Principal auditor volunteer roles

About CSE

The Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) supports people and organisations across the UK to tackle the climate emergency and end the suffering caused by cold homes. We undertake practical work to support households and communities to act on energy, alongside original research and analysis to inform local and national policy.

We are one of the UK’s leading sustainable energy charities, with a 45-year track record of award-winning impact, innovation and influence, as most recently detailed in our 2024–25 Impact Report available on our website.

About the role

Our Board of Trustees is critical to our continuing success. Trustees work collaboratively, providing support, insight and constructive challenge to help shape CSE’s strategy and ambition, and enhance our effectiveness and charitable impact.

Due to the planned stepping down of some of our board members, we are recruiting up to four new trustees to join the board and provide effective governance and support in the next phase of CSE’s development.

Who we’re looking for

All applicants should be able to demonstrate a strong interest in and commitment to CSE’s work and charitable objectives.

We are particularly seeking new trustees who bring expertise in at least one of the following areas:

• Knowledge and understanding of the community energy sector, including the challenges and opportunities of delivering local or community energy projects, and how these connect to national policy
• Expertise in organisational development, with a good appreciation of issues associated with employment law
• Experience of finance, accounting and audit, for example through holding a role with financial responsibility in an organisation or from having set up, grown or led a business
• Strong knowledge of voluntary and community sector (VCS) networks, including practical experience of community organising and an understanding of the role grassroots organisations play in affecting social change

We would also welcome applicants who bring:

• Broader expertise directly associated with at least one of CSE’s work programmes (fuel poverty advice and support, housing energy retrofit, community action on energy, local net zero delivery, future generations, or fairness in the energy system)
• Understanding of the causes and impacts of fuel poverty, and the solutions required to tackle it
• Knowledge of the UK energy system, including the policy and regulatory environment, and the transition to a fairer, more flexible, decarbonised energy system
• An understanding of the national policy environment underpinning CSE’s work, including experience of influencing national energy policy

We are keen to widen the range of perspectives represented on the board and welcome applications from young people, people from under-represented groups, disabled people, and people with lived experience of CSE’s work.

If you are interested but unsure whether you meet all of the criteria, we would encourage you to apply or get in touch for an informal conversation.

Find out more and apply

For more information on the role, including the full person specification and how to apply, please see the trustee candidate pack on our website. 

Closing date: Midday on Wednesday 10 June 2026.

About us

My Life Films is an award-winning charity that uses film and TV to enrich and support the lives of people living with dementia and their carers. My Life TV is our specialist on-demand streaming service, specifically designed to meet the cognitive needs of people living with dementia, for use within care settings and at home.

My Life TV is carefully curated to enable people living with dementia to feel stimulated and connected to the world, improving their mental health and supporting their essential care. 

Our high-quality content includes interactive shows like quizzes, singalongs, drawing and chair yoga; calming content, including animal and nature programmes and slow TV; a wide range of reminiscence programmes, from the 1960s onwards, and much more. 

Since launching in 2021 we work with highly respected content partners, as well as producing our own programming, in partnership with trusted organisations in the dementia care field, and more widely. The Alzheimer’s Society, BFI, Royal Parks, Museum of Brands, BBC Archive and National Trust are just some of the partners we are proud to work with.

We have ambitious plans to scale up its use, so we can reach and support as many people living with dementia as possible.

About the role

Stepping in at the helm of a well-established Board, and working closely with the highly experienced Executive Director, our new Chair will lead My Life Films through its next phase of growth and impact.

The new Chair will review and reinvigorate the charity’s governance, ideally including a board audit, as well as challenging and interrogating the group’s strategic plan.

This role will suit potential candidates who are ready to step-up to chair a not for profit organisation. This means they are likely to bring current or previous board experience as a non-executive or trustee. Candidates may have experience in the care sector, health sector, charity or foundation, possibly an organisation involved in supporting people living with dementia. This experience could enable candidates to draw on networks in the care, health, charity, voluntary sectors, social enterprise or foundation. It will be important that the new Chair can demonstrate a personal passion and commitment to improving the lives of people living with dementia.

The Chair will also help guide the Executive in optimising the existing model, developing new opportunities by helping expand networks and making introductions when necessary. They will act as a critical friend to Executive Director, coaching and challenging as required and providing leadership and strategic direction to the Board.

They will hold the organisation to the highest ethical standards, ensuring compliance with all regulatory requirements and that My Life Films is run in the best interests of its stakeholders.

The Board of Trustees is the governing body of the charity and is collectively responsible for its success. All trustees must take decisions in the interests of the charity.

My Life Films has a trading subsidiary – MLF Productions Limited – and it is expected that the Chair of My Life Films will also Chair the trading company.

.

Selection Criteria

When applying, we ask candidates to highlight any areas of expertise they can bring in the areas identified below.

• Skills and Experience –

Governance / leadership

• Any experience of operating at Board level in the voluntary, public or private sector preferably with a knowledge of the Social Care sector.

• Understanding of good charity governance, including trustees’ legal duties, financial oversight and risk management.

• Experience of chairing effective meetings and facilitating inclusive, robust discussion and decision-making Experience of fundraising, advocacy, campaigning, or working with regulators, commissioners or major funders.

Strategy and finance

• Ability to think strategically, interrogate complex information and focus the Board on priorities, impact and long-term sustainability.

• Strong financial literacy and ability to scrutinize budgets, management accounts and risk registers (not necessarily as a finance professional).

People leadership

• Track record of leading senior individuals or teams; able to coach, support and hold to account a CEO

How to Apply

If you are interested in the role, Maana Ruia a trustee with My Life Films and a member of Enter The Boardroom Community would be happy to fix up a time to talk to you. 

Please submit your application to Julian Freeston  The application should comprise a Cover Letter detailing your suitability and desire for the role (no more than two pages) and an up-to-date CV (no more than four pages).

The application deadline is 5pm, 29th May 2026

We're looking for a Trustee – Treasurer
Bring your financial expertise and help us shape brighter futures.

At Options for Life, we believe everyone has the right to live a fulfilled and independent life. We are a Sandwell based charity that supports adults with learning disabilities and/or autism to build confidence, learn new skills, access their communities, and make informed choices about their lives.

With two purpose-built centres and over 65 staff, we provide a wide range of services, from outreach and hub-based activities to supported community access and drop-in sessions. Our work takes place in one of England’s most disadvantaged areas, where our services can make the greatest impact.

Join Our Board as Treasurer

As we plan to expand our reach and develop new services, we are seeking a Treasurer to help guide our financial strategy and governance.

We are looking for someone with a background in finance or accounting, who can:

• Oversee our financial health in collaboration with our Head of Finance and CEO
• Ensure effective financial controls, policies, and reporting are in place
• Play an active role in the Finance Committee and wider Board decision-making
• Present clear and insightful financial information to fellow Trustees

We welcome applicants from all walks of life, including those with lived experience of disability or who are new to governance roles. A strong commitment to inclusion, good judgment, and a collaborative spirit are essential.

Commitment:

• Four Board meetings per year
• AGM and annual strategy/away day
• Quarterly Finance Committee and possible ad hoc sub-committee involvement
• Training and induction provided
• Travel expenses reimbursed

Make a lasting difference.

To express interest or learn more, contact our Chief Executive, Nicola Thomson, for an informal chat to request a Trustee Information Pack.

Help us give people more choice and control over their lives—because your skills can help change theirs.

Visit https://www.optionsforlife.info/work-with-us for more information.

The Brigantia Learning Trust Governance Model is different to the way a governing body in a non-academy or traditional school undertakes governance.

Essentially, there are four elements to the governance of the Brigantia Learning Trust academies – local councils that are delivered via the Academy Advisory Councils (AAC), Trust governance, delivered via the Full Board of Trustees (Non-Executive Directors), the Trust Leadership Team (Executive Directors) and the Trust Members. 

The Board of Trustees has 4 sub-committees, concerned with Finance, Risk & Audit, HR, Education & Standards and Remuneration along with the four Academy Advisory Councils: Brigantia Hill Fort, Hinde House (2-16), Yewlands and Longley Park Sixth Form. As the trust continues to grow, and the Academy Advisory Councils become more experienced and confident, greater delegated powers will be identified and approved by the Board of Trustees.

Local Councils - The Academy Advisory Council

Each AAC consists of a group of people who could be parents, community nominees, academy staff. They will meet with the academy (Executive) Principal, Associate Principal and other senior leaders where appropriate. In attendance at these meetings will be Link Trustees and members of the Trust Executive Team may be in attendance. This is to ensure that the voice of the local stake holders is heard first-hand by the Board of Trustees.

The Brigantia Learning Trust Board has established six key roles for Academy Advisory Councils: 

• To advise/act as a critical friend to the (Executive) Principal of the academy

• To advise the Trustees about local issues they need to consider that affect the academy

• To support the Safeguarding Trustee with localised academy information

• Represent the interest of the academy community in the running of the academy

• Represent the academy in its community

• Provide support to the (Executive) Principal in undertaking appropriate day to day procedures that are essential to the life of the academy

The six roles translate specifically into the following tasks that the AAC undertakes:  

• To act as a key link between the academy, parents and local community

• To support the work of the academy in the community

• To help on the ground with the implementation of certain academy policies

• To offer challenging but positive and proactive support to the (Executive) Principal

• To regularly discuss the academy’s performance in relation to the KPIs (Key

• Performance Indicators)

The difference between Brigantia Learning Trust Governance and a traditional Governing Body

By comparison to a traditional school Governing Body:

• The AAC’s role is not to “manage” the Academy as such.  This is done through the Trust Leadership Team and the Board of Trustees.  Therefore, the AAC is not required to take decisions on staff or financial matters affecting the Academy.  As an Academy Advisor you should have an understanding of strategic issues that impact on the Academy, and be updated on them regularly by the Principal, but you are not required to have direct responsibility for them.
• As the Trust Leadership Team and Board of Trustees takes responsibility for educational standards, legal compliance and financial viability, the AAC then has the time to investigate the impact of policy on the ground, to see how they are working, and explore how the Brigantia Learning Trust ethos is being understood and expressed in the way the Academy operates. As an Academy Advisor, your view as a parent or as part of the community is vital in this discussion.

3. HOW THE AAC OPERATES 

Expectations

Brigantia Learning Trust understands that the role of an Academy Advisor is voluntary, however, in order for the Academy Advisory Council to function efficiently and effectively, there are certain expectations of Academy Advisors in order to achieve this.

i) Meetings

Meetings of the AAC take place 3 times over the academic year. The meeting is prepared by the Principal and the Chair of the AAC, and the process is supported by the clerk to the AAC. You will receive a link to the agenda and papers in advance of the meeting from the clerk electronically.

Meetings are usually held after school or at other times as agreed locally by all Academy Advisors.

ii) Contribution at meetings and outside of meetings

Academy Advisors are expected to come to meetings prepared; having read and familiarised themselves with the agenda and accompanying papers as well as being prepared to ask relevant questions (Please see section 3.2 for further detail and examples).

iii) Business Interest and code of conduct

Academy Advisors are required to declare any business or other interests in any item being discussed at the AAC meeting. The Academy Advisers are asked to abide by the AAC Code of Conduct. The AAC clerk will provide the appropriate forms for AAC members to sign.

iv) AAC Responsibilities

Academy Advisors should make every effort to visit the Academy during the Academy day; all visits must be planned and focused on areas as agreed by the full Academy Advisory Council. Visits inform the work of the AAC and provide valuable information for support and challenge to the Academy’s Leadership Team. AAC members are asked to report on their visit using the appropriate form. This report will be presented at the AAC meetings, and a central record of all visits will be held by the Clerk to the Board of Trustees.

v) Skills Audit

All Academy Advisors are expected to complete a skills audit at the beginning of every academic year, this assists the Trust Executive and Trustees to identify gaps in skills and arrange appropriate training.

vi) Safeguarding

All Academy Advisors are required to have an up-to-date enhanced DBS check, as well as undertake annual safeguarding training as required, this will be delivered at the first AAC meeting of the academic year.

Could your leadership skills help shape the future of a Hopian?  Hopian is a registered charity that provides advice and support for adults and children who have experienced Domestic Violence and Abuse through the provision of refuge accommodation and community support services.  We also provide support and access to counselling for people affected by Child Sexual Exploitation.

The Role of Trustee and executive Trustee roles are voluntary positions. A Trustee for the Board is expected to meet the requirements of the board in line with the charities governing documents, governing good practice and legal requirements.  We also have a vacancy for a Treasurer should you be interested please visit our Hopian website - recruiter link below for further details.

Trustee Responsibilities :

The Board as a whole is collectively responsible for the success of the charity. A Trustee is a Board Member and has a number of responsibilities in order to ensure robust management of the charity including:

• Make decisions objectively in the interests of the charity.
• Implement Hopian’s Vision, Mission, and Values.
• Lead on the aims and objectives of Hopian by raising awareness of domestic and sexual abuse, and child sexual exploitation and abuse and its impact on individuals and their families.

Trustee Duties :

• Ensuring that the organisation pursues its stated objects (purposes), as defined in its governing document, by developing and agreeing a long-term strategy.
• Ensuring that the organisation complies with its governing document (i.e. constitution or memorandum and articles of association), charity law, company law and any other relevant legislation or regulations.
• Ensuring that the organisation applies its resources in pursuance of its charitable objects (i.e., the charity must not spend money on activities that are not included in its own objects) .
• Ensuring that the organisation defines its goals and evaluates performance against agreed targets.
• Safeguarding the good name and values of the organisation.
• Ensuring the effective and efficient administration of the organisation, including having appropriate policies and procedures in place.
• Ensuring the financial stability of the organisation.
• Protecting and managing the property of the charity and ensuring the proper investment of the charity’s funds.
• To work in the interests of the charity and not for personal gain.
• To ensure that the Board Members takes proper professional advice on matters in which it does not have competence.
• Following proper and formal arrangements for the appointment, supervision, support, appraisal and remuneration of the chief executive.

In addition to the above statutory duties, each trustee should use any specific skills, knowledge or experience they have to help the board of trustees reach sound decisions. This may involve scrutinising board papers, leading discussions, focusing on key issues, providing advice and guidance on new initiatives, or other issues in which the trustee has special expertise.

Tasks:

• To work with other Board Members to form an effective governing body for the charity.
• To attend meetings and to read papers in advance of meetings.
• Ensure that the charity’s focus places services users centrally.
• To understand and be committed to the mission of the charity.
• To maintain a long-term overview of the charity and its work.
• To make strategic and major decisions about the charity objectives, policies and procedures.
• To attend sub-group meetings as appropriate.
• To participate in other tasks that may arise from time to time such as interviewing for new staff, helping with appeals and fundraising.
• To keep informed about the activities of the charity and wider issues which affect its work.
• To monitor and evaluate the work of the charity on a regular basis. This includes receiving reports from staff, staff supervision, receiving feedback from service users and other agencies .
• To ensure that the charity is a good employer of its paid and voluntary staff .
• Provide opportunity for staff to meet with the board.

Person Specification

We are looking for a  Trustee who has an understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities, and liabilities of trusteeship. It is expected that a Trustee takes ownership to develop and maintain this understanding and application of duties. In addition to having:

• A commitment to the organisation.
• A willingness to devote the necessary time and effort.
• Good, independent judgement.
• An ability to think creatively.
• An ability to work effectively as a member of a team.
• A commitment to Nolan’s seven principles of public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership

Experience & Knowledge

• Understanding and evidence of commitment to equal opportunities and diversity statement 
• Be objective and unbiased 
• Be supportive and approachable 

Time Requirements

To be able to attend scheduled committee meetings each year and read papers for each board meeting. To be available to for consultation, support and guidance on an ad hoc basis. Much of this contact will be via online, telephone or email.

African Development Choices (ADC) is a UK-registered charity on a mission to reduce poverty by empowering communities to make more informed choices in the management of public resources.

ADC’s purpose is to enable communities to independently meet their needs for essential services, such as clean water and safe sanitation, and improve lives in Africa.

At ADC we encourage a working culture of seeking and giving input, showing and taking initiative, and commitment to the organisation and its purpose.

We now have an exciting opportunity for a volunteer Senior AI Agent Architect to join ADC and help build a live prototype of MajiGuard AI.

Main purpose of job:

To lead the technical design and hands-on development of MajiGuard AI, an agentic AI prototype that helps ADC identify underused WASH resources, structure recovery and reallocation cases, and verify that recovered value reaches facility upgrades and operations and maintenance.

Division: Technology / AI Innovation

Department: Product & Engineering

Position reports to: Head of AI Innovation

Direct reports for the position: Volunteer AI engineers, developers and technical contributors

Main Duties & Responsibilities:

• Lead the end-to-end architecture of MajiGuard AI, including the selection and integration of models, agent workflows, orchestration tools, retrieval systems, data structures and human-in-the-loop controls appropriate for a live prototype.

• Translate ADC’s operational goals into practical AI workflows, especially for identifying underused WASH resources, standardising evidence and case preparation, supporting recovery and reallocation decisions, and verifying delivery of value to facility improvements and ongoing operations and maintenance.

• Build and iterate a live prototype using pragmatic, cost-effective tooling, with strong attention to reliability, traceability, security, maintainability and ease of future scaling.

• Design structured inputs, prompts, evaluation criteria and decision logic so that outputs are useful to non-technical ADC teams working across programmes, research, partnerships and leadership.

• Establish a technical roadmap for the prototype, including architecture choices, milestone planning, testing priorities, deployment options and documentation for future funders, partners and developers.

• Work closely with ADC leadership to shape the product vision and ensure the prototype aligns with ADC’s wider governance and public service innovation model.

• Advise on suitable approaches for data governance, privacy, model risk, hallucination control, auditability and responsible AI use in the context of public-resource management and service delivery.

• Define and monitor prototype success metrics, including usefulness, accuracy, turnaround time, workflow fit, and operational learning that can strengthen grant applications, partnerships and future product development.

• Support the transition from local experimentation to a live prototype environment, including basic cloud or hosted deployment thinking, version control practices and engineering handover readiness.

• Mentor and coordinate other volunteer technical contributors where relevant, helping ADC build a small but high-quality AI capability around MajiGuard AI.

Knowledge, skills, and experience:

Essential

• 8+ years of relevant experience in AI, machine learning, applied NLP, intelligent automation, agentic systems, or modern software engineering for production-grade data or AI products

• Strong hands-on experience designing and building AI systems, including LLM-based applications, retrieval-augmented generation, agent workflows, orchestration frameworks, evaluation pipelines and API integrations

• Experience taking ideas from concept or prototype stage into a usable live product, pilot or production-like environment

• Excellent technical judgement on model selection, system design trade-offs, latency, reliability, observability and cost-conscious engineering

• Strong programming ability, ideally including Python and modern backend tooling, with the ability to work across architecture, implementation and troubleshooting

• Experience designing structured workflows where AI outputs must be reviewable, auditable and useful for operational decision-making
• Ability to simplify complex technical concepts for non-technical stakeholders and translate mission goals into practical product choices
• Interest in using AI to strengthen public service delivery, accountability, governance, resource allocation, or adjacent social impact problems
• Ability to actively take initiative and help set things up in a start-up environment
• Ability to actively seek and give input in a collaborative team environment
• A committed team player with good communication skills
• Available to volunteer at least 8-12 hours a week

Desirable

• Experience with agentic AI products involving workflow automation, task routing, multi-step reasoning, document intelligence or evidence-based case management
• Experience with cloud deployment, containerisation, CI/CD, databases, vector stores, authentication and production monitoring for AI systems
• Experience working on civic tech, govtech, development, WASH, infrastructure, audit, compliance or public-finance-related products
• Experience working in an early-stage start-up or mission-driven organisation and comfortable operating with ambiguity
• Experience mentoring engineers or leading small technical teams across different locations and time zones

What ADC Offers You

This is a volunteer, remote and unpaid position with the following benefits:

• A chance to play a foundational role in shaping MajiGuard AI from concept into a live prototype with real strategic relevance to ADC’s mission
• An opportunity to apply advanced AI and product-building skills to a meaningful public-interest challenge connected to WASH, accountability and service delivery in Africa
• An opportunity to work with a diverse global team and contribute to an organisation seeking systemic social change
• Professional learning, leadership and portfolio-building opportunities through high-ownership work
• Work reference provided

This job description is a written statement of the essential characteristics of the job, with its principal accountabilities, incorporating a note of the skills, knowledge and experience required for a satisfactory level of performance. This is not intended to be a complete, detailed account of all aspects of the duties involved.

Here at African Development Choices, we celebrate diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our teams are made up of people from all over the world and we welcome all applications. If you are disabled or have a long-term health condition, and you require any reasonable adjustments for your application with us, please let us know by contacting recruitment(at)africandevelopmentchoices(dot)org.

Are you passionate about using your skills and expertise to help support and develop a UK-wide relationships and sex education charity?

Sexpression:UK provides high quality, comprehensive relationships and sex education workshops to young people between the ages of 11-18 in schools and youth groups. We operate across the UK through our unique network of affiliated branches and volunteers based at universities and students’ unions in 15 towns and cities.

You will have strong empathy with our mission to educate and empower young people to make individual, informed decisions about their bodies and their health. You will be committed to using your expertise to contribute to the future development of the charity and ensuring high quality governance of the organisation.

We are looking for a motivated individual with demonstrable experience in leadership or governance to join our board as Chair of Trustees.This is an exciting time to join our charity with the opportunity to contribute to a unique youth-led charity playing a leading role in some of today’s biggest issues.