Volunteer roles

Metabolic Support UK are excited to share that we are looking for new Trustees to join our board.

Following the retirement of several Trustees we’re keen to broaden the range of skills and experiences represented. Our work is guided by people with lived experience, and our Board of Trustees plays a central role in shaping our strategy and ensuring that our values are embedded across everything we do.

We welcome applications, particularly from those with expertise in the following areas:

• Charity fundraising: Leadership in a fundraising environment, ideally within the charity sector.
• Clinical Dietitians: Experience of supporting patients with IMD's with a understanding of the challenges faced around diet and IMD's.
• Young adult with a diagnosed IMD: who has lived experience of an IMD and has navigated the process of healthcare from paediatric to adult care.
• Researcher: Experience of Rare Disease treatment research.

Appointments are made on merit, and we are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive Board that truly reflects the communities we serve.


About Metabolic Support UK

Metabolic Support UK is the leading organisation for Inherited Metabolic Disorders (IMDs), supporting thousands of people worldwide through providing individual support, building communities, and continually advocating for and empowering those living with IMDs.

Since its inception in 1981, our organisation has strived to support those in the rare community, expanding new-born screening, accelerating the development of orphan drugs, and acting instrumentally in establishing EURORDIS, ensuring people living with IMDs have the best quality of life possible.

Metabolic Support UK Board of Trustees
Metabolic Support UK Board of Trustees are a group of dedicated volunteers who are committed to the charities aims.

The Trustee meets four times a year (virtual), with meetings held during the week from approximately 2.30-4.30pm

Trustees are encouraged to participate in charity campaigns and attend flagship events, e.g., our Annual Community Conference. Trustees are not paid, but out-of-pocket expenses are reimbursed. Trustees serve a three year term.



The Institute of Conservation (Icon) is seeking an enterprising and passionate supporter of cultural heritage to chair our Board of Trustees through an ambitious period of growth and change.

This fulfilling role will appeal to a people focused individual, who will welcome the opportunity to actively engage with Icon's membership and the wider heritage sector. We are looking for the skills and ambition to support us as we establish a new strategy to champion conservation and deliver sustainable financial growth to support our charitable objectives.

About the Role 

The Chair’s responsibilities include those of all Icon Trustees, with the additional operational responsibilities:

• Providing leadership to the Board in its strategic and policy role
• Chairing the Board and other meetings to facilitate positive discussion and development
• Ensuring the Board fulfils its legal and charitable responsibilities for the governance of Icon
• Establishing a constructive working relationship with the Chief Executive
• Appraising the performance of the Chief Executive and the Trustees
• Advocating for Icon and conservation via public speaking appointments at Icon events and within the wider heritage sector
• Supporting Icon’s petition for Royal Charter through stakeholder engagement activity

For the full list of responsibilities and information on Icon including its mission and values, please refer to the Chair of the Board of Trustees Recruitment Pack

About You

You will be:

• Committed to Icon’s values and the conservation of cultural heritage
• Committed to the professional ethos that defines Icon and its members
• Able to direct the business of the Board efficiently and effectively
• Skilled in developing and nurturing productive working relationships
• Willing to challenge us and introduce new ways of thinking

You will have experience in:

• Charity or corporate governance
• High level advocacy across a range of media, including public speaking, interviewing and written commentary
•  Successful fundraising and/or entrepreneurial activities
• Delivering organisational growth and future resilience
• Problem solving, building understanding, and fostering collaboration

All trustees must agree to comply with the Trustees’ Code of Conduct. You can find more information about being a Trustee on Icon’s website.

How to Apply

If you would like to be considered for a position on our Board of Trustees, please submit a brief covering letter (no more than one side of A4) explaining why you are interested in the role and highlighting your relevant skills and experience. Please also provide your CV, covering no more than two sides of A4. 

Detailed application instructions can be found on Icon's website.

Applications close on Wednesday 11 February 2026 at 5PM.

Do you want to join an organisation committed to addressing low literacy and numeracy?

Volunteers are essential to Shannon Trust and bring their energy, ideas and skills to train mentors in prisons, support learners in the community and enhance our business support team.

We are looking for volunteers to provide training and support to our mentors in prison. There may be some additional preparation and/ or administrative tasks in between volunteering days at the prison.

Our prison volunteers nurture the growth of the Shannon Trust in their prison. They help unlock the power of reading by delivering training sessions for prison mentors and offering ongoing advice, guidance and support through mentor meetings.

Volunteer recruitment dates

The closing date for applications to attend our next round of training is 25 January 2026. In some circumstances, volunteer vacancies may close early. Successful applicants will be sent interview questions in advance with notice to prepare. We will respond to all applications. Successful applicants will be invited to an interview between 26 January and 6 February 2026. This is an opportunity for you to meet our regional team, to find out more about you and for us to share more information about the volunteering role.

Training:

You'll be given high quality training to prepare you for volunteering with Shannon Trust. This takes place over 4 training sessions and via our online training portal. We ask that volunteers aim to complete the training in one course as this means that you will be ready to start actively volunteering. The next training sessions for volunteering for people applying to be a prison based volunteer will take place as follows.

Please check that you can attend all of the training the dates prior to applying:

• 17 February 2026, 10am – 1pm (via Zoom)

• 24 February 2026, 10am – 1pm (via Zoom)

• 3 March 2026, 10am – 1pm (via Zoom)

• 24 March 2026, 10am-4pm (in person session, London)

You’ll also receive the opportunity to attend ongoing training sessions and peer support meetings during your time as a volunteer to build your skills and experience.

Why we want you

Shannon Trust’s vision is of a future where everyone can experience the positive impact of learning. As a prison volunteer your role will be at the heart of our organisation as you support our mentors in prisons. This will include delivering training to new mentors and supporting existing mentors to develop and deliver our Turning Pages and Count Me In programmes. You will be volunteering alongside Shannon Trust facilitators and / or frontline prison staff to empower mentors and ensure no one is left out of learning.

What you will be doing

• Delivering initial, and ongoing, training to mentors in prisons
• Supporting and encouraging the Shannon Trust facilitator and mentors to attract new learners and expand the reach of the Shannon Trust programme
• Arranging and leading mentor meetings to develop mentors’ skills, share good practice and to provide support to mentors to find solutions to concerns
• Supporting facilitators to engage prison staff and people in prison to set-up, maintain and develop the Shannon Trust reading and numeracy programmes across the whole prison, and contributing to progress planning for how to progress and achieve this
• Using your skills to build positive relationships with frontline prison staff, people in prison and other organisations
• Training and supporting mentors to collect and submit data and learner feedback
• Supporting with the planning of, and attendance at, celebration events
• Collecting and sharing good news stories and feedback
• Attending area meetings and sharing good practice with other volunteers
• Engaging with quarterly reviews to receive support and discuss progress
• Acting as an ambassador for Shannon Trust in all that you do, sharing the vision and values of the charity throughout your volunteering

The skills you need

• A commitment to providing non-judgemental support to people in prison
• Able to give a regular, reliable commitment for ideally two years and have flexibility to visit the prison at times required
• Strong communication skills and are able to use these to inspire others
• Able to deliver engaging training and identify training and support needs for mentors
• Able to manage own time and prioritise
• Able to keep up to date with Shannon Trust news and communications and share relevant information with the wider prison team
• Able to use IT

What's in it for you

• Developing and growing your understanding of the HMPPS structure and prison system
• Reasonable, out of pocket, volunteering expenses are
• You will receive induction training and ongoing training to support and develop you in your role
• All volunteers receive ongoing support and quarterly reviews to enable you to gain the most from your volunteering experience
• We recognise and are grateful for the added value that volunteers bring to our organisation
• We provide flexible volunteering opportunities, subject to the requirements of your role

Disclaimer

In some circumstances, volunteer vacancies may close early.

We are looking for Trustees to join the Young Vic Board. 

Whether on our stages at our home on The Cut, touring to schools and community centres across south London, premiering a play in the West End or on Broadway, streaming our work across the country and around the world – the Young Vic is actively working to be a theatre for everyone.

“We are looking for Trustees to join the Young Vic Board in 2026. We are excited about the opportunity to recruit new Trustees who bring diverse experience, perspective and energy to a high performing Board. We are looking for energetic and engaged individuals who share our values and our commitment to excellence, access, representation and social justice. Our Trustees will support our exceptional leadership team as they lead our wonderful theatre into its next exciting phase in our fifty-year history.” - Glenn Earle, Chair of the Board 

The Trustees of the charity act as Directors of the company, and therefore have legal, financial and ethical duties under company law and compliance with charity legislation. 

 As a Trustee you will have various legal responsibilities including: 

• Comply with the charity’s governing document and the law  

• Ensure that the charity is carrying out its purpose for the public benefit  

• Act in the charity’s best interests  

• Manage the charity’s resources responsibly  

• Act with reasonable care and skill  

• Ensure the charity is accountable  

• Ensure the charity is compliant 

We are looking for approximately four new Trustees. In particular, we are looking for trustees who may have the following skillsets: 

• A freelancer working within the arts 

• Expert knowledge of the law 

• Expertise in Theatre Production/ Commercial Producing

• Experience in and enthusiasm for Charity Fundraising 

• Expertise in Accounting 

We are also keen to hear from candidates who do not meet these specific criteria, but believe they could actively contribute to our thinking and our future success. Previous experience as a Trustee is not necessary. We are committed to a full and appropriate induction, mentoring, training and support for all new Trustees. 

Please see our Trustee Application Pack for full details. 

We actively encourage people from a variety of backgrounds with different experiences, skills and stories to join us and influence and develop our working practice. We are particularly keen to hear from Black and Global Majority people, and candidates who self-identify as disabled. All candidates who self-identify as disabled who demonstrate that they meet the essential criteria will be invited for interview. The Young Vic is committed to equality of opportunity for all staff and applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, caring responsibilities, disability, gender, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and sexual orientation. 

Start Date: There is no fixed start date for these positions, but would like to have everyone in place by the end of 2026. 

Apply by: The closing date for applications is 10am, Wednesday 28th January 2026. 

To apply, please go to the Young Vic website Work for the Young Vic, download and read the Application Pack carefully.

Join us – Independent Age is looking for new trustees!

Would you like to use your skills and experience to help us end poverty in later life? Independent Age is the only national charity focused solely on improving the lives of people facing financial hardship in later life. We currently achieve impact through three key activities: advice and support, grant-making, and policy, influencing and campaigning. This year, we have supported over 20,000 people who called our helpline and identified over £6.5 million in unclaimed benefits. We have awarded £3 million in grants, enabling local organisations to reach even more older people living in financial hardship. We also successfully campaigned for the Winter Fuel Payment to be restored to a large number of older people who rely on it, and to improve protections for older renters through the Renters’ Rights Act and the Housing (Scotland) Act.

We are looking to appoint several new trustees to our Board. We are interested in hearing from people who are concerned about the growing impact of poverty in later life on our society, and can bring us any of the following skills or experience:

•  finance

•  fundraising

•  brand / marketing / engagement

•  business development / transformation / innovation / technology.

Every day at Independent Age, we hear from older people who don’t have enough money for a decent standard of living. While they are resourceful, careful and resilient, and employ many tactics to make their low-income work for them, life is hard.

The people who engage with us are part of a group of two million older people living in poverty and a further million living with precarious financial security. Concerningly, our research shows that this number could rise to four million by 2040, without effective policy interventions. This projection must not become a reality.

Certain groups of people aged 65 and over are at greater risk of financial hardship, including one person households, women, people from racially minoritised groups, private renters, carers and people with long-term conditions or disabilities. We particularly encourage applications from people who have backgrounds, characteristics or perspectives that align with any of these priority groups. We’d also like to encourage applications from candidates outside the south-east of England and, in particular, from Scotland.

Previous trustee experience is not necessary because you would be joining a strong, experienced Board and we can provide mentoring and support. The time commitment will be around 1-1.5 days a month on average, focused around the quarterly cycle of board and committee meetings. Trustee roles are not paid. However, we want to help overcome the barriers some people might face to becoming a trustee. We pay reasonable travel, accommodation, subsistence and the cost of care provision for children and dependents when acting on behalf of the charity. Some of these costs can be paid upfront by the charity, if needed. We also pay reasonable costs associated with attending the initial interview.

How to apply

Further information and details on how to apply can be found in our Application Pack, which is included below.  A Basic DBS check is required for trustee roles in line with our safeguarding policy. 

The deadline for applications is Sunday 18 January. 

Youth Leaders work directly with young people in St John Ambulance Badger Setts and Cadet Units. By organising a mixed weekly programme, this role will support the learning and development of young people into the next generation of health citizens. Youth Leaders also help young people develop their confidence, teamwork skills, self-discipline, and generally encourage them to strive to be the best they can be, as well as supervise and support other adult volunteers in their team.

You’ll get a huge sense of satisfaction and pride delivering an essential service. It’s great for you, great for your community and great for our nation, and it requires only a small commitment of your time. 

Pursuing the role

If you are successful you will need to undertake induction & training for role at these dates:

• Welcome Event (Induction) -  24/05/2026

Closing date for these opportunities is: 31/12/2026

Youth Leaders work directly with young people in St John Ambulance Badger Setts and Cadet Units. By organising a mixed weekly programme, this role will support the learning and development of young people into the next generation of health citizens. Youth Leaders also help young people develop their confidence, teamwork skills, self-discipline, and generally encourage them to strive to be the best they can be, as well as supervise and support other adult volunteers in their team.

You’ll get a huge sense of satisfaction and pride delivering an essential service. It’s great for you, great for your community and great for our nation, and it requires only a small commitment of your time. 

Pursuing the role

If you are successful you will need to undertake induction & training for role at these dates:

• Welcome Event (Induction) -  24/05/2026

Closing date for these opportunities is: 31/12/2026

Youth Leaders work directly with young people in St John Ambulance Badger Setts and Cadet Units. By organising a mixed weekly programme, this role will support the learning and development of young people into the next generation of health citizens. Youth Leaders also help young people develop their confidence, teamwork skills, self-discipline, and generally encourage them to strive to be the best they can be, as well as supervise and support other adult volunteers in their team.

You’ll get a huge sense of satisfaction and pride delivering an essential service. It’s great for you, great for your community and great for our nation, and it requires only a small commitment of your time. 

This group meet on a Thursday evening 7:30 - 9pm.

Pursuing the role

If you are successful you will need to undertake induction & training for role at these dates:

• Welcome Event (Induction) -  24/05/2026

Closing date for these opportunities is: 31/12/2026

We are looking for a Treasurer with an accountancy background and Board level experience to join our Board to support our small but mighty charity to bring the joy of reading to primary school children across the country.

Location: Online
Salary: Voluntary with reasonable expenses reimbursed
Deadline for applications: 31st January 2026

About Us:

The Children’s Bookshow is a national charity that inspires children with a love of books and reading through an annual programme of inspiring theatre and digital performances and engaging creative workshops. We showcase some of the best authors and illustrators of children’s books from around the world, and celebrate children’s literature in translation. 

We are an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation that has been running successfully for 23 years. Each year, we deliver 15 events in venues ranging from iconic theatres such as The Old Vic in London to community spaces and smaller scale theatres such as the New Wolsey in Ipswich, plus a programme of 60 creative workshops in primary schools. We target areas of high socio-economic deprivation, support environmental sustainability through our programme, and partner with local authorities, libraries and education providers. Every child who attends our theatre performances receives a free copy of the author’s book to take home and keep. This is integral to our offer - putting excellent books directly into the hands of children.

“Having Frank Cottrell-Boyce in for a free workshop really did make such a difference to our school and to our children. Frank was able to inspire every single child to write, no matter their need or ability, and children who would normally be reluctant to share their ideas in front of the class were confident to do so. Every single one of them went home talking non-stop about the amazing author they had met - with many now inspired to become authors. I can't put into words how grateful we are or how much of an impact those couple of hours have had on both the children and staff.” 
Teacher, Winyates Primary, Peterborough 2024

The opportunities:

If you think you have the expertise and passion to support our work and help us to deliver the kind of impact and change experienced by Winyates Primary, then we would love to hear from you!

Thanks to successful fundraising The Children’s Bookshow is financially stable for the next two years. Iterative growth and continued financial sustainability are crucial for us to fulfill our aspirations for the future: 

• Give more primary school children the invaluable experience of a live author event at a local theatre
• Enable children to work creatively with a world class artist in their own classroom 
• Increase book ownership by putting a free book into the hands of every child who attends one of our performances

We are recruiting a Treasurer to join our Board of highly-skilled, committed and friendly Trustees to guide and support us in achieving these aims.

The Role:
Trustees share oversight of The Children’s Bookshow’s artistic programming, operations, fundraising and finances, to ensure good governance in compliance with our governing document and with UK charity and company law.

Time commitment: around 4-6 days per year.

Treasurer:
We are seeking a new Treasurer to ensure high standards of financial governance and decision-making, and to act as a key sounding board for the Co-Directors in the financial planning, management and reporting of our charity. This will include overseeing our annual budget and cashflow and quarterly management accounts, and advising on how best to invest our reserve fund. 

We are looking for a qualified accountant with Board level experience with a UK charity and an interest in our work.

A background in children’s literature, publishing or theatre would be an advantage, but not essential.

The Children’s Bookshow is committed to creating a collaborative Board of Trustees that is inclusive and representative of our society. We actively encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds and from all sections of society to apply. 

Meetings:
There are typically four Board meetings a year lasting around an hour. Three of these meetings take place online and we endeavour to meet in person once a year in central London for a meeting followed by lunch. We welcome Trustees to attend our theatre performances and online events wherever possible to directly experience our work. 

We also have a Finance and Operations Committee that occasionally meets online and reports to the Board, which Trustees are invited to opt into to share their expertise in specific areas such as Finance, Fundraising and Development. 

How to apply

Please email your CV and a covering letter (each a maximum of 2 sides of A4) detailing your relevant expertise and experience for the role of Treasurer, and why you would like to be part of The Children’s Bookshow. We look forward to hearing from you. 

We’re Mind, the leading mental health charity. We won’t give up until everyone experiencing a mental health problem gets support and respect. We provide advice and support to empower anybody experiencing a mental health problem and we campaign to improve services, raise awareness, and promote understanding.

Our volunteers are a fundamental part of our shops. Any time which they volunteer at our shops, help us be there for more people who are experiencing a mental health problem. 

About the volunteer role

To provide our volunteers with opportunities to gain a variety of skills and experience, we offer them a range of volunteer roles to choose from, which include:

• Stock preparation volunteer
• Volunteer shop sales assistant
• Volunteer stock generation assistant
• Volunteer window dresser/Merchandiser
• Specialist knowledge volunteer (antiques and collectables)
• Specialist knowledge volunteer (books and entertainment)
• Housekeeping volunteer

Key tasks

There is a variety of tasks within the above mentioned roles that our volunteers get involved with, including:

• Welcoming and assisting customers with their purchases, providing them with great customer service and a delightful shopping experience
• Receiving donated items from members of the public
• Sorting, steaming, tagging and preparing donated items for sale
• Creating visually appealing window and in-store displays
• Keeping the shop floor well stocked, clean and coordinated
• Processing sales and serving at the till
• Signing up gift aid donors
• Stock rotation
• Identifying special or valuable items within donated stock

About you

• Passionate about customer service 
• Good communication skills 
• Friendly and helpful
• Respectful of others and their diversity

Experience & skills you will gain

• Experience of working as part of a team
• Retail experience 
• Stock organisation
• Selling skills 
• Customer service skills 

Our Commitment

We are committed to becoming actively anti-racist in everything we do. This is a critical priority for Mind. We embrace diversity and understand that being an inclusive organisation, recognising different perspectives, will enable us to provide excellent services. We are committed to ensuring all our employees are treated fairly and equitably at work and promoting equity in physical and mental health for all.

One25 is a Bristol charity which reaches out to women who street sex work. We meet women who have been deeply traumatised from childhood abuse and violence. This leads to life situations where they are stigmatised, marginalised, locked out of society and face life-controlling issues. We work non-judgementally and with unconditional love to build a relationship with each woman.

Our Outreach Service
The outreach van meets women on the streets at night, 7 nights a week.  This outreach service is often how women first make contact with us, meeting us on our fully equipped outreach van.

A team of three (a Team Leader, van driver and van volunteer) go out on the van at night and meet women’s basic needs by providing food, first aid, warm clothing, condoms, safety alarms etc. They provide the chance to talk and get advice in a safe space and encourage women to get more in-depth help by visiting our Health Hub or seeing a caseworker.

We are looking for 6 van volunteers to join our team. These volunteers will need to be able to drive an automatic van (Fiat eDucato) and be willing to drive the van as a backup driver, in the event of a cancellation by a van driver.

Van shifts run from 8.45pm-12.30am Monday to Thursday, and 8.45pm-2am Friday & Saturday nights, all year round.

Availability and commitments needed:

• Available to commit at one weekday evening and one Friday/Saturday per month, for at least a year.
• To successfully complete a driving assessment during interview stage
• To complete a Volunteer Induction, Safeguarding training and Supporting Street Sex Workers training (date tbc – online in evening)
• Able to travel to and from St Pauls, Bristol after shift
• Attend probation review after 10 shifts and if requested external support (which we would fund).

Person specification and attributes needed:

• Reliable and punctual
• Understanding of the issues women involved in street sex work.
• Non-judgmental and compassionate approach.
• Empathy and ability to actively listen.
• Ability to be friendly, but professional.
• Ability to maintain boundaries and be firm about rules.
• Ability to take direction from a volunteer Team Leader.
• Willingness to learn from mistakes and progress in your role
• Ability to remain calm in stressful situations
• Must hold a valid driving license (able to drive automatic).
• Driven a van or similar sized vehicle before (desirable, not essential)
• Fluency in English

Tasks will involve:

• Preparing sandwiches ahead of shifts, as agreed with Team Leader.
• Working as part of the team to prepare and stock the van for going out and engaging with the pre-shift briefing.
• Inviting women on to the van for provisions and a chance to talk.
• Listening, supporting and signposting women around addiction and health, and supporting women to disclose ‘ugly mugs’ (assaults and abuse).
• Assessing the women’s safety and providing them with appropriate help and support
• Taking clear and legible notes of the interactions on the van.
• Supporting in cleaning and unloading the van at the end of the shift and engaging with the shift debriefing.
• Driving the van when needed

In return you will:

• Join a passionate and enthusiastic volunteer team.
• Receive an induction to One25 and support from experienced staff
• Have access to regular training sessions.
• Be part of a friendly, fun and dedicated team of staff and volunteers.
• Have the opportunity to have an impact on women’s lives
• A reference provided after 3 months.

Youth Leaders work directly with young people in St John Ambulance Badger Setts and Cadet Units. By organising a mixed weekly programme, this role will support the learning and development of young people into the next generation of health citizens. Youth Leaders also help young people develop their confidence, teamwork skills, self-discipline, and generally encourage them to strive to be the best they can be, as well as supervise and support other adult volunteers in their team.

You’ll get a huge sense of satisfaction and pride delivering an essential service. It’s great for you, great for your community and great for our nation, and it requires only a small commitment of your time. 

Pursuing the role

If you are successful you will need to undertake induction & training for role at these dates:

• Welcome Event (Induction) -  24/05/2026

Closing date for these opportunities is: 31/12/2026

Youth Leaders work directly with young people in St John Ambulance Badger Setts and Cadet Units. By organising a mixed weekly programme, this role will support the learning and development of young people into the next generation of health citizens. Youth Leaders also help young people develop their confidence, teamwork skills, self-discipline, and generally encourage them to strive to be the best they can be, as well as supervise and support other adult volunteers in their team.

You’ll get a huge sense of satisfaction and pride delivering an essential service. It’s great for you, great for your community and great for our nation, and it requires only a small commitment of your time. 

Pursuing the role

If you are successful you will need to undertake induction & training for role at these dates:

• Welcome Event (Induction) -  04/01/26

Closing date for these opportunities is: 31/03/2026

Youth Leaders work directly with young people in St John Ambulance Badger Setts and Cadet Units. By organising a mixed weekly programme, this role will support the learning and development of young people into the next generation of health citizens. Youth Leaders also help young people develop their confidence, teamwork skills, self-discipline, and generally encourage them to strive to be the best they can be, as well as supervise and support other adult volunteers in their team.

You’ll get a huge sense of satisfaction and pride delivering an essential service. It’s great for you, great for your community and great for our nation, and it requires only a small commitment of your time. 

Pursuing the role

If you are successful you will need to undertake induction & training for role at these dates:

• Welcome Event (Induction) -  29/12/2025

Closing date for these opportunities is: 07/12/2026