Volunteer roles

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.

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

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

What you’ll be doing: 

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

Can I care for a guide dog mum? 

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

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

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

What you’ll get:

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

Training and support

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

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

Minimum age of volunteer: 18.

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

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. 

Support your local Oxfam shop by helping to sort, research, price and prepare donated items - for our online shop, all while gaining hands-on retail experience in a safe, supportive environment.

Do you want to make a real difference?

At Oxfam, we're not just selling pre-loved items and unique finds – we're working together to build a radically better world. With your help, we will turn pre-loved treasures into resources that empower communities worldwide.

Here's why Oxfam is the perfect opportunity for you:

Be a Second-hand Superhero: In our high street shops, Ecommerce Hubs and Online Shop, people like you help create exciting and inspiring collections – retail therapy with a purpose!

Increase Your Skills: Gain valuable retail experience you can add to your CV, such as merchandising, customer service, and teamwork.

Find Your Community: Meet like-minded people who share your passion for a fairer world.

Flexibility: We know life gets busy. That's why we offer flexible volunteering options. A few hours a week is all it takes to make a big difference.

Oxfam isn't just another charity shop. We're a movement of passionate individuals working to create a fairer world, and we’d love you to be a part of it!

What happens next?

After you apply, the manager will ask you to come in for an initial chat. This is not an interview, just a chance to get an idea of what you'd like to do in the shop. From there, you can meet the rest of the volunteer team and get involved with whatever area of the shop takes your interest!

As a Retail Volunteer, you'll try a bit of everything! Be the friendly face of our shop, handling customer transactions with a smile. You'll provide top customer service, and help create a warm, welcoming atmosphere that keeps our customers coming back!

Do you want to make a real difference?

At Oxfam, we're not just selling pre-loved items and unique finds – we're working together to build a radically better world. With your help, we will turn pre-loved treasures into resources that empower communities worldwide.

Here's why Oxfam is the perfect opportunity for you:

Be a Second-hand Superhero: In our high street shops, Ecommerce Hubs and Online Shop, people like you help create exciting and inspiring collections – retail therapy with a purpose!

Increase Your Skills: If you have a particular interest, you can build on it to gain valuable retail experience to add to your CV, such as merchandising, customer service, and teamwork.

Find Your Community: Meet like-minded people who share your passion for a fairer world.

Flexibility: We know life gets busy. That's why we offer flexible volunteering options. A few hours a week is all it takes to make a big difference.

Oxfam isn't just another charity shop. We're a movement of passionate individuals working to create a fairer world, and we’d love you to be a part of it!

What happens next?

After you apply, the manager will ask you to come in for an initial chat. This is not an interview, just a chance to get an idea of what you'd like to do help out. From there, you can meet the rest of the volunteer team and get involved with whatever area of the shop takes your interest!

As a till volunteer, you'll be the friendly face of our shop, handling customer transactions with a smile. You'll provide top customer service, and help create a warm, welcoming atmosphere that keeps our customers coming back!

Do you want to make a real difference?

At Oxfam, we're not just selling pre-loved items and unique finds – we're working together to build a radically better world. With your help, we will turn pre-loved treasures into resources that empower communities worldwide.

Here's why Oxfam is the perfect opportunity for you:

Be a Second-hand Superhero: In our high street shops, Ecommerce Hubs and Online Shop, people like you help create exciting and inspiring collections – retail therapy with a purpose!

Increase Your Skills: If you have a particular interest, you can build on it to gain valuable retail experience to add to your CV, such as merchandising, customer service, and teamwork.

Find Your Community: Meet like-minded people who share your passion for a fairer world.

Flexibility: We know life gets busy. That's why we offer flexible volunteering options. A few hours a week is all it takes to make a big difference.

Oxfam isn't just another charity shop. We're a movement of passionate individuals working to create a fairer world, and we’d love you to be a part of it!

What happens next?

After you apply, the manager will ask you to come in for an initial chat. This is not an interview, just a chance to get an idea of what you'd like to do in the shop. From there, you can meet the rest of the volunteer team and get involved with whatever area of the shop takes your interest!

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 

The Site Manager role involves overseeing a number of university Islamic Societies or Muslim Student Associations who are interested in partnering with Roots Academy to host the Essentials Onsite Program an in-person transformative educational class tailored to university students on campus. The Site Manager role is responsible for establishing and maintaining positive relationships with these ISoc/MSA committees and offering 1:1 support to ensure that they have an excellent educational experience.
 

Key tasks

• Actively establish and maintain positive relationships with ISoc/MSA committees and Student Ambassadors (ISoc/MSA representative) to ensure an exceptional onsite experience for students, and promote retention of sites.
   
• Be the point of contact for ISocs/MSAs: answer questions, offer light-touch support and coaching on ways to improve the class, engage on a 1:1 basis listening to their needs and concerns, and addressing these accordingly.
   
• Liaise with Student Ambassadors to ensure that logistics involved in marketing and running the class are taken care of by the ISoc/MSA.
   
• Collect ideas and best-practices from how different campuses deliver their class
   
• Be the internal point of contact for any queries or updates related to ISocs/MSAs assigned.
   

What we’re looking for

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
   
• Ability to make and maintain positive relationships and connections with people
   
• Proactive approach to problem-solving
   
• Passionate about transforming the lives of Muslim students and engaging with university ISocs/MSAs
   
• An understanding of the Muslim student/university scene and how University ISocs and/or MSAs operate
   
• Ability to travel regionally for site visits and in-person meetings with ISoc/MSA committees
   

What we have to offer 

• Be part of a team of 40+ dedicated volunteers from across the country. 

• Receive continuous rewards for students that gain knowledge and closeness to Allah and their faith as a result of attending the Onsites Essentials program.

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

• Receive in-house tarbiyah sessions.

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 volunteers to monitor nestboxes at Nagshead in Spring and Summer

This role will involve monitoring nest boxes between April and July. You will identify nests, check them weekly and follow chicks through to fledging, recording your findings as you go. You will be working with one other person, and ladder climbing is involved.

You will need to be able to commit to checking your route on the same (or close to) day each week. You can choose which day of the week you carry out the nest box check. As this role involves working with another person, you might want to take it on with a family member or friend. You each need to apply and then let us know that you want to work together. If you don’t have someone to volunteer with, this isn’t a problem as we can pair you up with someone.

It can take between 2-3 hours to complete your route. As the nest boxes are situated in a woodland the terrain can be uneven and hilly.

We will offer full training for the role, including identifying birds and nests, and health and safety training in the safe use of ladders/working at heights.

Skills required for this role:

• Good wildlife identification and knowledge of wildlife, OR the willingness to increase your identification skills

• Safe working, ability to follow safe working procedures

• Teamwork or pair work

• Care and sensitivity around wildlife

• Ability to clearly record information and findings

• Good physical fitness is needed, as climbing ladders and uneven terrain is involved

• Ability to navigate using a route map to locate nest boxes.

This is a really rewarding role and offers volunteers a chance to develop hands on experience and skills around surveying. The role also offers an opportunity to be out in nature and benefit your own health and wellbeing. It will suit someone who enjoys being outdoors.

Are you a fluent Romanian speaker with a passion for helping others? We are seeking dedicated volunteers to assist women in improving their English language skills. Improving someone’s understanding and spoken English language, will allow individuals to communicate and connect with people in their local community, widen their network of friendships and relationships, and provide people opportunity to improve their employability skills. We are looking for a face-to-face volunteer for a minimum of 1 hour per week who is available between hours 11am – 2.30pm Monday-Friday!

What you will be doing

• To support individuals who are not confident with spoken English to develop their reading, writing and conversational skills through one-to-one sessions.
• Agree a mutual agreeable time and frequency that works for both parties
• Engage in conversation, allowing the person to feel supported and comfortable to practice speaking English Preparing and delivering sessions independently including setting work and assessing
• To keep records of conversations and update the support worker on progress of sessions.
• Support with preparing for the “Live in the UK Citizenship Test”

The skills you need

• Good communication skills
• Ability to provide a supportive and inclusive atmosphere
• Fluent in Romanian and English

What's in it for you

• Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications.
• Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
• Valuing You - Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards, outings, celebration, and social events for our volunteers to get together and have some fun; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering.

Do you have a passion for ballet and want to make a difference? We’re looking for a volunteer to support a beginner on a one-to-one basis. This role may involve a mix of remote and face-to-face sessions!

What you will be doing

• Deliver ballet sessions tailored to the individual’s beginner level
• Encourage and motivate the individual to build confidence and enjoy learning.
• Plan and adapt sessions to suit the individual’s pace and goals.
• Agree on session times and format (in-person or remote).

The skills you need

• Ballet experience required
• Qualification desired but not essential
• Patience and ability to teach beginners.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills.
• Reliable and committed to regular sessions.

What's in it for you

• Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications.
• Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
• Valuing You - Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards, outings, celebration, and social events for our volunteers to get together and have some fun; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering.

Are you a fluent Sylheti speaker with a passion for helping others? We are seeking dedicated volunteers to assist women in improving their English language skills. Improving someone’s understanding and spoken English language, will allow individuals to communicate and connect with people in their local community, widen their network of friendships and relationships, and provide people opportunity to improve their employability skills. We are looking for a face-to-face volunteer for a minimum of 1 hour per week who is available between hours 11am – 2.30pm Monday-Friday!

What you will be doing

• To support individuals who are not confident with spoken English to develop their reading, writing and conversational skills through one-to-one sessions.
• Agree a mutual agreeable time and frequency that works for both parties
• Engage in conversation, allowing the person to feel supported and comfortable to practice speaking English Preparing and delivering sessions independently including setting work and assessing
• To keep records of conversations and update the support worker on progress of sessions.
• Support with preparing for the “Live in the UK Citizenship Test”

The skills you need

• Good communication skills
• Ability to provide a supportive and inclusive atmosphere
• Fluent in Sylheti and English

What's in it for you

• Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications.
• Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
• Valuing You - Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards, outings, celebration, and social events for our volunteers to get together and have some fun; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering.

Are you a fluent Urdu speaker with a passion for helping others? We are seeking dedicated volunteers to assist women in improving their English language skills. Improving someone’s understanding and spoken English language, will allow individuals to communicate and connect with people in their local community, widen their network of friendships and relationships, and provide people opportunity to improve their employability skills. We are looking for a face-to-face volunteer for a minimum of 1 hour per week who is available between hours 11am – 2.30pm Monday-Friday!

What you will be doing

• To support individuals who are not confident with spoken English to develop their reading, writing and conversational skills through one-to-one sessions.
• Agree a mutual agreeable time and frequency that works for both parties
• Engage in conversation, allowing the person to feel supported and comfortable to practice speaking English Preparing and delivering sessions independently including setting work and assessing
• To keep records of conversations and update the support worker on progress of sessions.
• Support with preparing for the “Live in the UK Citizenship Test”

The skills you need

• Good communication skills
• Ability to provide a supportive and inclusive atmosphere
• Fluent in Urdu and English

What's in it for you

• Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications.
• Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
• Valuing You - Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards, outings, celebration, and social events for our volunteers to get together and have some fun; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering.

Overview of the role

Warrington Foodbank are seeking someone to take the lead in organising and  monitoring the work of our Board of Trustees, liaising between members to ensure our strategy and operations remain on track. As our Secretary of Trustees you will lead the administrative duties of the Board of Trustees, ensuring that its activities are conducted within the legal requirements, with board meetings being properly administered.

Responsibilities

As a trustee you will share collective responsibility for the governance of the food bank and all decisions made by the board, ensuring the organisation is well run, fulfils its mission, is compliant with charity law and that the charity is open and accountable. 

The Secretary of Trustees is responsible for leading on the administrative duties of the food bank and Board of Trustees. They will ensure that the foodbank’s activities are conducted within legal requirements, and that board meetings are properly administered. The Secretary will also lead on the development and management of policy schedules, ensuring that the Board of Trustees are aware and kept up to date regarding their legal, regulatory, and governance responsibilities.

Key tasks:

• to ensure that there is a record of all Trustee Board correspondence to ensure that details of Trustee meetings are circulated to the board together with minutes of the previous meeting and any other instructions in good time to ensure the trustee board meets its legal obligations, including reporting, meeting charity and company law, as well as insurance requirements

• to ensure all relevant stakeholders are informed of the annual general meeting (AGM)

• to ensure that the annual report (to accompany the annual accounts) is produced and sent to the relevant charity regulator body (Charity Commission of England & Wales).

Other responsibilities, along with the Board of Trustees, include:

• to approve, support and guide the charity’s purpose, vision, strategy, goals and objectives 

• to manage the charity’s resources responsibly, including ensuring the charity’s assets are used only to carry out its purpose, avoid undue risk, and not over-commit the charity

• to ensure the effective and efficient administration of the charity, responding to changes in the local community as appropriate

• to ensure that key risks are identified, monitored and controlled appropriately

• To ensure appropriate financial plans are in place, budgets are monitored, and progress is evaluated

• to review and approve financial statements 

• to help promote the organisation to key stakeholders and beneficiaries

• to ensure the charity has appropriate procedures to comply with current legislation and good practice, including employment, health and safety, equality, diversity and inclusion, safeguarding, and GDPR compliance/data protection

• to prepare for and regularly attend and participate in board and subcommittee meetings and any trustee away days.

About you:

We are looking for people who want to help their local community. Our ideal candidates would demonstrate: 

• a knowledge of and commitment to the work of Warrington Foodbank 

• previous experience or an ability in:

  • secretarial or administrative work

  • managing project and keeping them on schedule

  • coordinating the activities of a group or individual

• add any further essential qualities the food bank is looking for, to fit in with any strategic objectives the food bank may have.

Benefits of volunteering:

• feeling you are making a difference whilst volunteering with us

• meeting new people and being part of a motivated team who share a passion to eradicate poverty in our community

• building a movement of change with our volunteers, staff, and the people who use our food bank

• bringing our staff, volunteers, and trustees together to achieve our vision

• gaining a greater insight and understanding of local agencies and partnerships.

Impact of your role

By leading on the administrative matters of the food bank board, you are part of providing a vital holistic support function in your local community, ensuring a dignified experience to anyone visiting, or anyone who comes into contact with Warrington Foodbank.

Support

A full trustee induction is in place to support the prospective candidate within their role, as well as access to local voluntary action trustee training. 

Please Note:

• You must be 16 or over and must not be disqualified from acting as a trustee and declare any conflict of interest while carrying out the duties of a trustee.

• Trustees are appointed for a three-year term of office.

• This is a voluntary position.

Overview of the role

This role involves leading on any and all Health & Safety issues, policies and concerns, ensuring that the Board of Trustees are aware and kept up to date in regard to the legal, regulatory, and governance responsibilities of the charity regarding health and safety.

Key tasks

Trustee (Health & Safety Lead) Responsibilities:

• to ensure that the trustee board understand their legal and regulatory responsibility on matters of health & safety (including manual handling & fire safety, etc.) for the charity

• to ensure, along with operational management support, that all health and safety policies and risk assessments are in place, relevant, and up to date

• to continuously keep up to date with all current health and safety legislation/regulations, informing the board of any changes needed to operational procedures relating to health and safety

• to be the allocated contact for health & safety as outlined on Health and Safety Executive (HSE) poster in each centre

• along with operational management support, to ensure that all relevant staff, trustees and/or volunteers are suitably trained and aware of the correct process to follow if any health and safety concerns arise, including the filling out of incident reports.

Other responsibilities, along with the Bboard of Trustees, include:

• to approve, support and guide the charity’s purpose, vision, strategy, goals and objectives 

• to manage the charity’s resources responsibly, including ensuring the charity’s assets are used only to carry out its purpose, avoid undue risk and not over-commit the charity.

• to ensure the effective and efficient administration of the charity, responding to changes in the local community as appropriate

• to ensure that key risks are identified, monitored and controlled appropriately

• to ensure appropriate financial plans are in place, budgets are monitored, and progress is evaluated

• to review and approve financial statements 

• to help promote the organisation to key stakeholders and beneficiaries

• to ensure the charity has appropriate procedures to comply with current legislation and good practice, including employment, health and safety, equity, diversity and inclusion, safeguarding and GDPR compliance/data protection.

• to prepare for and regularly attend and participate in board and subcommittee meetings and any trustee away days.

About you:

• a knowledge of and commitment to the work of the Warrington Foodbank

• a strong knowledge of Health & Safety legislation and a charity’s responsibility

• an ability to lead on any health & safety matters in a supportive and confident manner

• add any further essential qualities the food bank is looking for, to fit in with any strategic objectives the food bank may have.

Benefits of volunteering:

• feeling you are making a difference whilst volunteering with us

• meeting new people and being part of a motivated team who share a passion to eradicate poverty in our community

• building a movement of change with our volunteers, staff, and the people who use our food bank

• bringing our staff, volunteers, and trustees together to achieve our vision

• gaining a greater insight and understanding of local agencies and partnerships.

Impact of your role

By leading on Health & Safety matters for the food bank, you are part of providing a vital holistic support function in your local community, ensuring a dignified experience to anyone visiting, or anyone who comes into contact with, Warrington Foodbank.

Support

A full trustee induction is in place to support the prospective candidate within their role, as well as access to local voluntary action trustee training. 

Please Note:

• You must be 16 or over and must not be disqualified from acting as a trustee and declare any conflict of interest while carrying out the duties of a trustee.

• Trustees are appointed for a three-year term of office.

• This is a voluntary position.