why volunteer with us?

• Make a difference - you will volunteer directly with victims and witnesses.

• Gain skills and experience - you will receive training on how to provide practical and emotional support.

• Join our community - you will be part of a large community of over 2,000 volunteers and staff. 

• Beyond your role – attend one of our many events/webinars and join one of our six Equality, Diversity & Inclusion networks.

What do we ask of you? 

In order to join us as a Witness Service Volunteer, you must: 

• Be 18 years of age or over. 

• Be able to volunteer for at least 1 day per week, for at least 12 months. 

• Undertake training - this includes virtual training days as well as completing online learning modules. 

• Undertake an enhanced DBS check & be part of the DBS update service.

• Be able to provide two satisfactory references. 

• Have an active email address that you are comfortable using in order to engage with VS communications.

Diversity Matters 

• VS strives to represent the diverse communities we serve and are passionate about creating an environment where all staff and volunteers feel respected and heard. Being a diverse organisation with an inclusive culture is integral to us being able to meet our aim of ensuring that anyone who is a victim of crime gets the support they need. 

• VS is also a Disability Confident Employer and we provide a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for candidates that are disabled and meet all essential criteria for a role. 

• We are happy to make reasonable adjustments to support you through the application process.

It’s an exciting time to join Victim Support, as we prepare to begin delivery of the Witness Service from April 2026. We look forward to welcoming current Witness Service staff and volunteers to Victim Support — and we’re also now beginning recruitment for several new roles and to fill vacant positions.  

The Witness Service provides free, independent support to any witness giving evidence in criminal courts in England and Wales — both for the prosecution and the defence.  

Our trained staff and volunteers help people understand what to expect before, during and after a trial, and offer practical and emotional support every step of the way, so witnesses can give their best evidence.   

The Witness Service also supports bereaved family members, and friends and family who are accompanying witnesses in court.   

This is an exceptional opportunity to help us ensure a smooth transition and shape a high-quality, high-impact and trauma-informed service — so every witness feels informed, supported and more confident in court.  

Witness Service Volunteers provide support to victims and witnesses of crime prior to and during the court process helping them to feel safe and informed.

Why volunteer with us? 

• Make a difference - you will volunteer directly with victims and witnesses.

• Gain skills and experience - you will receive training on how to provide practical and emotional support.

• Join our community - you will be part of a large community of over 2,000 volunteers and staff. 

• Beyond your role – attend one of our many events/webinars and join one of our six Equality, Diversity & Inclusion networks. 

What do we ask of you? 

In order to join us as a Witness Service Volunteer, you must: 

• Be 18 years of age or over. 

• Be able to volunteer for at least 1 day per week, for at least 12 months. 

• Undertake training - this includes virtual training days as well as completing online learning modules. 

• Undertake an enhanced DBS check & be part of the DBS update service. 

• Be able to provide two satisfactory references. 

• Have an active email address that you are comfortable using in order to engage with VS communications.

Diversity Matters 

• VS strives to represent the diverse communities we serve and are passionate about creating an environment where all staff and volunteers feel respected and heard. Being a diverse organisation with an inclusive culture is integral to us being able to meet our aim of ensuring that anyone who is a victim of crime gets the support they need. 

• VS is also a Disability Confident Employer and we provide a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for candidates that are disabled and meet all essential criteria for a role. 

• We are happy to make reasonable adjustments to support you through the application process.

It’s an exciting time to join Victim Support, as we prepare to begin delivery of the Witness Service from April 2026. We look forward to welcoming current Witness Service staff and volunteers to Victim Support — and we’re also now beginning recruitment for several new roles and to fill vacant positions.  

The Witness Service provides free, independent support to any witness giving evidence in criminal courts in England and Wales — both for the prosecution and the defence.  

Our trained staff and volunteers help people understand what to expect before, during and after a trial, and offer practical and emotional support every step of the way, so witnesses can give their best evidence.   

The Witness Service also supports bereaved family members, and friends and family who are accompanying witnesses in court.   

This is an exceptional opportunity to help us ensure a smooth transition and shape a high-quality, high-impact and trauma-informed service — so every witness feels informed, supported and more confident in court.  

Witness Service Volunteers provide support to victims and witnesses of crime prior to and during the court process helping them to feel safe and informed.

Why volunteer with us? 

• Make a difference - you will volunteer directly with victims and witnesses.

• Gain skills and experience - you will receive training on how to provide practical and emotional support.

• Join our community - you will be part of a large community of over 2,000 volunteers and staff. 

• Beyond your role – attend one of our many events/webinars and join one of our six Equality, Diversity & Inclusion networks.

What do we ask of you?

In order to join us as a Witness Service Volunteer, you must: 

• Be 18 years of age or over. 

• Be able to volunteer for at least 1 day per week, for at least 12 months. 

• Undertake training - this includes virtual training days as well as completing online learning modules. 

• Undertake an enhanced DBS check & be part of the DBS update service.

• Be able to provide two satisfactory references. 

• Have an active email address that you are comfortable using in order to engage with VS communications.

Diversity Matters

• VS strives to represent the diverse communities we serve and are passionate about creating an environment where all staff and volunteers feel respected and heard. Being a diverse organisation with an inclusive culture is integral to us being able to meet our aim of ensuring that anyone who is a victim of crime gets the support they need. 

• VS is also a Disability Confident Employer and we provide a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for candidates that are disabled and meet all essential criteria for a role. 

• We are happy to make reasonable adjustments to support you through the application process.

Chair of PatientsVoices@RCoA

Voluntary and unpaid but reasonable expenses will be paid.

Remote with some travel required.

Time commitment: Approx. 4 days per month for 3 years.

Close Date: Friday, 10th of April 2026

Would you like to help improve the quality-of-care patients receive at the time of surgery and anaesthesia?

We are the professional body responsible for the specialty of anaesthesia, perioperative care, intensive care and pain medicine across the UK, and we are seeking an enthusiastic and committed Chair of PatientsVoices@RCoA, the group of volunteers who support, advise and influence the College by providing patients’ views on its activities.

As Chair of PatientsVoices@RCoA, you will lead a diverse group of volunteers and champion meaningful patient involvement across a wide range of workstreams. This role offers a unique opportunity to help shape the quality-of-care patients receive in the NHS and other healthcare settings.

As Chair of PatientsVoices@RCoA you will:

• Champion the work of the group and raise the profile of the patient voice across the College.
• Encourage participation and engagement within the group.
• Work with College staff and Committee Chairs to deliver impactful patient engagement where most needed.
• Be an ambassador with external partners and stakeholder organisations.
• Chair the meetings of PatientsVoices@RCoA three times a year and the away day once a year.
• Be co-opted to College Council and report to Council on behalf of PatientsVoices@RCoA.
• Attend and report to the Clinical Quality and Research Board on behalf of PatientsVoices@RCoA.
• Represent PatientsVoices@RCoA at the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges’ Patient Liaison Group.

We are looking for someone with:

• Experience of leading a group and working with a diverse range of people and views.
• Experience of chairing committees and meetings and leading discussions so that every voice is heard.
• A collaborative mindset and the ability to build positive relationships with a variety of stakeholders.
• Strong leadership, interpersonal and organisational skills.
• Passion about strengthening the patient voice in the work of the College.
• Excellent communication skills (verbal and written).
• The ability to use basic IT systems (e.g. email, Word, Teams etc.).
• The ability to commit an average of four days per month to the role.
• Flexibility and responsiveness to a varied workload and schedule.

To maintain independence and avoid conflicts of interest:

• You cannot join PatientsVoices@RCoA if you hold an anaesthetic qualification.
• You cannot currently be working, practising or managing services in healthcare (including policy making).

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check may be required for some College activities.

At RCoA equality, diversity and inclusion is a core part of our culture, so it is important to us that this is reflected in everything that we do. We welcome all individuals irrespective of age, race, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion or belief, disability, marital or civil partnership status, or parental and caring responsibilities to ensure we actively embrace an inclusive and representative culture that encourages, supports and celebrates our differences.

Please note we will ask for contact details and a CV initially when you apply. You will then be sent an email with an application form.