6 Programme management specialist volunteer roles in Birmingham, West Midlands

🧡 We're looking for new trustees to help end child slavery in Nepal

Today, there are over 40 million slaves globally – a quarter of whom are children. In Nepal alone, we estimate almost 100,000 children are trapped in hazardous, exploitative labour.

Child Rescue Nepal exists to change that. We rescue children, keep them safe and reunite them with their families – and we've already helped over 1,000 children find their way home. But there's so much more to do, and we want you to help us do it.

We're building our board's experience base and are particularly keen to hear from people with skills in:

🔹 HR
🔹 Strategy and governance
🔹 International development
🔹 Knowledge or lived experience of Nepal

You don't need to have been a charity trustee before. The skills and qualities matter more than prior governance experience, and we'll give you full induction and training to get you up to speed.

Here's what one former trustee has to say about the role:

"I have learnt so much from my experience on both a personal and professional level and have felt my contributions were welcomed and valued. I really feel privileged to have been able to be part of CRN and have the opportunities to work in Nepal, and the children will always have a special place in my heart." — Sue Payne, retired social worker and trustee for four years

🌏 This is a voluntary role with real impact – a chance to bring your skills to a small, focused charity making a genuine difference in children's lives.

About Us

The Child Beale Trust is a registered charity dedicated to public recreation, wildlife conservation, and education. Based at Beale Wildlife Park, our unique operations include a vibrant 40-acre zoo set within 350 acres of picturesque Thameside land.

Our core purpose is to preserve and enhance Beale Park as a place of natural beauty, wildlife conservation, and meaningful discovery for generations to come. To connect people with nature through conservation, education, and accessible outdoor experiences that inspire care for the environment and wellbeing for all.

By joining our board, you will play a critical strategic role in ensuring our activities remain values driven and mission-led on these charitable objectives, protecting this beautiful asset for generations to come whilst delivering impact for our beneficiaries. To secure our governance and drive our mission forward, we are expanding our board. We are explicitly looking for mission-led individuals who want to help us deliver on our charitable objectives.

We are currently seeking five distinct specialists to join our board:

• 1. Zoo or Veterinary Specialist -The Role: Provides high-level governance oversight for Collection, animal welfare, veterinary protocols, and captive breeding standards -Who you are: A registered vet, zoologist, or senior animal care professional who understands BIAZA and Zoo Licensing Act compliance.

• 2. Education Specialist (wildlife focussed) - The Role: Helps shape our educational outreach, school workshop strategies, and curriculum-linked visitor learning programs. - Who you are: A teacher, educational consultant, or learning coordinator with a passion for wildlife.

• 3. Visitor Recreation Specialist - The Role: Guides the strategic development of our public visitor experiences, family attractions, and park play/leisure assets.- Who you are: A professional from the leisure, tourism, or visitor attraction sector who understands how to optimise visitor experience and income.

• 4. Marketing & Communications Specialist - The Role: Advises on strategies to grow ticket sales, boost annual memberships, enhance digital marketing, and protect brand PR. - Who you are: A senior marketing manager, PR director, or commercial growth expert. 

• 5. Legal & Compliance Specialist - The Role: Provides oversight on health and safety, public liability, employment law, and charity governance frameworks.- Who you are: A qualified solicitor, legal counsel, risk compliance manager or H&S qualified professional. 

Our Culture & Values, Equal Opportunities, Diversity & Accessibility. How we work together matters just as much as our professional expertise. We pride ourselves on a board culture rooted in collaboration and mutual support. We welcome trustees who are open minded, listen generously to alternative viewpoints, and desire to work collectively in a positive, constructive environment to champion the charity’s goals. 

The Child Beale Trust is a fully inclusive and equal opportunities employer and charity. We value diversity and positively welcome applications from all backgrounds, regardless of age, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or disability. 

Please apply even if you do not meet every piece of criteria listed above. We are always seeking to increase diversity of thought, experience, and background on our board. If you share a deep passion for our mission and believe you bring other relevant skills or perspectives that could help us grow, we would love to hear from you. 

How to Apply

Please submit your CV along with a brief covering paragraph outlining your background, which area you feel you can support, and why you are passionate about supporting our conservation and education goals.

Note: This is a voluntary position with only reasonable expenses paid.

Role overview

Trustee — Policy, Advocacy & EDI

About us: Could you help us get millions of separated children Back to Family?

Orphanages don’t protect children, they harm them. Put simply: the last thing an orphanage can provide is the first thing a child needs - someone to love them. 

Right now, 5.4 million children around the world are locked away in orphanages — even though over 80% of them are not orphans. Orphanages expose children to abuse and trafficking, and physical and psychological trauma that can last a lifetime. A century of evidence shows that the bond between a child and their family is what every child needs to grow, thrive and be safe. 

The role

As our Policy, Advocacy & EDI Trustee, you will help shape and strengthen HHC's influence on the global stage, bringing senior expertise to bear on the policy and financing decisions that determine the pace of care reform worldwide. Working closely with our Chair, CEO and senior advocacy and programmes colleagues, you will contribute to our ambitious 2030 goal by:

• Advocacy strategy — providing strategic guidance and constructive challenge to strengthen HHC's global advocacy approach, helping sharpen our positioning, messaging and campaign strategy on care reform. 
• Policy and financing influence — advising the Board and Executive on opportunities to influence the decisions of governments, regional bodies and multilateral institutions, and supporting efforts to shift public and donor financing away from orphanages and towards family-based care. 
• EDI leadership — championing equity, diversity and inclusion across Board governance, organisational culture, safeguarding, and HHC's external voice, including how we portray the children, families and communities we support. 
• Stakeholder relationships — using your personal networks and credibility to open doors with policymakers, multilateral bodies, coalition partners and international fora relevant to care reform.

Who we are looking for

You will bring senior-level experience in public policy, government relations or international advocacy, ideally connected to child protection, social welfare or human rights, and a demonstrable track record of influencing policy or financing decisions at national, regional or international level. Beyond that, we are looking for someone who brings:

• A strong, practical understanding of equity, diversity and inclusion principles and how to apply them to governance and organisational culture
• An active network among policymakers, multilateral institutions, donors or the wider international child rights community
• Experience working across cultures and in international contexts, including in lower income countries and fragile and conflict-affected states
• The ability to translate specialist expertise into clear, practical guidance the Board and Executive can act on

Above all, you will share our belief that every child deserves to grow up in the love and safety of a family, and our commitment to driving that change with courage, integrity, excellence and being deeply human. 

What we offer

This is a voluntary, unremunerated role. In return you will:

• Engage with our work across nine countries 
• Contribute to systemic change at global scale, helping to shape the future for separated children worldwide
• Be part of an organisation approaching its 2030 goal — a worldwide consensus that orphanages have no place in any child's life

Time commitment

The role requires approximately 12–18 days per year, comprising:

• Four Board meetings per year (in person, London or virtual)
• Five subcommittee meetings per year (virtual), as a key member of our Programmes, Advocacy, Research and Accountability Committee (PARAC)
• An annual two-day awayday, which may take place in one of our countries of operation
• Additional time for preparation, ad hoc queries and induction in your first year

The initial term of office is three years, with the possibility of two further three-year terms by mutual agreement.

Closing Date: The final cut off for applications is 17.00 UK time on Thursday 8 October 2026 so please get in touch if you have the right skills, experience and passion for our cause.

To apply, please upload your CV and a brief covering letter indicating why you are interested in joining the Hope and Homes for Children Board and how your experience, skills and values map to the requirements of this role.

Diversity

Hope and Homes for Children actively encourages equity, diversity and inclusion, and we look to recruit a diverse range of people to reflect the communities in which we live. We are keen to see a diverse membership of both the trustee body and committees as we believe diversity brings us closer to our mission of eliminating orphanages.

Thank you for considering this role. Every child deserves to grow up in the love and safety of a family

Contract type

Volunteer

Hours

12 - 18 days per annum

Salary

Voluntary (expenses paid)

If you have space in your home and heart, for a guide dog mum who will be bringing the next generation of guide dogs in the world, then this could be the role for you! A role where you can care and nurture for a guide dog mum and plenty of little puppies when they arrive. 

This role is available in areas of Berkshire, South Buckinghamshire, and Oxfordshire.

What you’ll be doing: 

• Providing a loving home for a guide dog mum who will be at least 12 months old, for around six years whilst they are in the breeding programme (with the option to re-home after this, once the guide dog mum retires at around 7 years-old.) 
• Giving a guide dog mum the care and support that our canine companions need, like feeding and grooming.
• Creating a safe environment for the guide dog mum when they are giving birth within your home and helping with the birth of future guide dogs, which usually happens once a year. (You don’t need any previous experience of breeding or having dogs – we have expert staff who will help you!) 
• Providing care and support for the newborn puppies for at least 6 weeks while they are still in the nest, including socialising them to the new sounds and first-time experiences in your home.

Can I care for a guide dog mum? 

If you want to care for a guide dog mum, here's what we ideally look for:

• A loving home with a secure garden.
• Access to a car, to support with any appointments needed for the guide dog mum.
• Live within an hour’s drive of the National Centre in Leamington Spa.

Guide dog mums can happily live with other dogs or children, however we wouldn’t place them with a male dog that has not been neutered. To determine whether you are suitable, we will conduct a home visit as part of the application process. 

What you’ll get:

• The opportunity to have a lovable canine companion!
• The satisfaction of knowing you’re supporting people with sight loss to live actively, independently, and well.
• The rewarding experience of bringing the next generation of guide dogs in the world and caring for their mum.
• Our volunteers have access to our bespoke training techniques to implement with their guide dog mum a great bonus for any dog owners! 
• The opportunity to be part of the Guide Dogs community, meeting like-minded people in your area.
• A dedicated volunteer manager and fellow peers who will help support you throughout your role.

Training and support

Our volunteers also receive lots of support from their volunteer managers to help them implement the training modules, as well as managing the birth of new-born puppies. If you have questions about the training requirements, we can answer these at your interview along with any other support or accessibility needs you may have.

Volunteering for Guide Dogs should never leave you out of pocket. We’ll make sure we pay any pre-agreed expenses related to the litter or your volunteering with us, including veterinary costs, food costs or any specialist breeding equipment.  All you may need to buy is a bed and grooming equipment.

Minimum age of volunteer: 18.

To find out if this role is available in your area, please click 'Redirect to recruiter' at the top or bottom of the page, and use the postcode search function on the Guide Dogs website to explore local opportunities. 

Bring your voice and experience to a Board where it can shape real change. Join a national children’s health and wellbeing charity, challenge our thinking, influence our future and help us make stronger decisions for the children, young people and families at the heart of everything we do.

Compass exists for children, young people and families who need someone in their corner. For 40 years, we have delivered health and wellbeing services that give people access to the right support, at the right time and in ways that reflect their needs and communities.

We are looking for a voluntary Non Executive Director and Trustee to join our Board and help shape what comes next. This is an opportunity to use your knowledge, experience and perspective somewhere they can influence real decisions and help Compass remain ambitious, accountable and focused on the people our services exist for.

As a member of the Board, you will provide independent oversight, constructive challenge and fresh thinking. You will work alongside fellow Trustees and our senior leaders to help shape strategy, review organisational performance and ensure decisions are thoughtful, evidence informed and consistent with our charitable purpose and values.

Your role will reach across the organisation. You will contribute to discussions about service quality, safeguarding, workforce, finance, risk, performance and long term sustainability. You will ask the questions that help us think differently, test assumptions and understand the likely impact of our decisions. You will also share responsibility for ensuring Compass is well governed, uses its resources responsibly and meets its legal and regulatory duties as a charity.

This role is about more than attending Board meetings. You will have opportunities to deepen your understanding of Compass, connect with the people who deliver our services and see how Board decisions translate into practice. You will act as an ambassador for our work and help us build trust with the communities, partners and organisations around us. You will also contribute to at least one Board advisory group, bringing closer attention to an area where your knowledge, experience or curiosity can add value.

We want our Board to benefit from a range of voices and experiences. We welcome applications from people of all cultures, ethnicities, backgrounds and walks of life, including those underrepresented at Board level. This is not about asking anyone to speak for an entire community. It is about building a stronger, more representative Board that makes better decisions, challenges established thinking and understands the people it serves.

Previous experience as a Trustee or Non Executive Director would be valuable, but it is not essential. We are interested in what you can bring, whether that comes from your professional career, your community, your lived experience or a combination of these. You will need the confidence to contribute your views, the openness to listen to others and the integrity to put the interests of Compass and the people we support first.

You will be joining a Board where your contribution will be heard and valued. If you are curious about how your experience could help shape a national children’s health and wellbeing charity, we would encourage you to take a closer look.

This is a voluntary appointment. Expenses directly connected with carrying out the role, such as travel, will be reimbursed.