Voluntary Advice, Information Volunteer Roles

Can you lead the way by helping to set up a new Wildlife Watch club for young people in your local area?

Help us engage the next generation in taking action for wildlife!. We are looking for people to help with our existing groups in Barrow, Cockermouth, Gosling Sikes (Carlisle), and Grange. We are also looking for a Watch leader and helpers for our Penrith group.

What is a Wildlife Watch Leader Volunteer?

Wildlife Watch is the junior branch of the Wildlife Trusts and is the UK's leading club for young environmentalists. Our local Wildlife Watch clubs across Cumbria run a varied programme of fun environmental and wildlife focused activities, aimed at 6–12 year-olds and their families.

As a Wildlife Watch Leader you will be a key player in Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s work with young people. You will have the opportunity to engage with a group of young people  on a regular basis, to getting to know them and helping to shape their learning and understanding about the environment. This role can extremely rewarding for you.

 What’s in it for you?

• Becoming part of a friendly and dedicated team of volunteers and staff at Cumbria Wildlife Trust

• Getting out and about in nature

• Health and wellbeing benefits

• Passing on your wildlife knowledge and enthusiasm to our next generation environmentalists

• Learning new conservation, administration and life skills that will help your future career/learning opportunities.

• Access to support and resources from Cumbria Wildlife Trust. Materials and training will be provided. Helpers will also support you with planning, preparation, delivering and administration of activities

What’s involved?

As a Wildlife Watch Leader you will:

• Publicise the presence of the group to local children, young people and their families

• Plan and organise a fun programme of activities throughout the year with, and for, the group, using themes relevant to Cumbria Wildlife Trust. You will deliver regular, hands on, informal outdoor activities, enabling young people to explore the wildlife around them more closely

• Adopt guidelines to assist you in running safe and enjoyable meetings. These include safeguarding, H&S, risk assessments and participation registration

• Promote Wildlife Watch and Cumbria Wildlife Trust, using templates and posters provided

• Keep in regular contact with Cumbria Wildlife Trust, young people and their families

• Support young people gaining Wildlife Watch awards, celebrating their activities and achievements

Who would suit this role?

This role will suit anyone interested in volunteering with Cumbria Wildlife Trust, who loves wildlife and wants to make a real difference in their local community. It would especially suit those who:

• Are keen and confident working with young people

• Have a natural enthusiasm for wildlife and nature of Cumbria (You DON’T need to be an expert)

• Are full of creative and fun activity ideas

• Are willing to learn how to organise and plan the leadership of safe sessions

• Able to work well with other volunteers and share tasks as a team

• Eager to have a real impact to support our next generation environmentalists

• Enjoy working in an outdoor environment (in all weathers!)

 This is a very flexible volunteer role. As a leader you can decide with your helpers how often - and when - you wish to run sessions

Volunteer handbook and Trust induction.

Health and safety and safeguarding training will be mandatory.Risk assessment, participant registration, Wildlife Watch templates, posters, email etc.. will all be provided

Volunteers are able to receive travel expenses of 0.45p per mile agreed in advanced with their staff contact.

First aid training will be provided for volunteer leaders.

The Trust will apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check for volunteers undertaking this role because it involves working with children and young people or vulnerable adults.

In the second stage of the volunteer recruitment process, we will take up two references.

 Is this for you? Want to learn more about this role? We'd love to hear from you.

Would you like to help us monitor our restored hay meadows? Do you have some plant ID skills or are keen to develop your skills? Then join our team of meadow surveyors.

Surveying grassland hay meadows that Cumbria Wildlife Trust has restored, or has the  potential to restore. This involves counting the cover of wildflower species and grass species within celled quadrats at random locations across the site.

• Previous botanical ID skills would be ideal but not essential if the participant is happy to learn.
• Survey skills using quadrats will be required to carry out the task but these skills can be taught too.
• A willingness to work with other volunteers as a pair to carry out the survey.
• We would like to ask for a minimum of one botanical survey (2 full days of surveying) per year.

Our grassland team works on many grassland sites; some being our own sites, on partner organisations sites, various landowners and farmers holdings etc.  With the help of our grassland survey volunteers, we are able to revisit more of our restored sites to monitor its progress and success which can support our future restoration work.

Fancy doing something different and making a difference?

Explore and record our coastal and marine wildlife.

All welcome!

Our marine projects (‘My Local Catch’ and ‘The Bay’) run a range of regular coastal surveys along the Cumbrian coast.

From ‘Shoresearch’ citizen science projects, rocky shore walkovers, sediment cores, plankton surveys, shark egg case hunts and land-based dolphin spotting, there are many ways you can volunteer and learn about our amazing coastal and marine life.

For our organised coastal events, please wear suitable outdoor clothing and stout footwear.

If any of these events are for you, then we’d love to hear from you.

Cats Protection is the UK’s leading feline welfare charity and our vision is a world where every cat is treated with kindness and an understanding of its needs. Cats are at the centre of everything we do and our objectives are: homing, neutering and educating people about cats and their care. We help thousands of cats across the UK each year thanks to our network of dedicated volunteers, staff and supporters.

A bit about this role

As a charity we are able to help thousands of cats each year thanks to the generous donations we receive from members of the public. Our fundraising events organisers have the exciting and varied role of helping plan and deliver local fundraising events to raise the vital funds needed to help our feline friends. Our fundraising events organisers use their passion for cats and people to plan cake sales, barn dances, quiz nights and everything in between.

What can you expect to be doing?

• Planning fundraising events and activities like cake sales, quiz nights and barn dances
• Providing the treasurer with information on funds raised from fundraising events
• Encouraging and promoting a professional image of Cats Protection 
• Following policies and guidelines and ensuring licences and permits are obtained for events

What are the benefits to you and the cats?

You will develop new skills, expand your knowledge and make a significant contribution to improving the lives of cats and kittens by helping raise funds through events. You will also meet new people, make new friends and be part of a dedicated group of volunteers.

We’re looking for someone with

• Good organisational skills
• Strong interpersonal skills
• The ability to prioritise and delegate
• An appreciation of the importance of handling money and charity resources responsibly
• Knowledge of your local community

Time expectation

Our fundraising events organisers usually spend two to three hours per week in this role, which is flexible and can be shared by more than one volunteer.

Additional information

At Cats Protection we believe our volunteers should be happy and confident in their roles. To make sure this is the case, we provide support and guidance both remotely from our National Cat Centre and face to face through our regional and local volunteer groups and teams. We also offer varied online and face-to-face training and have wide-ranging policies covering all aspects of volunteering. We hope the support we provide will ensure our volunteers have a great experience with Cats Protection.

About Pain Concern: Pain Concern is a charity providing information and support to people with pain and those who care for them, whether family, friends or healthcare professionals. Visit our website to find out more about what we do, including our Airing Pain radio programme, podcasts, Pain Matters magazine, information helpline, and our research and campaigning work. All pain is unpleasant, but for the 7.8 million people in the UK living with long term pain it is a part of everyday life. It diminishes quality of life more than any other condition, leading often to loss of work, depression and disability. Anyone at any age can develop persistent pain and you will very probably know somebody affected. Although there is usually no cure, people who receive the appropriate treatment, information and support can manage their condition effectively with life-changing results

Role Purpose: Pain Concern are seeking an individual who can support the Information Officer volunteer and operational team to devise a classification/indexing scheme for Pain Concern's online resources.

What you would be doing:

▪ Working with (including audio and video resources)

▪ Drawing insights from data and other sources to help shape a scheme that is useful and understandable to a range of stakeholders (patients, friends/family, medical professionals, helpline volunteers)

▪ Support with indexing/classifying website resources

▪ Assisting with user testing of the scheme

▪ Documenting the process for knowledge capture

▪ There is potential for delivering training to other Pain Concern volunteers and staff on using the classification scheme

Is this role right for me? We are looking for:

• Strong attention to detail

• Knowledge of classification and/or cataloguing/indexing basics, or of using a controlled vocabulary to label resources (this could be from study or through practical experience)

• Strong communication skills

• Good organisational skills

• Fluency with using Microsoft Office

• Knowledge/Interest of chronic pain and long-term conditions (advantageous)

• Knowledge of/interest in health literacy

Availability and location:

• Minimum commitment of 3 months

• Volunteer flexibly for a minimum 2-3 hours per week

• Volunteer from your own location or from our office at Newcraighall Road, Edinburgh EH15 3HS

Benefits to you: 

• Experience volunteering as part of a friendly team

• Supported by a professional editor and a dedicated volunteer line manager looking after you  

• Meet new people 

• Build on your employability skills 

• A job reference after 3 months of volunteering

• Satisfaction of giving a valuable service to the community

• On-site car parking

• Reasonable travel expenses will be reimbursed in accordance with our Volunteer Policy  

How do I apply: Download and complete an application form our website 

Volunteer with Citizens Advice Staffordshire North and Stoke on Trent

What will you do?

• complete an introduction to Citizens Advice and training for your role.
• talk to clients over the phone to explore what problems they’ve come for help with. If you are able to speak or hear over the phone you can train to give advice by email or webchat.
• find information about the clients’ problems and help them to understand their options.
• support clients to take action to resolve their problems. This might include drafting or writing letters, making phone calls, or referring the client to another organisation.
• write a summary of the clients’ problems and what action you’ve taken.
• look out for problems’ that are common, or are unfair, and write a short report about the problem or a letter to an elected official like an MP, AM or local councillor.

Some examples of what you could do: 

• explore what benefits a client is entitled to and help them to complete a benefit application form.
• help a client who has problems with their landlord to understand their housing rights.

What’s in it for you?

• make a real difference to people’s lives.
• learn about a range of issues such as benefits, debt, employment, and housing.
• build on valuable skills such as communication, listening and problem solving, and increase your employability.
• work with a range of different people, independently and in a team.
• have a positive impact in your community.

And we’ll reimburse expenses too.

No prior experience is necessary in these areas as you’ll receive full training.

For individuals who are doing advice giving roles, and who are also training to be a solicitor, if you started training to be a solicitor before 1st September 2021, you may be able to get up to six months reduction in your training contract. 

If you started training to be a solicitor after 1st September 2021, you may be able to include time spent volunteering (or working) in advice giving roles as part of (or all of) your qualifying work experience. See Solicitors Regulation Authority for more information.

What do you need to have?

You don’t need specific qualifications or skills, but you’ll need to:

• be friendly and approachable.
• be non-judgmental and respect views, values and cultures that are different to your own.
• have good listening skills.
• have good verbal and written communication skills.
• have good maths and IT skills.
• be able to understand information and explain it to others.
• be willing to learn about and follow the Citizens Advice aims, principles and policies, including confidentiality and data protection.
• be willing to undertake training in your role.

How much time do you need to give?

We ask for a minimum of 3 hours per week, for at least 12 months.

Many of our volunteers give one full day or two half days per week.

Valuing inclusion

Our volunteers come from a range of backgrounds, and we particularly welcome applications from racially minoritised people/people of colour, disabled people, people with physical or mental health conditions, LGBTQ+ and non-binary people.

If you are interested in becoming an adviser and would like to discuss flexibility around location, time, ‘what you will do’ and how we can support you please contact us.

Contact details

Contact Margaret Collin for more information or to request an application pack.

Location

You can volunteer at any of our offices in North Staffordshire: Hanley, Newcastle under Lyme, Biddulph, or Leek.

You can complete e-learning at the office of your choice, but you will need to be available to attend two training days at the Hanley office.

Head Office
Advice House
13-15 Cheapside
Hanley
Stoke-on-Trent
ST1 1HL

This role is advertised as part of TPP's Free Giving Back Services. This volunteer advertisement copy has been supplied to TPP and applicants apply direct to the organisation. Please contact the organisation directly if you have any questions about this volunteer role.

Central England Law Centre provides specialist legal support to clients in Coventry and Birmingham. We use our legal expertise to improve the lives of those who are often vulnerable and socially excluded due to poverty, illness or disability.

What will you be doing?

We are looking for up to three Trustees to join our Board. We are seeking applications from individuals who represent a range of backgrounds, and especially those with an interest in how embedding a knowledge of rights within communities can help reduce inequalities and challenge unfair systems, ultimately empowering people to live better lives.

As a member of our Board, your purpose is to work with other Trustees to form an effective governing body which holds the Law Centre senior leadership team to account for its work, providing leadership for all activities and performance of the organisation.

Alongside your fellow Trustees, your responsibilities will consist of:

• Shaping and agreeing the strategic direction of the organisation
• Monitoring and evaluating performance with the objective of fulfilling the Law Centre’s vision, mission and aims
• Safeguarding the Law Centre’s reputation, vision and mission
• Ensuring that the Law Centre remains financially stable, and is managing its assets effectively in pursuance of its objectives
• Overseeing compliance with all relevant legislation including employment, company, charity and health and safety law
• Ensuring all work is conducted within the framework of the Law Centre’s Memorandum and Articles of Association
• Assuming legal responsibility for the Law Centre’s staff and volunteers
• Acting as employer of the Law Centre’s staff

In undertaking these responsibilities, we would look to you to: 

• Prepare for and attend trustee meetings (1 main Board meeting per month, plus any meetings of sub-committees which you opt to join) 
• Understand and be fully committed to the vision, mission and aims of the Law Centre
• Lend your specific expertise either for one-off advice and projects or to work on a sub-committee
• Support all decisions following agreement by the Board
• Maintain the highest levels of confidentiality on all Law Centre matters

What are we looking for?

Our ideal Trustee would have: 

• A strong commitment to reducing inequalities and advancing social justice
• An understanding of the strategic, policy and political environments that affect the Law Centre’s work
• An understanding of the role of a Trustee, or a demonstrable willingness to learn
• A broad knowledge of leadership, management and charity governance
• An awareness of and commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion
• An ability to think strategically and challenge where necessary
• An effective and responsive communicator who is willing to speak their mind
• A team player who respects different views and can work with others
• An ability to build strong relationships and champion the Law Centre
• Willingness to devote sufficient time, preparation and effort require of a Trustee

We welcome interest from individuals who demonstrate a range of the above interests, skills and experiences. In addition, we would be particularly interested if you have any of specific expertise or knowledge of:

• HR and workforce development
• Governance and finance
• Legal Aid
• The voluntary and community sector

We are keen to diversify our Board membership and actively encourage applicants that will continue to build a Trustee Board that accurately reflects the diversity of communities the Law Centre serves. In keeping with our charitable objectives. Trustee roles are unremunerated.

What difference will you make?

You will have the opportunity to shape the current and future strategy of one of the Midland's largest and most influential advice charities. You will see first hand how the work of a committed group of staff and volunteers can change the lives not only of individual clients but also, of communities across the UK as a whole through the work we undertake in influencing policy makers and challenging legal decisions. We will look to you to guide us as we realise our strategic ambitions, bringing your unique set of skills, experience and knowledge to our table to valued trustees. We also offer opportunities for development - facilitating your learning should you have specific areas of charity governance that you are interested in exploring further. 

Before you apply

Please apply through Reach in the first instance. We will then get in touch to arrange a time to discuss your interest in the role and answer any questions you may have.

Amy’s Place is a partnership between the Amy Winehouse Foundation and Clarion Housing, providing supported living accommodation for young women aged 18-30 in recovery from drugs, alcohol and other addictive behaviors.

An enthusiastic, reliable and compassionate volunteer with good interpersonal skills and a desire to help others. The volunteer must be a fully qualified Dietitian or Nutritional Therapist and have training and/or experience working with individuals with eating disorders.

Activities

• Supporting the nutritional needs of young women with health issues on a limited budget.
• Providing support with meal planning, cooking skills, food safety, and day-to-day problem solving around food and eating.
• Providing wisdom and accurate nutrition education around healthy eating for the individual.

Qualifications/ Experience

• Must be a fully qualified Dietitian or Nutritional Therapist.
• As many of the residents have eating disorders it is essential for the volunteer to have training and/or clinical experience working with individuals with eating disorders.
• Must have professional liability insurance and be a member of a professional body ie. HCPC, BANT
• This role requires us to carry out a check through the Disclosure and Barring Service for the Enhanced DBS

Commitment 

This is a flexible opportunity and volunteering times and frequency will vary depending on the volunteer’s availability and the needs of the residents. We recommend weekly one-to-one sessions for a minimum of 3 months.

Support 

•  Volunteers receive a thorough induction and have access to any relevant in-house and external training
•  Reasonable travel and lunch expenses will be reimbursed
• The role is based at the service in East London. The exact address cannot be given until the volunteer starts due to safety and privacy reasons.

Amy’s Place is a partnership between the Amy Winehouse Foundation and Clarion Housing, providing supported living accommodation for young women aged 18-30 in recovery from drugs, alcohol and other addictive behaviors.

An enthusiastic, reliable and compassionate volunteer with good interpersonal skills and a desire to help others. The volunteer needs to hold a professional level diploma in counselling and have training and experience working with individuals with eating disorders.

Activities

• To provide therapeutic support to young women (aged 18-30) with eating disorders
• One-to-One counselling sessions will aim to support the individual to improve self-confidence, identify and resolve negative thought processes, implement constructive coping strategies and empower them to fulfil attainable life goals
• To develop and promote a positive relationship with the women within allocated caseload
• To keep up-to-date with development in the field of counselling and eating disorder therapy
• To manage appropriate professional boundaries in the relationship
• To maintain records for monitoring, evaluation and tracking purposes plus service evaluation
• To take responsibility for own professional development

Requirements

• Hold a professional level diploma in counselling
• Hold professional membership with BACP, UKCP or equivalent
• Have own regular supervision with a qualified supervisor
• Fully trained in eating disorder therapy and previous experience supporting individuals with eating disorders
• This role requires us to carry out a check through the Disclosure and Barring Service for the Enhanced DBS

Commitment 

This is a flexible opportunity and volunteering times and frequency will vary depending on the volunteer’s availability and the needs of the residents. Ideally weekly one-to-one sessions for a minimum of 3 months.

Support 

•  Volunteers receive a thorough induction and have access to any relevant in-house and external training
•  Reasonable travel and lunch expenses will be reimbursed
• The role is based at the service in East London. The exact address cannot be given until the volunteer starts due to safety and privacy reasons.

We are looking for Volunteers based in either:

Gloucester, Bristol., South Wales, Devon, Somerset, Hertfordshire and Leicester.

To help run our family hubs, where tasks involve making refreshments and interacting with families.

Help with fundraising events: include selling raffle tickets, helping at the charity awaremeness stand, talking to people etc.

Who we are 

Voluntary Action South Lanarkshire (VASLan) is South Lanarkshire’s Third Sector Interface.

Our dedicated team play a crucial role in being a source of knowledge, connecting partners, being a voice for the sector and supporting local organisations to build capacity. We want to build resilient and enabled communities to create a stronger, fairer, and more equitable South Lanarkshire with volunteers, Social Enterprises, and community organisations at its heart.

Our Board of Trustees are volunteers and provide strategic direction, offer advice, and ensure our work and activities continue to advance our objectives.

Who we need 

We are looking for several new trustees to join our board. We are currently looking for well-rounded board members with a mix of skills, experiences, and perspectives. No previous experience is necessary, and we want to welcome a range of applicants, especially from young professionals and community leaders.

Time commitment 

Board members are required to attend bi-monthly board meetings (either in person or virtually) along with our yearly Annual General Meeting. Additionally, you will support your fellow trustees and staff on an ad hoc basis.

This is an unpaid voluntary role, but we will pay travel expenses.

What’s in it for you 

• You will be positively contributing to the future of South Lanarkshire’s Third Sector

• Develop vital skills, knowledge, experience, and connections within the Third Sector. 

• Work alongside a committed and passionate team of trustees.

• Training and guidance provided, with 2-3 board development sessions each year.

How to apply  

We want to encourage applications from people of all ethnicities, ages, and backgrounds. It’s important to us that we represent our local communities and that our board is diverse and infusing fresh perspectives and energy into our strategic planning.

You don’t need any previous board experience as we will provide necessary training.

To apply, just send a copy of your CV along with a short covering letter explaining why you’re applying and what you could bring to VASLan. We also welcome informal enquiries. 

Closing date for applications: Friday 17th May.

Are you passionate about law, policy, and effective communications? Statewatch, a small team dedicated to promoting civil liberties and human rights through research, reporting and analysis, is seeking a motivated volunteer to assist in our efforts to make legal and political information accessible to all.

Terms

Time commitment: Approximately 2-3 hours per week, including a 1/2 hour check-in with the communications worker, for a 3-month period (with the possibility of extension). 

Starting date: Immediately. 

Compensation: This is an unpaid volunteer position.

Location: Remote

About Statewatch 

Statewatch produces and promotes critical research, policy analysis and investigative journalism to inform debates, movements and campaigns on civil liberties, human rights and democratic standards. We began operating in 1991 and are based in London.

Our vision: An open Europe of democracy, civil liberties, personal and political rights, free movement, freedom of information, equality and diversity.

Our mission: To monitor, analyse and expose state activity that threatens civil liberties, human rights and democratic standards in order to inform and enable a culture of diversity, debate and dissent.

About the position: 

In this role, you will work closely with the communications specialist to conduct the following.

1. Archive review and cataloguing: 

• Review Statewatch's archive of work, including reports, articles, and publications.

• Identify content with continued relevance based on ongoing policies or contemporary issues.

• Catalogue relevant content by both topic/context and type of relevance (e.g., policy implications, historical insights).

• Organise the catalogued content for easy reference and retrieval.

1. Social media messaging: 

• Draft ideas for social-ready messaging in various length by distilling relevant information from the catalogued content.

• Assist with translating legal and political language into accessible and accurate information suitable for social media platforms.

• Ensure messaging aligns with Statewatch's mission and messaging guidelines.

1. Language guide development: 

• Identify key terms and phrases commonly used in Statewatch's external messaging.

• Research and provide guidance on the relevance and appropriateness of certain statements or terminology.

• Assist with developing a language guide for discussing specific topics, including examples and explanations.

• Collaborate with Statewatch team members to ensure consistency and accuracy in messaging.

Key results

1. Catalogued archive of relevant content, organised by topic/context and type of relevance.

2. Social media messaging templates and content suitable for various platforms.

3. Comprehensive language guide for discussing specific topics, including examples and explanations.

About you

We are looking for someone who:

• Has an understanding of legal and political language, with an interest in translating complex concepts into accessible information.

• Research and analytical skills.

• Is proficient in written communications in the English language

• Interest in the political and social context in which Statewatch operates

Benefits:

• Gain hands-on experience in legal research, policy analysis, and accessible communications.

• Work closely with a dedicated team passionate about civil liberties and human rights.

• Make a meaningful contribution to Statewatch's mission of promoting transparency, accountability, and democratic standards.

• Develop valuable skills in communication, research, and advocacy.

Every 6 minutes someone learns that they are losing their sight. Every five hours, a baby is born with sight problems. In these moments, two profound questions emerge:

• Can this be stopped?

• How do I (or my child) live this life?

The merger of Fight for Sight and Vision Foundation, which took place on 1st April 2023, will enable us to address both questions. By combining our strengths and expertise we are now the only significant national funder with the efficiency,

capability, and capacity to increase investment in medical research and social improvement. Together we can mitigate both the prevalence and impact of sight loss. We have a clear ambition – to save sight and to change lives.

We are now seeking up to four new trustees as we establish ourselves in our new form and under our new name (soon to be announced). This is an exciting inflection point for us, and our new trustees will be central in enabling us to achieve our ambition.

We have worked through our merger and have a clear focus and vision, as well as a strong Board and senior leadership team, all of whom are ambitious for the potential impact we can make. Our re-brand will also enable us to amplify our position as a leader within the sight loss sector. Our merger was a critical step in accelerating research which will create a positive impact on the lives of millions of people. We do not want this opportunity to pass us by and that’s what makes these such an important and exciting roles for the right people.

As a trustee, you will have the opportunity to steer the course of our charity and our sector, shaping our strategies, and advocating for meaningful change. You will be help us be a driving force behind world leading research into sight loss prevention, and transformative initiatives that enhance the quality of life for countless individuals.

We are particularly seeking individuals who have a medical or scientific research background, ideally in ophthalmology, and those who have experience in retail and fundraising. If you want to be part of something that will really make a difference, we’d love to hear from you.

“I extend a heartfelt invitation to those who share our commitment to making a profound difference in the lives of individuals affected by sight loss. Our journey towards a future where eye diseases are prevented and the challenges faced by the visually impaired are overcome requires the collective effort of dedicated individuals. We are seeking trustees who are not only passionate advocates for our cause but also possess the vision, expertise, and dedication to guide and govern our organisation. Your unique perspectives and skills will play a pivotal role in shaping and defining our impact for years to come.”

Dr Heather Giles, Chair

“Our two organisations came together to form a new dynamic, ambitious, entrepreneurial, impact-driven organisation to save sight and change lives. We are searching for trustees that can join us, and be at the forefront of creating the culture, the outlook and the methods of working and the operations to truly make a difference in society.”

Keith Valentine, CEO

 

ABOUT US 

We are a new organisation forged from two ambitious charities: Fight for Sight and Vision Foundation. Our single, unifying mission is to save sight and change lives.

It is a mission that reflects two urgent questions everyone faces when they receive a diagnosis of sight loss: ‘How do I stop this?’ and ‘How do I live my life?’

Answering these questions guides our strategy as we progress a five-year plan with solid and lofty aspirations.

THE MERGER

Fight for Sight funds breakthrough research and life-changing services to build a more equitable future for blind and partially sighted people by accelerating breakthroughs in multiple sight loss conditions.

Vision Foundation works to inform, include and empower the visually impaired community. Empowerment is at the heart of what we do; our work focuses on what people can do, rather than what they can’t.

The merger will help us to realise a joint ambition to tackle sight loss from both a clinical and social perspective. Our combined organisation is now grounded in data and insight into the science, as well as the lived experience of, sight loss. With this wealth of evidence we’re determined to:

- generate further investment into the sector,

- accelerate clinical progress,

- improve quality of life for people facing or living with sight loss

Crucially, coming together is about growing our influence and impact, not reducing or diluting what we do. So, as we evolve as a merged organisation, we are combining our teams, announcing our new name and fine-tuning our unified

mission and strategy – as well as continuing with the important work we’re already committed to – you can expect big things from us and it is an exciting time to join us as a trustee.

OUR FUTURE

Our principal role is as a grant-maker. We award grants to the scientific community that could lead to scientific breakthroughs and treatments to stop eye diseases from progressing. In the future, we believe research can prevent people from losing sight and reverse sight loss. We invest to advance treatments that will cure eye disease and protect and grow the community of world-class scientists, technologists, and data scientists who can deliver tomorrow’s breakthroughs. Historically, Vision Foundation has funded innovations that directly impact people who are blind or partially sighted, from music classes for children to projects that take eye tests into at-risk communities. We invest in programmes, organisations and activities that deliver equity for and with blind and visually impaired people.

As a grant-maker, we are change-makers, accelerators and drivers of impact. We are bold, energetic, challenging, disruptive, tenacious, and determined.

We aren’t afraid to tackle the challenges facing the sight loss community, either. Recent campaigns include The Unseen, which unearthed the shocking scale and nature of domestic abuse among blind and partially sighted people, and See My Skills, which addressed high unemployment rates. The charity excels at working in partnership with others towards creating a more equitable society for the sight loss community.

As we progress, we’ll scale the impact of projects like these, look beyond the nation’s capital, and drive systemic change. We’ll need to secure the funds to invest in our trusted partners to achieve our ambitions. We’ll continue to fundraise by engaging with supporters and companies through legacies, events such as the London Marathon, and our network of charity shops.

The evidence we commission influences policy and decision-making to demand equality for all.

We’ll shortly have a new name that reflects our united ambitions, so it’s an exciting time for us and the people we serve.

 

OUR FINANCES

The charity is in a strong position financially, with a high level of reserves that we intend to draw down over the coming years as we focus on investing in sustainable growth and increasing our impact. Compared to many charities, we

have well diversified income streams, predictable costs, and are in the fortunate position to hold a sizable portfolio of investments. Our plans for the short and medium term are to invest in our income generation infrastructure, and to significantly increase the amounts of funding we can put to our charitable purpose.

OUR BOARD AND LEADERSHIP TEAM

Fight for Sight / Vision Foundation is the only organisation in the sight loss sector with an Executive Leadership Team that has over half of its members with lived experience of sight loss.

The Board currently numbers ten trustees, including our newly appointed Chair.

The Board meets four times a year, or more often as required.

Follow this link to find out more about our Board.

 

ROLE DESCRIPTION

As the most senior leaders in our charity, trustees play a pivotal role in guiding our strategic direction, amplifying our impact, and ensuring the fulfilment of our mission to save sight and change lives. You will serve on the main board and will be invited also to get involved in one of our sub-committees. These are currently:

- Social Impact & Scientific Research Committee (SISR)

- Finance, Audit, Risk & Resources Committee (FARR)

- People Committee

- Retail Committee

 

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Leadership & Planning

- Provide leadership and strategic guidance to the charity, aligning efforts with the mission and values of the organisation.

- Collaborate with the board, executive team, and stakeholders to develop and implement long-term strategies that advance the charity’s impact and sustainability.

Governance

- Ensure effective governance, decision-making, and compliance with legal and ethical standards.

- Work closely with board members, fostering a culture of transparency, accountability, collaboration and open communication, harnessing different views and opinions.

Engagement

- Represent the charity at public events and networking opportunities to promote our mission and raise awareness about our cause.

- Develop and nurture relationships with key stakeholders, including donors, partners, corporations, government agencies, and the visually impaired community.

Evaluation and Accountability

- Collaborate with the board to evaluate performance, ensuring alignment with the charity’s goals and objectives.

- Ensure the charity is accountable to donors and beneficiaries, that is financially robust and sustainable, and that is effective risk management in place.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

We are seeking dynamic and dedicated individuals to serve as trustees of our ambitious merged organisation. The ideal candidates will have a strong commitment to our cause, along with the following:

Specialist experience

At this time, we are particularly interested in candidates who have leadership experience in:

- Scientific and/or medical research

- Ophthalmic research and/or clinical practice

- Strategic oversight of substantial fundraising and/or retail operations

Despite these areas of interest, we welcome a diversity of skills and experience at our charity and on our Board, and want to find the right candidates regardless of their specific areas of expertise or experience. So if you are interested in this role and think you can contribute to our mission, we’d love to hear from you.

General attributes

Knowledge & experience

- An understanding of governance, and experience on a committee or board.

- Demonstrated ability to build and maintain partnerships with stakeholders, including donors, corporations and government agencies.

Skills & abilities

- Strategic thinking and the ability to contribute to long-term planning and vision to deliver impact.

- Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage diverse audiences.

- Entrepreneurial instincts and a healthy understanding of risk balanced with ambition using sound judgement.

Styles & behaviours

- High ethical standards and commitment to upholding the charity’s values, as well as a passion for advocating on behalf of individuals with, or at risk of, sight loss.

- Collaborative, highly inclusive, fostering trust and valuing difference perspectives.

- Solution-focused, with an ability to see the big picture and be pragmatic.

 

TERMS OF APPOINTMENT

Remuneration

This role is not accompanied by any financial remuneration, although reasonable expenses may be claimed.

Time commitment

While the exact time commitment may vary based on the charity’s needs and priorities, we anticipate the following general expectations:

- A minimum of four Board meetings per year

- Up to four subcommittee meetings per year (the specific committee depending on skills and experience)

- Preparation for meetings, review of materials, and other trustee engagement as appropriate.

- Annual Strategy Day with full Board and executive team.

- Meetings with members of the executive leadership team as appropriate.

- Representing the charity at high profile events, functions and public engagements to enhance its reputation and partnerships.

Location

At present Board meetings are held in central London. Subcommittee meetings are held remotely.

SUMMARY

Minds Vanessa Project is looking for a volunteer with a passion for gardening to join in with their project.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Gardening Volunteer position available for Mind’s Vanessa Project on a Tuesday 11am-1pm (2 hours).

Applicant would assist with service users in gardening projects and have casual conversations. If the weather is bad, then indoor activities will be available including planning of gardening activities, colouring and nature related quizzes.

Personal Skills and Qualities that will be beneficial:

· Passion for gardening

· Communication Skills

· Humour

· Willingness to help

· Positive attitude

· Compassion

· Lived experience

· Works well as part of a team

Tasks and Responsibilities:

• Providing support to service users who have different capabilities to complete gardening activities.

• Talking to service users regarding a diverse range of subjects.

Qualities and Skills gained or improved upon through volunteering for the Vanessa Project at Mind:

• Teamwork

• Gardening Skills

• Time Management

• Problem Solving

• Organisation

• Interpersonal Skills

Mind offers a range of training opportunities available to all volunteers.