Senior executive volunteer roles

The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) gives old buildings a future - and we’re looking for an experienced strategic thinker and inspiring leader to be our new Chair of Trustees in our 150th anniversary year and beyond.

As Chair, you'll guide us at Board level, champion the SPAB Approach, attend meetings, support our activities and be an ambassador for the country’s oldest heritage organisation.

About Us

We help people to look after old buildings, making them fit for the future while keeping their historic character. We do this through casework, technical research and advice, education and training, awards, outreach and events across the UK and Ireland. 

Our work is underpinned by a conservation philosophy that encourages people to preserve historic fabric. The SPAB Approach provides a well-tested basis for practical decision-making in building conservation. We also encourage excellence in new design to enrich and complement the built historic environment. 

Founded in 1877 by William Morris and his fellow campaigners, the SPAB continues to advocate for old buildings almost 150 years later. 

About the Role

We're looking for someone...​​

• Able to direct the business of the Board efficiently and effectively​

• Skilled in developing and nurturing productive working relationships​

• Willing to challenge and introduce new ways of thinking and acting​

• Nurturing of positive engagement amongst staff, volunteers and members​

• Committed to the SPAB Approach to the conservation of built heritage​

• A member of the SPAB​

Experience Required

You will be...​​

• Familiar with charity or corporate governance​

• Capable of high-level advocacy across a range of media​

• Successful at fundraising and/or entrepreneurial experience​

• Able to deliver growth and change management in an organisation​

• Competent in difficult situations and with resolving conflict​

​Responsibilities

• Provide leadership to the Board in its strategic and policy roles​

• Chair the Board and other meetings to facilitate positive discussion and development​

• Ensure the Board fulfils its legal and charitable responsibilities for the governance of the SPAB​

• Establish a constructive working relationship with the Chief Executive and Honorary Treasurer​

• Reviewing the performance of the Chief Executive and Board​

Key Tasks

• Campaigner: for the SPAB Approach and the conservation of built heritage​

• Strategist: implementing and refining the SPAB’s strategy for 2025-30 by responding to emerging opportunities and risks​

• Fundraiser: supporting the SPAB in fulfilling its fundraising needs​

• Networker: making connections and influencing at a senior level (not just in the heritage sector)​

• Publicist: raising the professional and public profile of the SPAB and its members in the UK and overseas​

• Teambuilder: developing Board members and staff​

• Organiser: facilitating Board processes and leading on improving governance practice​

What We Offer

• The Chair’s role is the most senior voluntary position within the SPAB​

• The postholder will have the opportunity to lead the UK’s oldest building conservation organisation into its 150th Anniversary year and beyond​

• The position of SPAB Chair is highly regarded within the heritage sector and elsewhere​

• The post is voluntary and unremunerated, but reasonable expenses can be claimed​​

​How to Apply

Please submit a CV (maximum two pages) and a covering letter (maximum two pages) clearly explaining why you believe you are well suited to the role by Friday 21 August 2026, 5pm​.

Interviews will be held at ​37 Spital Square, London, E1 6DY​ in early-mid September 2026​ (date tbc)​.

Equal Opportunities​​

We particularly welcome applications from people with backgrounds underrepresented in building conservation.​​

Chair

Harrogate Homeless Project

Board meetings take place at Springboard day centre, Oxford Street, Harrogate, HG1 1PP.

Harrogate Homeless Project is the leading charity in the Harrogate district supporting individuals who are homeless, at risk of homelessness or recovering from homelessness. Our mission is to use our expertise to address the root causes of a person’s homelessness and support them to long-term independent living. We aim to influence local, regional and national policy to help deliver better outcomes for our clients.

We have bold ambitions to make a step change in the support given to our clients.  We benefit from strong and positive public awareness of our work.  That work is supported by a staff team of around 18 people, nearly 50 volunteers and strong links with partners including North Yorkshire Council, other charities and local businesses.

The next period promises to be exciting for Harrogate Homeless Project as we develop our direct services to clients, extend the support offered in our premises by partners, put our influencing of public policy on a firmer footing and to significantly invest in, and expand, our fundraising.

The role.

Our current Chair is leaving in a planned way to take up a non-executive role in another organisation.  We are seeking an exceptional successor to lead our Board and work with our executive team to progress our ambitious plans.

We are looking for someone with proven leadership qualities; you will also be well-connected with any of our key partner groups in North Yorkshire – charities, businesses and the public sector.  The highest levels of personal credibility are essential for this role and sound judgment in dealings with staff, clients and partners is essential. Our longer-term impact and sustainability rely on rigorous governance and statutory compliance.  You will ensure that our oversight, scrutiny and legal compliance arrangements are as strong as possible.

This is a great time to join us, as we work collaboratively with a diverse range of partners to bring hope and empowerment to our clients.  If you want to be part of this, we look forward to hearing from you.

The appointment is on a voluntary basis with reasonable expenses reimbursed.

Information

Download the candidate brief from the vacancies section of our website to find out more about the role.

How to apply

To make an application, please visit the recruitment page of our website, read the candidate pack and submit:

• Your CV
• A covering letter (no more than two sides) that sets out how you match the criteria and describes the specific experience you can bring to the appointment to support Harrogate Homeless Project’s aims.

Recruitment timeline

Closing date: Friday 31 July 2026

Shortlisting: August 2026

Interviews: 14 September 2026 (provisional)

About YAUK

Youth Advantage UK is a charitable organization that uses a research-led approach to inform policy work and projects that aim to promote and further the human rights of young people aged 11 to 25 across the United Kingdom.

Please note that this is a remote VOLUNTEER role.

We won't accept applications from individuals residing outside of the UK as we operate on the principle of bettering the lives of young people in the UK. Therefore, we require our volunteers to have an understanding of what it is like to live in the UK.

Responsibilities

• Provide support to the CEO on matters of urgency and importance to the organization.
• Manage the agenda for meetings the CEO holds ensuring all actions are allocated for actioning
• Sign post management across the organisation as required
• Handle multiple tasks and priorities simultaneously
• Organizing and coordinating meetings, appointments, and events to ensure efficient time management for the CEO
• Handling Communications: Acting as the first point of contact for the CEO, managing correspondence.
• Preparing reports, presentations, and other documents needed for meetings and decision-making.
• Assisting with various administrative tasks such as record-keeping and office management.
• Coordinating specific tasks as assigned by the CEO
• Acting as a bridge between the CEO and other senior management, ensuring smooth communication

Requirements

• Excellent communication skills.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Experience in fast-paced environments.
• Good IT skills.
• Ability to use remote systems.
• Ability to engage with others well.
• Good people skills.

Benefits

• This is a UK-based, 100% fully remote and flexible role.
• Supportive team and management to enhance your skills and build on your experience.
• Your work will help transform and empower many young people’s lives, rights, and interests and assist in promoting equality for all young people.

Why Volunteer with Us?

We are a supportive and friendly organization that takes pride in developing and nurturing our staff and providing them with excellent opportunities to thrive and further encourage their career growth and future aspirations.

We offer a fully remote working environment and a flexible and adaptable working schedule. This is an excellent opportunity to join a growing organization, enhance your skills, and gain valuable experience. If this sounds like you and you are interested in applying for this position, please submit your CV.

We look forward to hearing from you!

About the Role:

The Chair provides leadership to the Board of Trustees and works closely with the Chief Executive to ensure the charity is well-governed, financially sound, and delivering on its charitable objectives.

Key responsibilities include:

• Providing effective leadership to the Board and ensuring it fulfils its legal and strategic responsibilities
• Setting the agenda for Board meetings and ensuring robust, inclusive decision-making
• Acting as a critical friend and line manager to the Chief Executive
• Ensuring strong governance, compliance, and risk management
• Supporting the charity’s strategic development, reputation, and external relationships
• Championing the charity’s values, mission, and beneficiaries

About You:

We are looking for someone who:

• Has previous Board-level experience (Chair or senior Trustee experience desirable)
• Demonstrates strong leadership, facilitation, and influencing skills
• Understands the responsibilities and legal duties of charity trustees
• Is able to commit the time and energy required to lead an effective Board
• Shares a passion for our cause and values

Experience in areas such as strategy, finance, transformation, fundraising, health, social care, education, or the voluntary sector would be welcomed.

That said, lived experience and diverse perspectives are equally valued.

Our trustees and non-executive directors play a vital role in making sure that the group achieves its core purpose. They oversee the overall management and administration of the charity. They also ensure that there is a clear strategy and that our work and goals are in line with our vision.

Just as importantly, they support and challenge the CEO and executive team in the exercise of their delegated authority and affairs, to enable Thrive Social Housing and Emerging Futures CIC to grow and thrive, and through this, achieve our mission.

The Board operates under the leadership and guidance of the chair and works in partnership with the chief executive officer and the executive team.

Board members are expected to always act in the best interests of the organisation and its stakeholders, and to use their background knowledge and skills to work with the chair and other board members to ensure that the Board, supported by its committees, carries out its responsibilities effectively and lead from the top in demonstrating our culture, values and behaviours.

Board members have a collective responsibility. This means that trustees always act as a group and not as individuals.

About IDEMS

IDEMS is a UK-based social enterprise developing the novel human-centred technology infrastructure and products needed to affordably, sustainably scale expert-developed social interventions in variable low-resource communities globally for the greatest social impact. 

IDEMS is now at an inflection point of innovation and growth. 

Our innovation emerges from applied R&D in long-term multidisciplinary innovation collaborations. IDEMS impact-trained mathematical scientists and applied technologists partner with field-leading experts, UN agencies, global and local NGOs and researchers, and affected stakeholders to address grand challenges in areas including education, public health and climate resilience. 

Across variable multiyear, multidisciplinary grand-challenge collaborations, IDEMS has validated the need for and is piloting impact-enabling socio-technical innovation to address a major unmet challenge: How to enable local stakeholders to adapt, take ownership of, and continuously improve, in collaboration with global experts, impact programming to meet the needs of their communities–and do this affordably, sustainably, at scale across variable low-resource contexts? 

IDEMS is developing the novel socio-technical frameworks, infrastructure and products to address this challenge. At the heart of our work is pioneering “meaningful semantic interoperability”. Grounded in the application of frontier mathematical theory and made possible by advances in AI, IDEMS innovation transforms impact programme code and content into structured, reusable atomic data elements that can be malleably reordered, recombined or replaced to create unlimited, entirely new programme applications, interoperable down to the structured atomic data element level. 

IDEMS innovation unlocks impact at scale by enabling: 1) local programme adaptation to meet the highly variable digital, social and economic realities of low-resource contexts, 2) multidirectional data sharing and sensemaking for continuous systemic and local programme improvement, and 3) local ownership and control for a new model of affordable, sustainable, and community-accountable impact innovation. 

In this context, IDEMS faces the challenge of being a deeply innovative technology company, requiring significant mission-aligned impact financing to develop pioneering innovation, with an uncompromising mission to serve the public good. 

The Opportunity
IDEMS is seeking to appoint a Non-Executive Director to join its Board at this exciting stage of growth.

Role Purpose
The Non-Executive Director will provide independent oversight, strategic guidance, and constructive challenge, helping ensure IDEMS delivers on its social mission while strengthening organisational sustainability and impact.

While IDEMS operates at a deep academic and technical level, the role does not require deep technical or mathematical expertise. The Non-Executive Director’s value lies in their ability to develop an understanding of the systemic barriers to responsibly, inclusively scaling social impact in low-resource contexts–and of how existing approaches to scaling impact with technology at best often fail to deliver meaningful impact and at worst introduce new harms and dependencies. 

From that understanding, the Non-Executive Director will bring clear strategic perspective that includes offering high-level challenge and insight to help shape direction, identifying funding and partnership opportunities, strengthening decision-making, and ensuring alignment with social mission.

Key Responsibilities

• Contribute to the strategic direction of the organisation
• Provide independent scrutiny and governance oversight
• Support the executive team through challenge and advice
• Help ensure alignment between mission, impact, and sustainability
• Act as an ambassador for IDEMS, supporting fundraising, partnerships and visibility

Person Specification
We are particularly interested in individuals who bring a combination of the following (we do not expect any one person to have all of these):

• Senior leadership or board-level experience
• Interest in social impact, international development, or education
• Strong understanding of, or experience with, social and non-equity-based enterprise investment (of particular interest)
• Understanding of technology, data, or innovation ecosystems (desirable)
• Experience in governance, finance, scaling organisations, partnerships, or impact evaluation

A commitment to IDEMS’ values is essential, including collaboration, respect for complexity, and a focus on long-term impact.

Time Commitment
Approximately 5–10 days per year, including Board meetings and at least one full day at an in-person team meeting.

Why Join IDEMS?

• Be part of a globally recognised social enterprise addressing complex challenges
• Work with a diverse, international team
• Contribute to innovative approaches to technology for public good, including advancing new models for responsible, accountable AI
• Help shape an organisation focused on long-term, meaningful impact

WIILMA exists to reduce loneliness and isolation and increase community cohesion, through community education projects centred around world music, arts, history, heritage and culture.

We are offering an exciting opportunity for an experienced, reliable Volunteer Executive Assistant PA who can develop a CEO's office function that can support the important work of WIILMA. Providing admin, CRM support and high-level support to its Founder/CEO and working across different teams and senior members of the organisation.

This crucial role focuses on setting up, maintaining, and shaping up the role and function, organising essential organisational records and systems, ensuring the long-term sustainability of WIILMA’s mission.

You will have the opportunity to bring your own ideas to a creative community environment.

Key Requirements

• Experience: Candidates should have a background in executive support, senior administration, or project management, a bonus if you have some experience within the not-for-profit sector or public sector.

• Professionalism: High standards of integrity, reliability, and openness are required.

• Communication: Exceptional written and verbal skills are essential for representing a high-profile community organization.

• Passion: Candidates must be mission-driven, with a strong interest in the arts, diversity, and social cohesion.

• Capacity: Volunteers must have the time availability and capacity to actively contribute. 

This is an opportunity to directly support the leadership of a mission-driven organization, during a very exciting time as we grow our presence and reach, helping to build the organizational infrastructure needed for long-term success.

Key Responsibilities:

Executive Support: Manage the CEO’s  schedule and mailbox, ensuring communications are handled with total confidentiality and professional flair.

Stakeholder Liaison: Act as a primary point of contact for external partners, including local councils, cultural institutions, grant makers, and businesses, directly working with CRM/Community engagement colleagues to keep track of our relationships.

Strategic Documentation: Represent WIILMA at high-level meetings, documenting minutes and tracking actionable outcomes to ensure organisational momentum.

Logistics & Events: Help coordinate volunteer and equipment logistics for our vibrant community events and workshops.

Leadership & Management: Based on your level of experience as an executive assistant, you may have the opportunity to help recruit, train, and mentor other executive assistants within the CEO’s office.

Operational Excellence

We are looking for passionate people to join our team! We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive environment and as an equal opportunity organisation strongly encourage people from all backgrounds, communities, identities, and experiences to apply.

Note: Because we are a 100% volunteer-run organization, our response to your inquiry may be slightly delayed, but we appreciate your patience and interest!

We are looking for passionate people to join our team and are committed to building a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage applications from all backgrounds, identities, and experiences.

Note: Because we are a volunteer-run organisation, our response to your inquiry may be slightly delayed, but we appreciate your patience and interest!

The Organisation
Martin James Foundation (MJF) is a global network working towards one vision: a world where every child grows up in a safe and loving family. We support the transformation of child protection and alternative care systems, shifting away from institutional care and strengthening families and communities to keep children safe.
The unique composition of our Foundation brings together our Key Assets teams in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand and represents a network of over 1,000 foster care and child care practitioners. We combine this practical expertise with international advocacy and grant making through our MJF Global division to champion global care reform and support local organisations working to prevent family separation.

Structure
Our structure enables us to share and build on our collective experience, knowledge, practitioner skills, and proven best practice models as we continue to deliver innovative and quality services. Each organisation within the Martin James Foundation has its own strategy and mission of how it works towards our shared vision of a world in which children grow up and thrive in safe and loving families.
In addition, a set of shared strategic objectives enables us to achieve a greater combined impact. These objectives span a range of interventions that seek to support children, families and communities, as well as the structures and systems designed to protect them. Our work is informed and guided by the principles of the Guidelines of Alternative Care for Children, designed to enhance the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The Role of the Martin James Foundation Board
The Board of Trustees has strategic oversight of the charity, ensuring that ambitious strategic goals are set and worked towards effectively. The Board of Trustees works in collaboration with the Executive team to make decisions on key issues, offering support and challenge on a range of matters. The Board of Trustees acts as a point of escalation for internal and external stakeholders, for example any complaints or grievances, in line with agreed processes. The Board of Trustees also has legal oversight of the charity, including responsibility for ensuring that statutory and reporting requirements to the Charity Commission are met.

Board Statement of Values and Decision Making
Board Members embrace the entrepreneurial ethos of the Martin James Foundation. The Board is keen to take innovative approaches to delivering the Foundation’s work and commits to working collaboratively and effectively, as a collective decision-making body, to ensure the success of the charity. In doing so, board members commit to upholding the seven principles of public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.

The Role of the Martin James Foundation Trustee
All Martin James Foundation Trustees contribute to the effective governance of the Foundation, through supporting the Board to make objective, long-term decisions on key issues in order to advance the charity’s mission and goals. Typically, such key issues will include: strategy, goal-setting, programme or project design, relationships with key stakeholders (e.g. government), public relations, finance, safeguarding, or any other legal matters. The Chair will hold the Board of Trustees and Executive Team to account for the Charity’s mission and vision, providing inclusive leadership to the Board of Trustees, ensuring that each trustee fulfils their duties and responsibilities for the effective governance of the charity. Each Trustee will support the Chair and Chief Executive and ensure that the Board functions as a unit and works closely with the entire Executive of the charity to achieve agreed objectives.

Person Specification
1. A strong and visible passion and commitment to Martin James Foundation, its strategic objectives, values and cause
2. Experience of operating at a senior strategic leadership level within an organisation
3. Experience of charity governance and working with or as part of a Board of Trustees. An understanding and experience of international issues and the challenges facing NGOs working internationally is desirable
4. Demonstrate tact and diplomacy, with the ability to listen and engage effectively
5. Ability to foster and promote a collaborative team environment
6. Ability to commit time to conduct the role well, including travel and attending events.
7. Desirable: Broad knowledge and understanding of children’s protection and social care and current issues affecting it.
8. Desirable: Lived experience of foster care or other family-based care.
9. Essential: Expertise in charity law and regulations gained through operating as a legal professional for Not-For-Profit / Charitable organisations.

Commitment and Conduct
The average time commitment is approximately 1 day per month, encompassing the following activities:
• Attendance at four quarterly Board meetings including review of all relevant papers and policies in advance of meetings. Meetings are held remotely with one in person annual general meeting. Papers for these meetings are circulated one week in advance. Meetings will focus on new projects, annual report and accounts, and other strategic decisions.
• Occasional exceptional Board meetings may be convened as required and are held by video call.
• Attendance at four quarterly Finance, Risk and Audit sub-committee meetings. Additional Board Committees are under consideration to which new Trustees would be invited to join in accordance with relevant skill sets.
• Meetings with executive leadership team members in relation to specific policies and projects, linking to relevant skills and specialisms brought by Trustees.
• Optional monthly meetings with the Chief Executive.

The Martin James Foundation strives to enable a diverse range of participation and contributions to the Board, and we welcome applications from all ages and backgrounds. People with lived experience of alternative care, and from people outside of the UK are encouraged to apply. All Board positions are voluntary, but reasonable expenses will be reimbursed, and any training costs will be fully covered.

New Trustees will be provided with a structured induction and ongoing training and one-to-one support as appropriate.
As part of the appointment process, all Board members are required to adhere to the Martin James Foundation Code of Conduct and complete the Declaration of Eligibility and Interest form. The content of the Declaration of Interest form may require you to withdraw from specific discussions where you, a partner or close relative stands to gain or where you are so close to a matter being discussed that it will be difficult for you to be impartial.

CVS Cheshire East exists to ensure local voluntary and community groups are strong, empowered organisations that make a difference in our community. We are seeking trustees with a passion for the VCFSE sector, a desire to make a difference and achieve change, and the commitment and dedication to engage with the Board and senior leadership to actively drive the organisation forward.

Trustees are collectively responsible for the overall governance and strategic direction of CVS Cheshire East. They develop the organisation’s aims, objectives and goals in accordance with its governing document, legal obligations and regulatory guidelines, ensuring the charity operates effectively and delivers genuine public benefit.

Being a trustee is both a privilege and a responsibility. It means lending your experience, skills and insight to strengthen not just CVS Cheshire East, but the wider VCFSE sector across Cheshire East.

Key Responsibilites

• Legal and Governance Duties
• Financial Responsibility and Risk
• Safeguarding
• Strategic Leadership
• Supporting the Chief Executive
• Collective and Individual Responsibility for descisions

Time commitment

Trustees are expected to read all Board papers in advance of meetings and come prepared to contribute. In addition, trustees may receive requests for information or decisions between meetings and are expected to respond in a timely manner: we anticipate that in addition to the meetings outlined above, trustees will need to spend between 2-4 hours per month contributing to CVSCE governance.

Skills

CVS Cheshire East welcomes applications from people with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences.

What matters most is passion for the VCFSE sector, a desire to make a difference and achieve change, and the commitment and dedication to engage with the Board and senior leadership to actively drive the organisation forward.

We are particularly keen to recruit trustees who reflect the diversity of the communities we serve, and those with lived experience of being an employee or trustee of one of our member organisations.

Pact is seeking a values-driven finance leader to join our Board of Trustees and chair our Financial, Risk and Audit Committee (FRAC), succeeding our highly respected outgoing Chair who retires this Autumn.

About Pact

Pact is a successful, growing and highly regarded Catholic charity whose mission is to support prisoners, people with convictions and their families to make a fresh start. We operate in some of the most complex and high-risk environments in the voluntary sector, delivering critical front-line services across prisons, probation services, courts and communities, while managing public-sector contracts with the Ministry of Justice and NHS alongside philanthropic grants and donations.

About the role

As FRAC Chair, you will play a pivotal role in supporting the Board to make confident strategic financial decisions, steward resources responsibly and respond effectively to a changing commissioning landscape. Working closely with the CEO, Deputy CEO and Director of Finance & IT, you will lead Committee oversight across:

• External audit

• Financial risk management

• Internal scrutiny and control

• Statutory, tax and Charity Commission compliance

• Treasury and investment strategy

Alongside this, you will share collective responsibility with fellow Trustees for the strategic direction, governance and integrity of the charity.

About you

You are a qualified accountant with senior-level experience in finance, audit, risk or governance (for example, as a CFO, Finance Director, Finance Partner, Audit Partner or senior risk leader). You bring a strong grasp of financial management, internal control and risk, the ability to interpret complex financial information and challenge constructively, and the interpersonal skills to build positive relationships across the Board and Executive.

Experience in the charity or not-for-profit sector, knowledge of Charities SORP (FRS 102), and previous Trustee or non-executive experience would be highly welcome but are not essential.

While this role is open to people of all faiths and none, as a Catholic charity Pact seeks Trustees whose personal values are aligned with our ethos, including our commitment to ethical investment.

Practicalities

• Term: 3 or 4 years by mutual agreement, renewable up to a maximum of 10 years

• Voluntary, with reasonable expenses reimbursed

• Approximately 45 hours per annum, plus reading and keep-in-touch time

• Board meetings are held near Liverpool Street, London, with hybrid attendance permitted

Brightside is on a mission to help young people make confident and informed decisions about their future. For over 20 years, we’ve used technology to connect young people facing barriers with inspiring mentors. We deliver online mentoring programmes in collaboration with schools, universities, businesses and charities to provide young people with access to networks, online career information and high-quality mentoring.

The UK is inherently unfair, still in 2026, your future success is more likely to be determined by where you were born or what your parents do than your abilities.  At Brightside, we are determined to change the system from the ground up, providing young people and schools with role models, support networks and skills to empower them to meet their aspirations. 

We are a small but mighty charity, currently reaching 6,500 young people across the UK a year, but with innovative plans to meet the need of thousands more. To do this we are looking to build on our dynamic board of trustees and have a new position available. Right now, we are looking for a Trustee to join the Board who has deep expertise with marketing and communications. At Brightside we work on marketing to attract young people to become mentees, volunteers to become mentors and partners to fund our services – ranging from commercial organisations to grant funders to schools and universities.

The board of trustees supports the Chief Executive and Senior Leadership Team, providing strategic direction, guidance and practical advice.

The trustee will play a vital role in giving our staff guidance on building a strong brand for the charity with our limited means and to attract more mentees, mentors and funders. We want to radically improve our marketing to young people and get consistency in our messaging across all channels and platforms. The ideal candidate will have direct experience with brand and performance marketing, particularly in channels we use extensively at Brightside including email, social, brochure / leaflet (e.g. impact reports, funder info collateral) etc. We are particularly interested to hear from candidates with experience in youth marketing, social mobility and securing funding for charitable organisations. Having said that, if you do not have all this direct experience do not hesitate to apply if you have strong marketing and comms skills and a strong passion for our mission.

Spectra is a Community Interest Company (CIC), working to improve the choices, health and well-being of structurally excluded communities across London, particularly in their sexual health, emotional resilience and wellbeing, and to combat isolation and minimise risk.

Under the guidance of its Chief Executive and Board of Directors, Spectra’s outstanding staff team provides supportive, knowledgeable, and non-judgmental services, all of which are peer-led, meaning people with lived and learned experience deliver them. Spectra strives to proactively identify the needs of all its service users and support them appropriately and effectively.

We are now seeking a suitably experienced and committed individual to join our Board as a Director of the CIC. You will join a Board of six other Directors.

If you are passionate about addressing health inequalities and share our mission to support and empower people, we would love to hear from you.

You will provide strategic direction for the organisation around Communications, marketing and PR. You will support our plans to increase our reach and brand, further our communications work and strategy, including social media marketing and campaigning, and enhance our PR opportunities. You will support Spectra’s delivery of statutory and grant-funded services; help us in advancing our vision and provide constructive scrutiny and oversight of the Chief Executive and the work of Spectra’s staff.

Spectra is based in Vauxhall, South London. It is expected that you will attend five meetings (in the evening, currently online on a Monday evening) and two SMT/Board Away Days each year (currently in person). In addition, it is envisaged that you will contribute your expertise outside of Board meetings on occasion, e.g. to review service or planning reports, to input into a focus group, etc.

The Brent Centre for Young People
Chair

The Brent Centre is a long‑established London charity providing specialist psychoanalytic understanding, treatment of and research into Adolescent Mental Health. With a strong clinical heritage and a deep commitment to addressing social and economic inequality, the Centre supports young people experiencing complex and enduring mental health challenges.

We are now seeking a new Chair of the Board of Trustees to lead the organisation through its next phase of development, as the current Chair comes to the end of their term.

This role is unremunerated, with travel expenses paid 
Time commitment: Up to 2 days per month remote/ hybrid (with quarterly Trustee meetings and ad hoc meetings in person)
Location: London (NW6)

About us

Founded in 1967 by a group of pioneering, internationally renowned psychoanalysts, the Brent Centre for Young People was established with a clear purpose: to transform mental health support for adolescents during the critical transition to adulthood, and to tackle the significant health inequalities that exclude many vulnerable young people from accessing the help they need. 

We achieve this by providing age-specific, timely and effective psychoanalytic psychotherapies and practical support to at-risk young people struggling with serious mental health issues like anxiety, depression, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and disordered eating.

We have developed a clinical model that puts adolescent needs and development at its core. Our unique approach maximises engagement and achieves deep-rooted and long-lasting change. With nearly six decades of experience, we have evidenced that this model works.

The role

The Chair will provide strategic leadership to the Board of Trustees, ensuring that the organisation is well governed, financially sustainable and delivering its mission with integrity and impact. Working closely with the Chief Executive, the Chair will help shape and steward the Centre’s long‑term vision, strengthen Board effectiveness, and support the organisation to respond confidently to a changing mental health landscape.

This is a governance leadership role that also carries an important external dimension. The Chair will act as an ambassador for the Brent Centre, helping to raise its profile, build relationships and champion the value of psychoanalytic approaches to improving young people’s mental health.

About you

We are seeking an inspiring and committed individual with the time and capacity to engage fully in this role. The successful candidate will bring:

• Significant senior leadership experience in a business, charitable, healthcare or public sector setting
• Demonstrable Board‑level experience, with a strong understanding of governance and trustee responsibilities
• Financial acumen and experience overseeing organisational sustainability and risk
• Strategic insight and the ability to support and challenge executive leadership constructively
• Credibility and confidence to act as an ambassador and external advocate
• A strong commitment to safeguarding, equality, diversity, inclusion and wellbeing

Experience of the mental health sector, or familiarity with psychoanalytic approaches, would be welcome but is not essential. We value curiosity, sound judgement and strong alignment with the Centre’s mission and values.

How to Apply 
 
To express your interest in the role, please contact Prospectus. 

At Prospectus we believe passionately that a truly inclusive workplace leads to increased social impact. We are committed to supporting our clients to build more inclusive teams. To understand how we are performing, we ask that you kindly complete the brief equal opportunities questionnaire when you submit your application via our website. Please be assured that your responses are kept confidential, separate from your candidate record, are not part of any application you make, and that the consultants never see individual responses to the questionnaire. 
 
Recruitment Timetable 
Deadline for applications: 20th September (midnight) 

Spectra is a Community Interest Company (CIC), working to improve the choices, health and well-being of structurally excluded communities across London; particularly in relation to their sexual health, emotional resilience and well-being, and to combat isolation and minimise risk.

Under the steer of its Chief Executive and Board of Directors, Spectra’s outstanding staff team provide supportive, knowledgeable, non-judgemental services, which are all peer-led, meaning they are delivered by people with lived experience. Spectra strives to proactively identify the needs of all its service users and support them appropriately and effectively.

We are now seeking a suitably experienced and committed individual to join our Board as a Director of the CIC, and are particularly looking for someone with financial management and budgetary experience, particularly from a voluntary or statutory sector background.

If you feel passionately about addressing health inequalities and have an ethos aligned to our mission to support and empower people, we would love to hear from you.

You will provide strategic direction for the organisation on financial management, including helping to shape and support our ongoing financial strategy. You will support Spectra’s delivery of statutory and grant-funded services; help us in advancing our vision and provide constructive scrutiny and oversight of the Chief Executive and the work of Spectra’s staff.

Spectra is based in Vauxhall, South London. It is expected that you will attend five meetings (currently online on a Monday evening) and one SMT/Board Away Day each year (currently in person). In addition, it is envisaged that you will contribute your expertise outside Board meetings on occasion, e.g., to review service or planning reports, to participate in a focus group, etc.