Volunteer roles in Livingston

About the Role

We are Buttons & Bubbles C.I.C and our mission is to increase inclusion and representation for the disability community across society. We offer a variety of services including bespoke characters, workshops, free resources, events, sensory trails, and more.

We are looking for volunteers to help us apply for and secure funding to support our valuable work. This role can be done remotely, with no fixed rota, and the amount of time you give is flexible.

Who Are We Looking For?

• Interested in fundraising or securing funding

• May have experience in the community or charity sector

• May have a legal or corporate background

• Willingness to learn, motivated, and proactive

• Organised and detail-oriented

• Positive attitude and collaborative

What Do We Expect?

• Willingness to undertake our virtual training programme at a time convenient to you

• Have a basic DBS check (preferably on the update system) or be willing to complete one with us

• Sign our volunteer contract (we are happy to discuss reasonable adjustments if needed)

• A positive and inclusive attitude toward disability and illness

What Can You Expect?

• A supportive, kind, and nurturing team that values its volunteers

• Flexibility – contribute at times that suit you

• Supportive approach to accessibility and accommodations

Benefits of Volunteering with Buttons & Bubbles C.I.C.

• Make a tangible difference in your community

• Develop skills in fundraising, research, and grant applications

• Enhance your CV and demonstrate reliability to future employers

• Explore new areas of interest and take on additional tasks if desired

• Build confidence while contributing to meaningful work

About the Role 

We are Buttons & Bubbles C.I.C. We aim to increase inclusion and representation for the disabled community across society. We have several different services including bespoke characters, workshops, free resources, events, sensory trails and more. 

As we continue to grow, we are on a mission to make finding and accessing information around everything to do with disability easier. Hence, we're putting together a brand-new team of volunteers who are passionate about content and using the power of social media for good

Who Are We Looking For?

·Someone who is passionate about our mission of inclusion, representation, and belonging.

·Having social media skills is helpful, but enthusiasm for creating and editing content, building online communities, and supporting our digital presence is essential.

·You should enjoy research, taking on challenges, and bringing a creative mindset to your work.

·Be willing to learn or have knowledge of editing and posting videos.

·Be able to support our online initiatives while collaborating with our team.

What Do We Expect?

·Must be willing to undertake our training programme, which will be completed virtually at a time that suits you.

·Have a DBS check (preferably be on the update service) or be willing to complete one with us.

·Sign our volunteer contract. (If you disagree with anything in it, please discuss it with us; we’re happy to make small changes where appropriate.)

·Have a positive attitude toward disability and illness.

Benefits of Volunteering with Buttons & Bubbles C.I.C 

·Make a difference in your community. 

·Have a positive impact on people’s lives. 

· Develop your current skills and gain new ones. 

· Demonstrate your commitment and reliability to future employers. 

· Show your ability to balance and manage your time effectively. 

· Build your confidence. 

· Explore new areas of interest by taking on additional tasks if you wish. 

Join the pack. Lend a hand. Change lives. Join your local fundraising group as a volunteer.

Are you looking for a volunteering opportunity where you can meet new people and raise funds that will change lives?  Join a Guide Dogs group near you for fun, fundraising and four-legged friends.

Did you know it costs £102,000 to raise, train, and support a guide dog from birth to retirement.

We have a range of roles from being a group member, to taking on a lead role such as Group Coordinator, Deputy Coordinator, Treasurer, Merchandise Coordinator or Collection Box Coordinator.

Why become a fundraising volunteer:

As well as making a huge difference to people’s lives, volunteering with your local Guide Dogs fundraising group is a great way to spend some of your free time and give back.

• Inspire people to support Guide Dogs and make a difference to someone with sight loss.
• Have fun finding new events and places to volunteer at.
• You’ll meet lots of special dogs – from young puppies in training to incredible guide dogs in partnership.
• You’ll empower others to get involved with Guide Dogs.
• You’ll learn new skills and we’ll provide all the training you need for your role.
• You can take on as much or as little as you want, and you can fit the role around your other commitments.

Who you are:

We appreciate our volunteers’ passion and energy, but we also value your unique skills, perspectives and personalities.

• Inspire others: Do you have lots of ideas that could motivate others? We need more inspirational volunteer leaders and fundraisers who can bring their energy and unique perspective to our local fundraising groups.

• Bring your skills: Could you help organise a calendar of events, take care of ordering merchandise, or count the funds raised by your local team? We need more volunteer treasurers, secretaries, and merchandise coordinators to support our fundraising groups.

• Help take Guide Dogs into your community: Are you well connected or do you love going to new places and meeting new people? We need more volunteer fundraisers to help at our events and spread the word about our work.

Training and pre-agreed expenses available.

Visit our webiste to see what roles are available where you live. 

Are you a dog lover with room in your home to look after a dog during evenings and weekends? This could be the perfect role for you!

As a Training Dog Fosterer, you’ll provide a loving temporary home to a dog in training, typically for a period of 12 to 20 weeks, as they begin their journey to become a guide dog. You’ll get to see the progress your furry companion is making in their training and be a vital part of their journey, without the commitment of looking after a dog full time.

What you’ll be doing:

In this rewarding role, your support for a guide dog in training will include:

• Doing the school run for your dog in training! This will typically involve dropping them off and picking them up at an agreed time Monday to Friday at one of our regional centres or community teams, however, some sites may vary. There are some locations where we will be able to collect and return the training dog from your home. 
• Caring for your dog in your home such as feeding, grooming, free running and playing, following the advice of our expert staff.
• Helping your dog keep up with their training by reinforcing the techniques at home from our first-class training programme.
• Making sure your dog is not left alone for more than four hours in a 24-hour period. If you’re planning on going on holiday, let us know at your initial phone call so we can plan alternative cover for your future life changer.

Can I foster a dog?

If you’re hoping to foster a guide dog in training, here’s what we ideally look for:

• Being close to one of our regional centres or community teams so that your dog can get to their training. 
• The agreement of your landlord to have a dog in your home if you rent your home.
• A safe and secure area outside for the dog to go to the toilet.

However, we try to be flexible – for example, you’ll still be able to foster a dog if you live in London, even if you don’t have access to outside space. 

What you’ll get:

• The opportunity to have a lovable canine companion!
• The satisfaction in knowing you’re supporting people with sight loss to live actively, independently, and well.
• The rewarding feeling of seeing your dog learn new training techniques to help them develop into a guide dog.
• An insight into our bespoke world-class training programme so that your dog’s training stays consistent at home, which can also help you train your own dogs or advance in a future career in dog handling.
• 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

You’ll attend a training workshop to understand the basics of our bespoke training techniques so you can confidently support your dog’s training at home. You’ll also receive ongoing guidance from your volunteer manager. If you have questions about the training requirements, we can answer these at your initial phone call 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 volunteering with us, including veterinary costs, dog food costs and other materials needed for your dog’s training.

Minimum age for volunteer is 18.

We also have a respite fosterer role available in some areas, where a dog would stay with you full time before moving on to the next stage of its journey.

Please check out our website to see what roles are available where you live.

Are you a dog lover? Do you have the time to help raise a life-changing puppy? Would you like to make a difference to someone's life? If you've answered yes to these questions, then this role could be perfect for you! 

As a Puppy Raiser, you'll provide a 6-8 week-old puppy with the vital foundation for its future role as a guide dog. You'll be looking after a puppy for 12-16 months and will guide him or her through training, socialisation, the introduction of new environments and experiences while providing a loving home.

There might be the odd chewed slipper along the way, but nothing beats the rewarding feeling of loving and raising a puppy who will go on to make an enormous difference to someone living with sight loss.

What you'll be doing:

• Engaging with our world-class training programme to prepare your puppy for the next stages of becoming a guide dog.
• Providing care and support for your puppy at home e.g., loving, grooming and feeding him or her. 
• Socialising your puppy and introducing him or her to a variety of environments to increase confidence – this can be as simple as taking your puppy with you to the shops, office or park as you go about your everyday life.
• Teaching your puppy to be comfortable alone - gradually building up from a few minutes to a maximum of four hours.
• Taking your puppy to monthly puppy classes, and interacting with other puppy raisers in your community whilst refreshing your training and sharing tips.
• Meeting with your volunteer manager as frequently as needed to discuss any changes or issues with your puppy.
• Completing short questionnaires about your puppy’s development.

You'll ideally have:

• A loving home with enough time to invest in raising a puppy and attending to their needs (e.g. toilet training). If you work from home or have hobbies, you'll need to be available to give the puppy regular attention alongside these.
• Someone at home who is physically able to handle large breed dogs (around 25-40kg).
• Access to a car, so that you can get your puppy used to travelling.
• The agreement of your landlord to have a dog in the property if you rent your home. 
• A safe secure area outside for your puppy to go to the toilet.

What you'll get:

• The satisfaction of knowing you're supporting people with sight loss to live actively, independently, and well.
• The rewarding feeling of watching a mischievous puppy learn new training techniques to help them develop into a guide dog.
• The opportunity to participate in our bespoke world-class training programme – this can help you train your own dogs or advance a future career in dog handling.
• The opportunity to have a loveable, canine companion, proven to reduce feelings of stress and improve fitness – you’ll be out walking rain or shine!
• The chance to be part of the inspirational Guide Dogs community, meeting like-minded people and interacting with a community of puppy raisers in your area.
• A dedicated volunteer manager and fellow peers who will help support you throughout your role.

s a volunteer you'll have access to our world-class training programme, to implement with your puppy in training, a great bonus for any dog owner! This is delivered in an interactive and engaging manner, using a mixture of different learning techniques virtually e.g., videos, documents and e-learning modules. Examples of the modules you'll have access to include:

• Food manners
• Greeting new visitors
• Being home alone
• Settling in new environments

You'll receive plenty of support from your volunteer manager who will help you work through these training modules with your puppy. We also offer puppy classes for puppy raisers in the local area to get together, share stories and provide refreshers on training techniques. 

Volunteering for Guide Dogs should never leave you out of pocket. We’ll make sure we pay any pre-agreed expenses related to volunteering with us, including veterinary costs, food costs for the puppy and other materials needed for the puppy’s training. We will also pay an optional allowance of up to £100 a year to offset additional costs, and we have working agreements with certain bus and train operating companies, letting you take your puppy on short training journeys free of charge.

Minimum age of applicant: 18.

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

About Us

The New Normal are a growing charity whose mission is to change the way we discuss our grief, mental health and wellbeing in open and honest spaces. We believe that nobody should ever feel isolated, and there is always someone who will relate to your story. “If there’s one, there’s two.”

We run free virtual and in-person peer support meetings for adults facing life’s difficult moments, particularly bereavement. 

The Opportunity

Are you passionate about using social media for good? This is your chance to use your skills to support people through one of life's most difficult experiences.

You'll help us spread our message that nobody should face grief alone, connect people to our free virtual and in-person peer support meetings, and grow an online community built on openness and compassion. You'll receive regular check-ins and guidance from a dedicated Volunteer Coordinator, free safeguarding training, and a reference letter upon completion, all while building real, meaningful experience in the rewarding charity sector.

This role is ideal for students, recent graduates, or career changers looking to build experience in charity communications or digital media.

What You'll Do

• Create social media posts in line with our brand tone: inclusive, warm, and sensitive to the subject of bereavement
• Schedule and post updates about weekly peer support meetings and events
• Help plan simple campaigns or awareness posts around key dates (Mental Health Awareness Week, Grief Awareness Week, World Suicide Prevention Day, etc.)
• Contribute creative ideas to help our mission reach more people online
• Communicate regularly with your coordinator and flag any challenges early

What We're Looking For

• Someone who can commit to the full 6-month term (potential to extend)
• Reliable, communicative, and respectful of sensitive subject matter
• An interest in mental health, bereavement support, or nonprofit communications
• Confidence using social media (Instagram)
• Comfortable working independently with light supervision and taking initiative

What You'll Gain

• Valuable experience in charity communications and social media management
• Free safeguarding, peer support and Suicide First Aid (lite) training worth £500 (a great addition to your CV)
• A reference letter or LinkedIn recommendation upon successful completion
• Regular mentorship, support, and a welcoming volunteer community
• The chance to make a genuine difference for people navigating challenging circumstances

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive volunteer community and actively welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, particularly those from global majority and gender marginalised groups.

Puppy Raiser Volunteers Needed

Could you welcome a puppy into your home and support the early stages of their journey?

Autism Dogs Charity is looking for caring puppy raiser volunteers to provide safe, loving homes for puppies while they begin their early development.

Placements can be up to 8–10 months when a dog is placed as a puppy. During this time, you’ll help with day-to-day care, routine, socialisation and gentle early learning, with guidance from our team.

We’re based in Cheshire, but puppy raisers can live anywhere in England.

What’s provided?
Food, essential equipment and key supplies are provided, along with support from Autism Dogs Charity.

Could you help?

About CBM UK 

CBM UK works alongside people with disabilities in some of the world’s poorest places, partnering with civil society to catalyse change where it is needed most. As part of a Global Disability Inclusion Federation, CBM works together with fantastic local partners and Organisations of People with Disabilities to deliver programmes, advise development actors on inclusive approaches and advocate for change in 12 countries to break the cycle of poverty and disability. We’re seeking to change systems that keep people with disabilities marginalised. 

This is a pivotal time to join our team, as CBM UK approaches the start of a new strategic period where we will boldly aim to shift power, scale impact, sustain growth and inspire others to support and champion disability inclusion for all.

About the Chair opportunity

The Board of Trustees is responsible for overall governance and strategic direction of CBM UK, developing CBM UK’s aims, objectives and goals in accordance with its governing documents, and legal regulatory requirements.

Our Board is engaged, inclusive, and globally representative, and supports a high-performing senior leadership team. We are seeking a Chair to build-on our strengths and facilitate our teams to forge connections and expand opportunities for CBM UK. This is an exciting opportunity to transform lives and build a more inclusive world for everyone, everywhere.

We are seeking a new Chair of Trustees who can bring the following experience and capabilities to the role:

Experience

• Experience as a Trustee or Chair of a Board; 
• Ability and willingness to open doors and maximise networking opportunities with strategic and funding partners, with a focus on innovating for a more inclusive world now and in the future;
• Understanding of the type of work undertaken by CBM UK e.g. international development, human rights, business, government, civil society and other not for profit sectors; 
• Experience raising significant funds from private sector sources; for example institutional funds, impact investment, corporate trusts, private trusts.
• Experience of successfully using influence to bring about a result for an organisation or cause. 

Are you passionate about standing alongside women who have been pushed to the margins and confident you can help bring in the funding that keeps that work alive?

Women on the Frontline Ministries (WOFM) is a registered charity supporting women who have experienced domestic abuse, sexual exploitation through street-based prostitution, trafficking and other vulnerabilities. We offer outreach, a weekly drop-in, casework and relationship-based support to women who are too often neglected and stigmatised. We are looking for an experienced, motivated volunteer fundraiser to help us grow our income, raise awareness of the women we serve, and make sure this work can continue.

About us

WOFM exists to bring dignity, safety and hope to vulnerable and exploited women in East London. Our work is practical and relational: meeting women where they are, building trust over time, and walking with them towards a more stable future. We are a small, dynamic team making a real and lasting difference and our reach depends on the generosity of those who fund it.

The role

As our Volunteer Fundraiser, you will help shape and deliver our fundraising strategy and turn it into real income. You will be a key part of securing the resources that sustain and grow our frontline support for women. This is a hands-on role for someone who enjoys both planning and doing — and who wants their skills to count for something that matters.

What you'll do

• Help develop and deliver WOFM’s fundraising strategy and annual income goals.

• Research and identify funding opportunities — grants, trusts, foundations, corporate partners and community giving.

• Support the writing and submission of compelling funding applications and proposals.

• Help plan and run fundraising initiatives, appeals and awareness campaigns.

• Build and nurture relationships with donors, supporters and local partners.

• Help raise the profile of WOFM and the plight of the women we serve.

• Work closely with the Board and team to track progress and report on results.

What we're looking for

• Experience in fundraising, bid writing, income generation or a closely related field.

• A genuine passion for our cause and the women at the heart of our work.

• Strong written and relationship-building skills, with the confidence to make the ask.

• A strategic mindset paired with the drive to follow through and get things done.

• Self-motivated, organised and able to work both independently and as part of a team.

• An understanding of, or willingness to work within, a values-led charitable setting.

What you'll gain

• The chance to use your skills for a cause that genuinely changes lives.

• A meaningful role with real influence over the future of our work.

• The support of a warm, committed team who care deeply about what they do.

• Experience and connections within the charity and fundraising sector.

Practical details

• Type: Voluntary, unpaid with reasonable agreed expenses reimbursed.

• Time commitment: Flexible, approximately 4-8 ours per month, by arrangement.

• Location: Remote, with some involvement in East London by agreement.

If you would like to use your fundraising experience to help marginalised women find dignity, safety and hope, we would love to hear from you.

The Vacancy

This voluntary role offers an opportunity to help ensure that Methodist investments are in line with our values and shape a more just world.  As a member of the Joint Advisory Committee on the Ethics of Investment (JACEI), you would help advise the Central Finance Board, the body with legal responsibility for investment, on ethical issues, for example around climate, conflict, children, human rights or AI. 

Time Commitment

The time commitment is approximately 3 - 4 days each year, to include: preparation for and presence at JACEI committee meetings which take place four times a year, usually from 12.30pm - 3.30pm, and can be on zoom or in person at Methodist Church House, as well as other meetings, reading or correspondence as appropriate.

About You

We are looking for an experienced, committed person who has transferable skills.  This individual will:

• Be a member in good standing of the Methodist Church in Britain
• Be able to bring expertise or experience to the work of the committee.  This may be in ethics, business or theology, or in one of the areas of concern to the committee, for example human rights, climate or AI.  Such understanding may be gained through academic study, professional practice, voluntary activity, or lived experience.
• Be able to absorb details and think strategically
• Be curious and committed to ethical investment
• Be able to work as part of a team

If you meet most of the requirements, we encourage you to apply; transferable skills and experience will also be taken into consideration.

Informal Enquiries

For an informal conversation about the role, please contact Revd Sheryl Anderson, Chair of JACEI. For questions or reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please contact HR Team.

Key Dates

Closing date:12 July 2026

Shortlisting date: 21 July 2026

Interview date (online): 29 July 2026

Please note: We reserve the right to close this advert early if sufficient applications are received. 

MumsAid is an award-winning charity providing specialist mental health and wellbeing support for mothers during pregnancy and early motherhood. We offer counselling, group support, and practical help to ensure that local mums and their families have access to compassionate care and a strong community network. 

Purpose of Role 

We are looking for a creative and enthusiastic Digital Content and Social Media Volunteer to support MumsAid's marketing and communications activities. 

Working closely with our Marketing & Communications Lead, you'll help bring our stories, campaigns, events, and impact to life through engaging social media content. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys creating digital content, has an eye for design, and wants to use their skills to support a meaningful cause. 

This is a flexible, remote volunteering opportunity and an excellent chance to gain experience in charity communications, build a portfolio, and help raise awareness of maternal mental health and the support available through MumsAid. 

What will you be doing? 

• Creating engaging social media graphics and content using a content calendar provided by the Marketing & Communications Lead. 

• Designing visual assets that align with MumsAid's brand guidelines and campaign objectives. 

• Adapting content for different social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and other channels as required. 

• Working collaboratively with the Marketing & Communications Lead to develop and refine content ideas. 

• Helping to communicate MumsAid's impact, services, events, campaigns, and fundraising activities. 

• Ensuring content is created and shared within agreed timeframes. 

• Contributing creative ideas to help increase engagement, reach, and awareness across our social media channels. 

• Following MumsAid's policies and procedures, including safeguarding, confidentiality, and data protection guidance. 

What skills and qualities can you bring? 

Essential 

• Creativity and enthusiasm for social media and digital communications. 

• Strong visual design skills and a good eye for layout, branding, and presentation. 

• Good written communication skills and attention to detail. 

• Ability to work independently and manage a small weekly workload. 

• Reliable and able to meet agreed deadlines. 

• Supportive of equality, diversity, and inclusion. 

• Respectful of confidentiality and personal boundaries. 

Desirable 

• Experience using Canva or similar design tools. 

• Understanding of social media platforms and current content trends. 

• Previous experience creating content for charities, community groups, organisations, or personal projects. 

• An interest in maternal mental health, family wellbeing, or the voluntary sector. 

What is in it for me? 

• Join a friendly, welcoming, and supportive volunteer team. 

• Gain valuable experience in charity marketing, communications, and content creation. 

• Build your portfolio with real-world content and campaigns. 

• Develop your creative, design, and digital marketing skills. 

• Receive induction, training, and ongoing support from the MumsAid team. 

• Gain experience working within an award-winning charity. 

• Written references available on request. 

• Reimbursement of agreed travel expenses where applicable (with receipts). 

• DBS check provided by MumsAid if required. 

Join the team! 
Help us tell the stories that matter. By volunteering as a Digital Content & Social Media Creator, you'll play an important role in raising awareness of maternal mental health and ensuring more mums and families know that support is available when they need it most.

Volunteer Graphic Designer

Shape our visual identity. Bring our mission to life. Inspire Londoners to unlock their potential.

London is full of talent — but too many adults from socio‑economically disadvantaged backgrounds never get the chance to show it. Confidence, opportunity and access to the workplace can feel out of reach.

Unlock YOUR Potential is here to change that.

We’re building a new charity dedicated to giving adults the skills, tools, opportunities and confidence they need to thrive long‑term in the workplace. And now, at this exciting moment, we’re searching for a Volunteer Graphic Designer to help us create a brand identity that reflects hope, empowerment and possibility.

This isn’t just a design role. It’s your chance to visually shape a movement.

Why This Role Matters

Our brand will be the first thing people see — the spark that tells adults, volunteers, partners and funders:

“You belong here. You can grow here. Your future matters.”

We’ve created a starting‑point logo using an AI platform, but now we need a talented designer to:

• Refine it

• Build a cohesive visual identity

• Create brand guidelines

• Produce assets in multiple formats

• Help us communicate our mission with clarity, warmth and energy

Your creativity will help us inspire confidence, dignity and hope in every adult we support.

What You’ll Do

As our Volunteer Graphic Designer, you will lead the creation of our visual identity from the ground up.

You will:

• Take our AI‑generated logo and develop it into a polished, professional brand asset

• Create multiple logo formats (colour, mono, transparent, social media, print‑ready etc.)

• Develop a full brand identity system — colours, typography, icons, patterns, imagery style

• Produce brand guidelines that reflect our uplifting, empowering mission

• Create templates for social media, presentations, documents and marketing materials

• Ensure our visual identity feels positive, inclusive and motivating

• Help shape how the world sees and understands our charity

Your work will become the visual foundation of a charity designed to transform lives.

What You’ll Gain

This role offers creativity, purpose and portfolio‑building opportunities.

You’ll gain:

• Experience shaping the brand identity of a new charity

• A strong portfolio piece with real‑world social impact

• Creative freedom to build something meaningful from scratch

• A close working relationship with the Founder and leadership team

• The fulfilment of knowing your work inspires and uplifts people across London

This is the kind of project that stands out — and makes a difference.

Who You Are

You’re someone who:

• Loves creating positive, uplifting and meaningful design

• Has experience in graphic design, branding or visual identity

• Enjoys turning ideas into clear, beautiful visual systems

• Wants to use your creativity for social good

• Believes in equality, opportunity and empowering others

• Can give a few hours a week to help shape a charity with huge potential

You don’t need decades of experience — just talent, passion and a desire to create impact.

Your Impact

Your design work will help:

• Inspire adults to believe in their potential

• Attract volunteers who want to make a difference

• Build trust with partners, funders and communities

• Communicate our mission with clarity and confidence

• Create a brand that feels warm, hopeful and empowering

Your creativity becomes part of someone’s journey toward a brighter future.

Ready to design a brand that transforms lives?

If you’re passionate about design and excited by the idea of helping build a charity from the ground up, we’d love to hear from you.

• Shape our identity.
• Bring our mission to life.
• Help London unlock its potential.

Join us as our Volunteer Graphic Designer — and create a brand that inspires change.

Board Trustees

Voluntary, unpaid role (expenses paid)
Quarterly online meetings + one in-person strategy meeting annually

Help shape the future of local government

For more than 40 years, LGIU has been a trusted partner to local government. We empower councils with the capabilities, practical insight and connections they need to lead change and build thriving communities.

Today, local government is operating in an environment of accelerating change and unprecedented complexity. Councils are navigating deepening financial pressures, rising demand across frontline services, structural reform, political volatility and widening inequalities, often simultaneously. These are not isolated challenges and they cannot be solved through piecemeal or one-size-fits-all approaches.

At LGIU, we believe national success is built on strong local foundations. We also believe the future of local government will be shaped not by institutions working alone, but through collaboration, innovation and shared leadership across the sector.

That is why we are seeking up to five external Trustees to join our Board and help guide the next phase of LGIU.

About LGIU

LGIU is a non-partisan membership organisation and registered charity working with more than 260 councils across the UK and internationally. We are an independent voice for local government and a leading hub for ideas, research, practical intelligence and sector collaboration.

We help councils:

• Make sense of emerging trends and policy change

• Learn from peers facing similar challenges

• Build organisational capability and resilience

• Co-create solutions to complex problems

• Shape national debates and reform agendas

Our work spans research, policy, events, international learning, leadership support and cross-sector partnerships. Increasingly, our focus is on helping local government move from complexity to clarity to action.

The opportunity

LGIU is owned and governed by its members.  The current Board is composed of leaders and other senior elected members from our membership. As part of a set of wider governance changes, we are now seeking to augment our board with up to five external trustees.

As an external Trustee, you will join a collaborative and ambitious Board responsible for the strategic direction, governance and long-term sustainability of the charity and its subsidiaries. You will work alongside fellow trustees, the Chief Executive and Chief Operating Officer to help ensure LGIU continues to evolve, grow and deliver meaningful impact for councils and communities.

We are particularly interested in individuals who can bring strategic insight, external perspective and senior leadership experience in one or more of the following priority areas:

Public sector system leadership: Current or former senior leaders from local government, the NHS or wider public services, with experience of leading complex organisations through change, reform and uncertainty.

Business model development and commercialisation: Experience of organisational growth, partnerships, income diversification, membership models, commercial strategy or sustainable business development.

Technology and innovation: Expertise in digital transformation, AI, innovation, product development, technology-enabled change or future-focused organisational leadership.

These areas reflect the Board’s agreed strategic priorities as LGIU continues to evolve its model, expand its reach and strengthen its role as a partner for change across the sector.

We would also welcome candidates with expertise in communications and marketing, workforce development, research, membership organisations or international collaboration.

What we are looking for

We are seeking people who:

• Care deeply about the future of local government and local democracy

• Bring strategic thinking, sound judgement and curiosity

• Are comfortable navigating complexity and change

• Can contribute constructively to governance and strategic discussions

• Understand collaboration, partnership and systems leadership

• Are committed to inclusive leadership and diverse perspectives

Previous trustee experience is welcome but not essential.

We are committed to building a Board that reflects the diversity of the communities that local government serves, and we strongly encourage applications from underrepresented groups.

Time commitment

This is a voluntary, unpaid role.

The expected commitment includes:

• Four quarterly online Board meetings each year

• One annual face-to-face strategy meeting or away day

• Reading and preparation time in advance of meetings

• Occasional participation in sub-committees or advisory discussions

Why join us?

This is an opportunity to help shape the future direction of one of the sector’s most respected and influential organisations at a critical moment for local government.

You will join a Board committed to helping councils become more resilient, agile, connected and future-ready - and to ensuring local government has the ideas, evidence, partnerships and leadership it needs to meet the challenges ahead.

As a Trustee, you will help strengthen an organisation that works every day to empower local government to think big, act boldly and shape the future with confidence.

How to apply

To express interest, please submit:

• A CV 

• A short supporting statement outlining your interest in the role and the experience you would bring to the Board

Closing date: 26th June 2026

Could you be a Cry-sis Helpline Listener?

Do you know, or could you imagine what it’s like to have a baby who just won’t stop crying?

An exhausting, overwhelming feeling - and the desperate wish that someone who *gets it* would pick up the phone?

That’s exactly what our Helpline Listeners provide. And if you’ve been there yourself or could imagine how exhausted a parent feels, you might be just the person a struggling parent needs to hear from.

What you’ll be doing

Taking calls from parents and carers at the end of their tether, offering a kind ear, non-judgemental support, and safe, practical guidance - all from the comfort of your own home, in your own time.

We’re looking for people who

• Are warm, empathetic listeners who can help someone feel heard.
• Can volunteer their time, at times that suit their schedule.
• Are committed to supporting families without judgement.

Maybe you have direct experience of a baby that just won’t stop crying, maybe you have seen how it impacted someone close to you. 

Above all we need you to care, to be understanding, and to be patient. 

What you’ll get from us

• Training using our comprehensive online training, with phone-based role play sessions to assess how you’re getting on.
• An experienced buddy when you first join.
• Ongoing support so you never feel alone in the role.
• A free to use, online or telephone based call system which keeps you and callers safe. 
• A group of trustees who are keen to hear and act on any suggestions to improve the charity. 
• The knowledge that your experience is genuinely helping other families through one of the hardest times of their lives.

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Ready to turn your experience into something powerful?

We’d love to hear from you.