Strategy volunteer roles

INDEPENDENT READING GROUP VOLUNTEER (FACE-TO-FACE) 

CARAS Youth ESOL Programme – Monday, Wednesday mornings  

About CARAS: 

Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (CARAS) is a registered charity that has been supporting refugees and asylum-seekers since 2002 empowering them to integrate and engage in the local community. 

Arriving as an asylum seeker/refugee can be a disempowering experience. Difficulties with language, accessing services and overcoming prejudice are ever-present. As an organisation we are committed to work alongside refugees to overcome those challenges, and to help them build their lives. 

We offer group support and targeted support work. We offer a range of activities including: ESOL classes; social and recreational activities such as youth club, drama, trips, and family activities; educational support for young people; and casework and advocacy support. 

Our values are at the centre of all our work: 

• Kindness: CARAS will nurture all who are part of our community, helping everyone to develop their skills, talents, and interests. 

• Justice: CARAS will strive for social justice following a rights-based approach in all our work and challenging instances when rights are not upheld in wider society. 

• Empowerment: CARAS works alongside people, recognising and respecting their skills and strengths and striving together for better outcomes. 

• ‘With’ not ‘for’: CARAS will put the voices, opinions, experiences and needs of its beneficiaries at the heart of all that we do. 

About Youth ESOL: 

Our award-winning ESOL project offers English language classes to young people at a wide range of levels. This provides vital skills, opportunities and social contact and is crucial for enabling young people to do well at school or college.

About the Role: 

CARAS is looking for Reading Group Volunteer to support our face-to-face study programme for young people.

The reading group is in Streatham and is an important element of a study programme for young people aged 14 to 18 who are out of formal education. The timings of the reading group sessions are as follows: 

• Monday afternoons 2pm to 3pm 

• Wednesday mornings 11am to 1pm. 

Volunteers are required to attend either one of both sessions. Volunteers are also welcome to stay and support the more traditional English language classes either before the reading session on Mondays or after the reading session on Wednesdays. 

Students will be supported to read at length and complete challenges that are adapted to their ability level.

The reading group aims to foster independence and a joy of reading among the young people and requires volunteers to learn about the young peoples' interests in order to help them select an appropriate text.

The ESOL teacher will provide volunteers with tips to support reading and understanding for emerging learners of English, such as phonics and elicitation strategies.

Volunteers will work with 1-5 students, mostly reading out loud with them or helping them to decode unfamiliar language.

Please note that ESOL classes do not run during school holidays, and we follow Wandsworth Council term dates.

Volunteer tasks and responsibilities: 

• Providing learners with one-to-one or small group support within the Reading Group sessions; 

• Helping to set up the classroom and provide learners with classroom resources; 

• Contributing to debriefs to inform the ESOL teacher how each student found the lesson/task and the students’ areas of greatest challenge and success;  

• Attending and contributing to volunteer debriefs after each session; 

• Making use of any community languages you may know to help students during the class; 

• Working collaboratively as a team and helping to shape the project; 

• Supporting people to develop their knowledge and skills, encouraging and inspiring participants to reach their full potential; 

• Assisting participants to recognise and celebrate their achievements; 

• Listening and supporting students to select, read and understand a text; Showing flexibility to the wide range of ability levels in the classroom; 

• Following CARAS’ confidentiality, safeguarding, health & safety, equal opportunities, data management and all other policies as relevant.  

Requirements: 

Essential

• To be 18 years or older; 

• An interest in education and English language teaching;

• Currently resident in the UK; has asylum-seeker or refugee status 

• * Able to provide five years’ worth of addresses, and willing to undergo a DBS check; *DBS and proof of residency is not necessary if you are a CARAS community member who is more recently arrived in the UK.  

• Able to attend volunteer induction training (online) prior to start of role 

• Able to travel to our community centre in Tooting (food and travel expenses can be reimbursed); 

• To be non-judgemental and able to engage with young people from diverse backgrounds; 

• To be reliable and punctual; 

• Good communication skills, especially with people who are new to English; 

• An interest in books and stories, writing and poetry 

• The ability to volunteer on Wednesday during Wandsworth term time for a minimum of four months; 

Desirable: 

• Knowledge of community languages, such as Arabic, Tigrinya, Amharic, Pashto, Dari, Farsi, Kurdish, Somali or Spanish; 

• Experience of reading with young people or learners of English, or teaching ESOL or phonics. 

Through volunteering with us you will: 

• Gain experience of English language teaching; 

• Meet new members of your local community; 

• Learn about different cultures; 

• Learn about issues relating to refugees and people seeking asylum; 

• Work as part of a friendly, welcoming team; 

• Develop your skills and competencies such as literacy and phonics strategies for emerging learners of English; 

• Be able to access relevant training, including safeguarding training. 

• Be able to obtain a reference from us relating to your placement after 3 months of regular volunteering. 

Space Youth Services offer a wide range of youth sessions across Devon, providing safe, inclusive spaces for young people aged 11-19. Whether it's at a youth centre (open access), online youth centre, SEND sessions, LGBTQ sessions, their OFSTED registered school 'Chances' or street-based youth activities, they create environments where young people can engage, learn, and connect. Their activities give young people "somewhere to go, something to do, and someone to talk to."

They operate from eight well equipped Youth and Community Centres across Devon, located in Bideford, Okehampton, Barnstaple, Tiverton, Exmouth, Exeter, Ottery St Mary, and Newton Abbot, as well as their alternative education school, Chances in Dawlish. They utilise a fleet of mobile youth buses to run their services and reach more young people.

Over 3000 young people directly used their services in the last year. Many more thousands are supported through their support to over 40 other youth organisations They have approximately 100 dedicated staff, most of whom are part time. Their annual turnover is approx. £3.5m.

They are now seeking to appoint a new independent Trustee and are looking for individuals who will rise to the challenge, be forward thinking and steer the future development of Space.

Trustee Responsibilities for Space Youth Services:

● Time Commitment: Attend a 2–3-hour evening meeting every other month and an annual strategy day.

● Work closely with the Chair and other Trustees during your term.

● Ensure Space follows its governing document and uses resources only for its stated objectives.

● Contribute to setting policy, guiding the CEO, and evaluating organisational performance.

● Also become a registered director of the company (limited by guarantee) via Companies House.

For this role we are keen to hear from people who has senior level experience in the following sectors:

● Human Resources

● Legal

● Finance

● Corporate or Commercial Business

First time Trustees are welcome to apply for this role.

As well as having a passion for the future for young people’s services, you will bring a determination to help drive organisational development and strategic direction in line with their charitable objectives. This is a rewarding role and represents a unique opportunity to be part of an exciting period of development for young people’s services across Devon and beyond.

For further details and to apply, please send your CV to Sandy Hinks, Head of Charity Practice quoting reference JO2630

Space Youth Services has retained Moon Exec Search to manage this campaign and are therefore unable to accept CVs from third party agencies. All CV’s and expression of interest received will be forwarded directly to Moon Exec Search for consideration.

About the Degrees Initiative

The Degrees Initiative is a UK-based NGO that builds the capacity of developing countries to evaluate solar radiation modification (SRM), a controversial proposal for reducing some impacts of climate change by reflecting sunlight away from the Earth. Degrees is neutral on whether SRM should ever be used, but we believe that developing countries should be empowered to conduct their own research and to play a central role in SRM discussions. The initiative has been working in different forms for over a decade, and our work receives worldwide coverage and widespread acclaim. 

The charity was founded in 2021, now has around 20 staff members and is growing. We seek a volunteer trustee with significant financial experience including an accounting qualification to join an existing five-person board to help guide a growing initiative that is changing the field of SRM.

This position offers a fantastic opportunity for the right candidate to apply their financial expertise in a high-profile governance role, shaping strategy and supporting a mission that empowers Global South researchers to lead in one of the world’s most important climate debates. 

Role 

The volunteer trustee will complement and further strengthen an existing five-person volunteer trustee board including the Chair & Treasurer. The role will entail strategic leadership, governance, and fiduciary responsibilities. Alongside the Treasurer they will predominantly be advising the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and the rest of the senior management team (the Chief Executive Officer and Chief of Staff) to ensure the robust financial health of the charity. This will include: 

• Maintaining an overview of the charity’s financial affairs by overseeing the annual financial planning and budgets proposed by the senior management team 

• Monitoring and evaluating financial progress against budgets and forecasts from staff reporting at quarterly board meetings, acting a voice of financial expertise during board discussions 

• Approving the audited annual accounts and financial statements presented by the senior management team alongside the rest of the board 

• Strategic input by reviewing risk assessments alongside financial implications and advising on the organisation of financial resources and reserves to support the long-term goals of the charity 

• Confirming transparency and accountability in financial operations, and that appropriate accounting procedures and controls are in place in addition to compliance with legal and regulatory requirements 

• Advising on how the charity can most effectively conduct its international work, especially providing grants to organisations in the Global South 

• Confirming that the charity has an appropriate investment policy, and that there is no conflict between any investment held and the aims and objects of the charity

• Sitting on any board sub-committees as required 

Unify is building a social impact platform that helps get direct, practical support to people who need it most — with dignity, transparency, and real-world usability at the core.

We’re looking for a Senior Developer / Tech Lead (Volunteer) to guide the build, unblock the team, and help us ship a solid, scalable product. This is a light commitment (2–5 hours per week), but a high-leverage role: you’ll be working closely alongside the founders and our Product Manager.

What you’ll do (2–5 hrs/week)

• Lead engineering direction: keep the build clean, pragmatic, and shippable.

• Review PRs and raise code quality (architecture, security, performance, maintainability).

• Help prioritise technical work with the founders + Product Manager.

• Support and mentor a small volunteer/dev team (light-touch guidance, not heavy management).

• Set up or improve engineering foundations (CI/CD, environments, observability, release process).

• Identify risk early (security, data handling, scalability) and propose solutions.

What we’re building

• A production product with real users and real-world constraints.

• A platform where trust, safety, and reliability matter as much as features.

Tech stack

MERN stack

• MongoDB (database)

• Express.js (backend framework)

• React (frontend)

• Node.js (runtime / API layer)

What we’re looking for

• Senior-level software engineering experience (ideally with leading small teams or acting as tech lead).

• Strong product sense: you can balance “build it right” with “ship it”.

• Comfortable in ambiguous, early-stage environments.

• Solid judgement around security, data handling, and best practices.

• A collaborative communicator who can keep things calm and moving.

Nice to have (not required)

• Experience with marketplaces, payments, identity/verification flows, or credit/voucher systems.

• Experience setting up CI/CD, testing strategy, and deployment pipelines for MERN apps.

• Previous work in startups, charities, civic tech, or social impact.

Why join (and what you’ll get)

• Real ownership and influence — your decisions shape the product.

• Work directly with the founders + Product Manager.

• A mission-led build where shipping matters and the work is tangible.

• Flexibility: async-first, lightweight weekly rhythm.

Time + format

• Volunteer: 2–5 hours per week

• Remote / hybrid (where relevant)

• Async-first with a short weekly check-in

Interested?
Send a short note with your background + links (GitHub/LinkedIn/portfolio) and we’ll set up a quick chat

London Plus is looking for two new trustees who are passionate about strengthening London’s civil society. We play a unique role -  championing the role of charities and community groups in helping London and Londoners thrive.

We are particularly looking for Trustees with experience in the voluntary and community sector but you don’t need to have been a Trustee previously. We actively welcome applications from candidates who reflect the diversity of London’s communities.

This is a wonderful opportunity to give back, to support us in our work to strengthen London’s voluntary sector, to get valuable board experience and to work alongside our committed trustees and staff.

About Roots Academy. 

Roots Academy’s Vision.

A generation of young Muslims who embody and promote a God-centred way of life.

At Roots Academy, we’ve built a learning experience that’s changing the lives of the ummah’s future leaders, change-makers and visionaries. Our Mission is to deliver a structured and transformative education in the Essentials of Islam in a way that lowers barriers to access, develops a deep certainty, and inspires action.

Why Does Roots Academy Exist?

Crisis of Faith: 1 in 4 young Muslims are leaving the religion due to various factors, primarily the pervasive anti-religious content and temptations they encounter online and offline. 

Roots Academy exists to bridge this gap by providing a structured and transformative Islamic education that speaks directly to the needs and challenges of young Muslims today, delivered in an engaging and accessible form that removes barriers to access and provokes thought and action.

Role Summary.

To bring our vision to life, we are looking for a dedicated person to play a vital role in managing and strengthening our relationships with partner organisations (such as university Islamic Societies), with a focus on marketing and growth. You will work closely with external partners to increase the number of students attending Roots workshops through creative and innovative methods.

Key tasks

• Marketing Support - Provide guidance and resources to partners for marketing Roots workshops effectively, including sharing marketing collateral and leading growth initiatives.

• Performance Monitoring - Monitor the marketing efforts of partner organisations, track key performance metrics, and provide feedback and recommendations for improvement.

• Communication Liaison - Serve as the primary point of contact through social media between our organisation and partner organisations, facilitating clear and consistent communication channels.

• Training and Onboarding - Conduct training sessions and onboarding for new partner organisations to familiarise them with our brand guidelines, marketing strategies, and communication protocols.

• Collaboration - Coordinate cross-functional efforts with internal teams, such as marketing, design, and external partnerships, to ensure alignment with partnership goals.

What we’re looking for

• Passion for Islamic education and the development of young Muslims. 

• Creative ideas and ability to think outside the box.

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

• Ability to multitask successfully.

• Proficiency in project management and organisational skills.

• Analytical mindset for assessing results and suggesting recommendations.

What we have to offer

• Be part of a team of 100+ dedicated volunteers across the UK, Ireland, Canada, US, UAE and Australia.

• Receive continuous rewards for those that seek Islamic knowledge from the Roots platform. 

• Be a part of a growing organisation that aims to revive and educate Muslims from a grassroots perspective.

• Receive in-house tarbiyah sessions to develop your deen. 

Please note this is an unpaid volunteer position. 

Volunteers are entitled to claim expenses incurred for food, travel and equipment, in line with our Expenses policy.

We are looking for a Community Engagement & Accountability Officer who is responsible for assisting in the implementation of integration activities and projects and ensuring that the needs and opinions of Second Tree community members are used to guide our work.

Your role would include:

• Creating timelines and coordinating plans for community engagement events

• Summarising relevant data collection in reports and project deliverables

• Communicating with community members and building trusting relationships

• Managing the organisation of proposals and other documents created by the CEA team

• Maintaining necessary records, files, reports, databases, and resource materials for the CEA team

• Researching information and gathering data necessary for community reporting

• Working with the wider Second Tree team to ensure that all community engagement events and projects align with organisational and programme strategies

• Supporting the CEA team by ensuring good levels of engagement with the community during activities and projects.

You should be able to:

• Be flexible with changing approaches and processes dependent on adjusting needs and contexts

• Take initiative and show high motivation

• Oversee the delivery of program activities and the completion of vital administrative and logistical tasks

• Be accountable and efficient, making sure that tasks that you take up are completed in the agreed timeframe

• Be honest and transparent, being able to give and receive feedback in the most straightforward way

• Care for people: the interests of the people we work with should always be your first concern

• Prioritise and delegate tasks effectively, ensuring all deadlines are met;

• Manage individuals effectively to create a positive team environment in which shared problem-solving is encouraged

• Communicate in English, both written and orally

• Learn quickly, and manage a wide-ranging and intense workload

The ideal candidate will have:

• Experience in integrating meaningful community participation premised on thorough needs assessments

• Experience in maintaining and monitoring effective feedback mechanisms

• Experience in integrating community perspectives into planning, evaluation, and reporting of community engagement projects and events

• Training in facilitating focus groups and interviews;

• Knowledge of European projects and deliverables

• Familiarity with project management

• Proficiency in excel and quantitative data collection

What do we offer?

• A nurturing and collaborative working environment. We work hard to help our team members grow, investing in personal and professional development.

• Accommodation in a shared house

• Transportation to/from work

• After completion of a three-month trial, if you commit long-term, a small monthly expenses refund

In certain periods of the year, demand is extremely high, and the shared houses might be full. If you have the means to pay for your own accommodation, please let us know. We would still be happy to host you if space is available. However, in a situation where the shared houses are full, this would allow us to offer an opportunity to someone that cannot afford to pay rent.

Looking for an internship?

If, because of your degree or for any other reason, you would like to have your period at Second Tree credited as an internship, just apply to the vacancy that you’re interested in and mention this. We have agreements with several universities across Europe, and in many other cases, these agreements can be developed on an ad hoc basis.

"We are looking for 3 candidates to join our volunteer enhanced professional development programme and gain real world experience in your chosen field). While we only have 3 vacancies available through this programme, other options are available if your skills match our criteria".

QuilomboUK is looking for a PR & Marketing Assistant, who would love to join a growing organization. Quilombo UK works with the objective to promote different arts, sports, and cultures to encourage an intercultural understanding between different communities and societies; To promote cultural awareness in the community and educate, regardless of nationality or origin, about race diversity and mutual respect; To promote good health and wellbeing; and run a community organisation with a strong focus on individuals, the community and society.

This role offers a great opportunity for the right person who is looking to; gain experience in marketing; develop their skills and management experience; or just simply ‘give something back to their community’. The role provides you flexibility and autonomy at work. Where necessary specific training will also be provided to help you develop and grow your skill set.

As a PR & Marketing Assistant at Quilombo UK, you will play a vital role in providing general marketing support while actively engaging in various marketing tasks to contribute to the overall success of our initiatives. This position offers opportunities for personal and professional development within the different units of Marketing, including Social Media, Images, Video, and Website. Your responsibilities will encompass a wide range of tasks, from data collection and report compilation to active participation in campaign organization and development. You will also be actively contributing to real-life marketing projects and playing a key role in planning, developing, and implementing effective marketing strategies. This role requires a proactive and creative individual who will promote our organization through various channels, manage social media presence, contribute to innovative marketing programs, and engage in comprehensive market research.

This role is perfect for an enthusiastic and creative individual who is eager to gain hands-on experience in various aspects of marketing, from strategic planning to social media management.

Main tasks:

• Working on real life marketing projects

• Planning, developing and implementing marketing strategies.

• Promote the organisation through Social Media channels , and through maintaining and updating information about the organisation. 

• Managing the organisation’s social media pages by posting updates and responding to comments and messages

• Submitting ideas for marketing programmes/campaigns designed to enhance and grow the company’s brand

• Organising marketing campaigns

• Creating, organising and delivering presentations 

• Conducting market research and analysing participants’ reports, questionnaires and surveys. 

• Using social media and website analytics to find out the effectiveness of ongoing campaigns and understand the way users interact with the site and social media posts. 

• Contribute to staff meetings, and other internal meetings with views and suggestions.

• Analyze information to provide actionable insights and recommendations to the Directors

• Receive and interpret briefings from the Directors, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of organizational objectives

• Develop and deliver clear and concise communication to internal and external stakeholders

• Translate briefings into actionable outcomes, coordinating with various teams and individuals

·

Training and support available:

• Social media

• Canvas

Skills:

Essential

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Attention to detail

• Flexibility and willingness to learn new skills

• Problem-solving, planning and creative-thinking skills

• Time management and prioritisation abilities

• Tactical understanding of all primary social media platforms

• Knowledge and understanding of online and offline marketing tactics

• Good Teamworking skills

• Strong organisational skills

• Numerical skills, which includes analysing and compiling spreadsheets

• Social Media skills.

• Office based skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

• Adheres to the organisation’s key objectives 

• Delivering quality work in a timely manner

• Self-driven

• Ability to multi-task and adhere to deadlines

Desirable

• Committed to working with the community with a passion for helping others less fortunate. QUILOMBO UK is dedicated to fostering an inclusive workplace environment that values diversity and promotes equality for all employees. As part of our commitment to upholding these principles, we adhere to the guidelines outlined in the Equality Act 2010. We firmly believe in creating a workplace where all individuals are respected and treated fairly. Discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated.

• Good Knowledge of market research techniques and database

• Previous experience working in an office environment, dealing with administrative tasks or using a product database.

When needed:

Willing to volunteer at least 12 hours a week, for a duration of 16 weeks as part of a Personal Development Program (PDP).

QUILOMBO UK is dedicated to fostering an inclusive workplace environment that values diversity and promotes equality for all employees. As part of our commitment to upholding these principles, we adhere to the guidelines outlined in the Equality Act 2010. We firmly believe in creating a workplace where all individuals are respected and treated fairly. Discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated.

This Is Not a Typical Content Creator Call-Out
Tell My Truth and Shame the Devil C.I.C. is building a truth-telling media engine and community-owned digital infrastructure to confront CSA, centre survivor truth, and create real economic and leadership pathways for young people. To do that, we are intentionally recruiting hundreds to thousands of content creators globally. This is not about chasing virality. This is not influencer culture. This is not one brand voice. This is about collective creation at scale, community ownership of narrative, and building systems that give many people opportunity—not just a few. If you want to contribute your creative skills to something bigger than yourself, keep reading.
 
Purpose of the Role
Volunteer Content Creators are the production engine of our Social Media Management Team.
You will help create, remix, and repurpose content that fuels:
•        Donor growth
•        Volunteer mobilisation
•        Survivor-led storytelling
•        Community trust
•        Cultural disruption
Content is created once and then reused across:
•        CIC platforms
•        Ambassador networks
•        Community organisers
•        Campaigns, education, and outreach
This role exists at scale because our strategy is scale.
 
Who We Are Calling In (Multiple Creator Types Needed)
We are intentionally recruiting creators with different strengths. You do not need to do everything.
We are looking for:
•        AI Content Creators – generating content variations, captions, visuals, and scripts using AI tools
•        Video Creators – TikTok, Reels, Shorts, YouTube (short-form and long-form)
•        Audio Creators – podcasters, musicians, sound designers
•        Visual Creators – photographers, graphic designers, infographic designers
•        Writers & Bloggers – articles, newsletters, educational content, scripts
•        Copywriters – captions, CTAs, campaign copy, landing page text
•        Scriptwriters – video, podcast, and show scripts
•        Platform-Native Creators – TikTok specialists, Instagram-first creators, YouTube editors
•        Educational Creators – teaching skills, knowledge of self, history, media literacy
•        Entertainment Creators – storytelling, humour, gaming, culture-led content
•        Brand & Community Ambassadors – creators willing to promote the CIC using approved sponsorship content
You may fit one lane or several.

Experience Qualification and Requirements

Essential experience

• Experience creating digital content on a consistent basis, meeting agreed briefs and deadlines.
• Experience working with at least one content type: video, design, writing, or AI-assisted content.
• Experience adapting content for different social media formats and platforms.
• Experience contributing to purpose-led, community-focused, or sensitive storytelling.
• Experience collaborating with creative, campaign, or insight-driven teams.

Essential skills

• Ability to produce high-quality content consistently and at scale.
• Strong understanding of social media formats, trends, and audience behaviour.
• Ability to work within brand, ethics, safeguarding, and trauma-informed frameworks.
• Openness to feedback, iteration, and collective ownership of work and outcomes.
• Strong self-management, reliability, and accountability without close supervision.
• Understanding of content as a tool for impact and change, not personal ego.

Training & qualifications

• Formal qualifications are not required.

Main Responsibilities/ Key Duties

• Produce high-volume, high-quality content consistently, aligned with campaign priorities and platform requirements.
• Repurpose long-form content (e.g. podcasts, interviews, stories) into short-form assets optimised for social platforms.
• Work within C.I.C brand guidelines, ethical standards, safeguarding requirements, and trauma-informed frameworks at all times.
• Submit all content for approval, structured storage, tagging, and future reuse in line with C.I.C workflows.
• Collaborate closely with the Social Media Director, Campaign Managers, Analysts, and Automators to align content with strategy, insight, and distribution.
• Contribute creative ideas, concepts, and improvements, not just output, supporting experimentation and continuous improvement.

This role is not suitable if you:

• Need immediate income
• Want a low-commitment volunteer role
• Are only looking for exposure
• Prefer to work alone without feedback
• Are uncomfortable with heavy or sensitive subject matter

Important to Be Clear:

• A volunteer role within a Community Interest Company
• Unpaid during the build phase
• Not a replacement for paid employment
• Paid opportunities will be introduced as the organisation becomes financially sustainable.

Next Steps:

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to:

• A values-led conversation
• A practical discussion about content, storytelling, and donor engagement

If you believe that words can transform communities, and that authentic storytelling drives action, this role is for you.

A Final Word
Words carry weight.
They can heal or harm.

If you know that:

• Survivor stories deserve care, not clicks
• Donors deserve honesty, not spin
• Communication is part of safeguarding

Do you want to make a genuine difference in the lives of children and young people? Volunteer with our award-winning charity as a Qualifying/Qualified Therapist and help bring compassionate, accessible support to those who need it most.

We are currently recruiting for trainee or qualified therapist placements for our Express Plus arts therapy service. Express Plus offers creative, client-led therapy for children and young people aged 7–18 (or up to 25 where additional needs are present). The service runs during term-time only, with sessions held after school in Family Hubs located in the three most deprived wards of Westminster. We work within a community setting and place a strong emphasis on reflective, responsive practice.

To apply, candidates must be in the 2nd year of, or have completed, one of the following training courses:

• Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy
• Systemic/Family therapy
• Counselling and Psychotherapy 
• Art Psychotherapy 
• Play therapy

This placement is also suitable for qualified therapists working towards professional accreditation. 

Further details and how to apply can be found in the attached Placement Pack. 

Applications close at 9.a.m. Monday 23rd February 2026

Location: Home-based but with regular travel, including to periodic board meetings in London or other locations within the UK

This is an opportunity to chair a charity transforming lives by helping more people experience the positive impact of learning. You can help shape the future of this remarkable charity and lead the Board of Shannon Trust to broaden, deepen and mature what we deliver.

Who we are

Picture this: a person in prison who struggles with literacy and numeracy reads their first sentence, they write their first letter home to their children or completes their first numeracy task. They begin to imagine a future beyond the prison walls.

This is what happens when someone learns with Shannon Trust, and it happens thousands of times each year across prisons in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Currently, 65% of people in prison can’t read, or struggle to. Even more struggle with numeracy.

These are not just statistics; they represent people who have been locked out of opportunity, who struggle with daily tasks, such as helping their children with homework or filling out a job application. At Shannon Trust, we believe everyone deserves the chance to learn, and that literacy and numeracy skills help build the foundations upon which people can rebuild their lives.

Where we are now

Shannon Trust has experienced remarkable growth over recent years. We have gone from a team of twelve people to one hundred staff today, supported by a volunteer base that brings us close to 250 people working to change lives through learning. The core of what we do is one-to-one peer mentoring in prisons. In 2025 alone, more than 11,000 learners used our reading and numeracy programmes, with 2,000 new volunteer peer-mentors trained to support them. We work in around one hundred prisons across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, delivering our Turning Pages reading programme and Count Me In numeracy programme. We are increasing our reach into the community, too. This growth is the result of sustained focus, strong relationships with funders who believe in our work, and the proven impact of our peer-led learning model.

What we are looking for

We are looking for a Chair who is strongly motivated by our cause, with a genuine empathy for the people we serve and a commitment to the person-centred language and inclusive thinking which are woven into everything we do. You will bring an engaged and engaging leadership style, have resilience and a personal gravitas.

You will be someone who is comfortable with complexity as we shape our organisation for the next chapter of our development. You will understand the importance of process, culture, and effective operations as the means of delivering a successful strategy and sustaining an organisation.

You will be someone who can help us be better advocates whether that is supporting our Chief Executive to build relationships with policymakers, helping us think through how we position ourselves in the education and criminal justice landscape, or using your own networks to create opportunities for Shannon Trust to influence and inform. We need a Chair who sees advocacy as part of the role.

Most importantly, our new Chair must be a strong partner for our CEO, a mentor, challenger and support.

Please click 'Redirect to recruiter’ to be redirected to the Peridot Partners website, where you can find full details of the candidate profile and register your interest to apply.
Applications for this role close at 9.a.m. Monday 23rd February 2026

Release Counselling and Therapy for Women (Release) is a small charity in Sussex with a big impact and have been supporting the mental health of thousands of women, since 2013. We specialise in supporting the mental health of women at key moments in their lives from parenting to peri/menopause.

Founded in 2013, our charity is led by women, for women. Women are at the highest risk of suicide up to a year after giving birth and during perimenopause. And we provide mental health support for women at these key times in their lives.

We offer therapeutic groups for mums and birthing parents and women in midlife, along with wellbeing days and a women’s one-to-one online counselling service.

As a small evolving charity, we work closely as a team and there are opportunities to help shape our future.

To help our mission, we are looking to appoint a Trustee with experience in clinical work such as counselling or social work to oversee the safeguarding of our charity.

* This post is only open to female applicants as being female is deemed to be a genuine occupational requirement under Schedule 9, Paragraph 1 of the Equality Act 2010.

The successful candidate will join a highly regarded women-led, women-centred, and trauma-informed charity.

Responsibilities 

The Board and CEO meet quarterly for Board meetings and once for an annual strategy day in Brighton.

The safeguarding trustee works closely with the CEO, the designated safeguarding lead, to ensure our organisation’s strategic plans reflect safeguarding legislation, regulations specific to our activities, statutory guidance, and the safeguarding expectations of the Charities Commission.

The role will help champion a safeguarding culture across the organisation, ensuring there are regular reviews, training, and that policies and the risk register are up to date, alongside advising on any safeguarding concerns that arise.

There are also other opportunities to get involved with fundraising events, speaking at conferences, and each Trustee takes on a committee lead role, in their area of expertise, taking an oversight of that area.

What difference will you make? 

Your support will help improve the mental health and wellbeing of women by reducing isolation and empowering women to bring about positive change in their lives.

Person Specification 

Essential

 · Qualified clinical practitioner such as counsellor, psychologist or social worker accredited by a recognised body such as BACP, UKCP, BABCP, BPS or HCPC

· Current DBS check or willing to have one carried out

· Experience in overseeing and leading safeguarding procedures within an organisation

· Experience working with female clients with a range of issues

· Understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of trusteeship

· Good communication and leadership skills

· A team-oriented approach to problem solving and to management.

Desirable 

· Dedicated to the organisation’s cause and objectives and willing to act as the charity’s ambassador to external bodies, charities and companies.

The Opportunity: Fund the Prevention of Burnout  we are developing a predictive wellbeing platform that uses AI and psychological science to predict employee burnout 2-4 weeks before it occurs. We equip managers and organisations with the real-time, data-driven interventions needed to prevent mental health crises, boost team engagement, and reduce costly turnover.

We are currently seeking an experienced volunteer to help us transition from a founder-funded model to a strategically-funded one. Your work will directly secure the capital needed to hire full-time developers and scale our pilots, fundamentally determining our ability to launch and serve the community.

What We Need You To Deliver (Scoped Project):

We are seeking expertise on the UK/EU funding landscape to deliver the following over 10-12 weeks:

1. Grant Strategy & Mapping (Weeks 1-4):

   • Map the UK/EU funding landscape for HealthTech, employee wellbeing, and social innovation.

   • Prioritize 5-7 realistic, high-value grant opportunities (e.g., Innovate UK, Wellcome Trust, or relevant foundations).

   • Advise on our ideal funding positioning (Social Enterprise vs. Charity) for UK funders.

2. Proposal Drafting (Weeks 5-12):

   • Collaborate with our team to draft and refine 1-2 major grant proposals based on the prioritized opportunities.

   • Draft compelling narratives that articulate our technology, scientific methodology, and measurable social impact (e.g., healthcare cost reduction, engagement gains).

What We Provide for Success:

• Dedicated Team: Work directly with the Founder and our Chief Behavioural Psychologist.

• Ready-Made Content: Full technical and impact documentation, including predictive modeling data and quantified ROI (e.g., proven 21-22% productivity gains from engagement).

• Clear Vision: A passionate, evidence-based team dedicated to moving beyond "wellness fluff" to real, preventative action.

Time Commitment & Compensation:

• Time Commitment: Flexible, estimated 6-8 hours per week for a 10-12 week project.

• Compensation: This is a pro bono position, but we offer a commitment to a success-based reward:

  • We are open to discussing a success fee (e.g., 5-10% of funds raised) or equity to be paid/granted once funding is successfully secured.

  • Exceptional performance will lead to a strong professional reference and priority consideration for a part-time paid Fundraising Lead role when funding allows.

Who We Are Looking For:

• 3+ years experience in successful grant writing for charities, social enterprises, or innovative startups.

• Strong knowledge of the UK/EU grant and foundation landscape (particularly for mental health, tech, or social impact).

• A proven track record of securing funding (please detail your successes in your application).

• A belief in the power of preventative technology to solve the employee burnout crisis.

To Apply: Please submit your CV and a brief note outlining your relevant track record and which UK funders you would prioritize first for a HealthTech/Wellbeing non-profit.

Are you passionate about community health and the vital link between food, nutrition and health inequalities? Edinburgh Community Food is seeking committed individuals to join our Board of Trustees and help drive lasting change.

As a trustee, you’ll support strategic direction, ensure good governance, and contribute to our mission of making nutrition accessible and reducing health inequalities.

Now is an exciting time to get involved. We’re one year into our five-year strategy, Equity in Nutrition, and preparing to celebrate our 30th anniversary in 2026. We have a very skilled and motivated Board, and an effective Leadership Team in place led by Brenda Black, CEO, who is driving change and transformation.

Edinburgh Community Food is a registered charity and Company Limited by Guarantee. Trustees (Directors) oversee financial and operational performance, support and challenge the Management Team, and help bring our vision to life.

As we grow our impact, we are seeking new trustees who bring expertise and passion to help us navigate the next stage of our journey.

We are particularly looking for individuals with experience in one or more of the following areas:

Financial Leadership
Strong financial acumen to guide strategic decisions, ensure robust governance, and help us plan for sustainable growth.

Procurement & Contracting
Knowledge of public and private sector contracting to support us in securing new partnerships and delivering value through ethical, efficient procurement.

Sustainable Practices
Insight into sustainable sourcing, production, and distribution, carbon literacy or climate change to help us champion practices that protect the planet while promoting healthier diets.

Who We’re Looking For
We’re looking for people who:

• Are effective communicators with strong interpersonal skills
• Can work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders
• Are willing to contribute time, expertise, and energy to board activities, sub-committees, and working groups

Edinburgh Community Food create accessible and inclusive communities, and this continues to our Director appointments. We invite anyone with lived experience in the areas of our work, people from marginalised and under-represented communities, or anyone who is passionate about food and health inequalities and making a difference in your community to get in touch.

The Commitment

We’re looking for people who will;

• Prepare for, attend, and actively participate in monthly online board meetings. A quarter of which are in-person.
• Contribute fully to one or more committees or sub-groups.
• Attend events run by Edinburgh Community Food e.g. our Annual General Meeting, Community Events, as well as supporting the broader activity of the organisation from time to time.
• Share their skills and experience for the benefit of the organisation either by delivering tasks, or knowledge sharing.

In return, we offer the chance to join an inclusive and collaborative board, with access to networking and training opportunities. You’ll play a key role in driving change—helping to make Healthier Food, Healthier Lives, and Healthier Futures the norm in Edinburgh and beyond.