Michelle Dornelly

Children with Voices started over 20 years ago with one woman, a community hall and a belief that no child in Hackney should be forgotten. Our founder Michelle began with a Winter Wonderland for local children at London Fields School, covered by the Hackney Gazette, after being named Family Mosaic Inspirational Tenant of the Year.

Today we are a registered charity at Fawcett Estate Community Hall in Clapton, running a Community Food Hub, Jumping Beans, SEND support, alternative education and work in local schools. Over 100,000 children and families have come through our doors.

We are looking for a volunteer Secretary to support our Board of Trustees and help keep our governance organised and on track.

The right volunteer will be someone who is organised, reliable and comfortable working with confidential information. You might be a retired professional with experience in administration, governance or supporting a Board, or someone looking to build practical experience in charity governance. You do not need previous Board experience as we will support you.

Duties and responsibilities:

• Preparing agendas and sending board papers out ahead of meetings
• Taking accurate minutes and ensuring they are approved and properly filed
• Keeping track of actions between Board meetings so important tasks do not get forgotten
• Keeping our trustee and conflicts of interest registers up to date
• Helping make sure important Charity Commission and Companies House deadlines are met
• Handling confidential Board and governance information with appropriate discretion

We would be looking for the prospective volunteer to give approximately 4–6 hours a month. Board meetings take place quarterly, alongside the AGM. The role is based in Hackney with remote working available.

What you will need:

Clear and accurate writing, because good minutes and Board papers need to be understood by everyone. Strong organisation and reliability, because keeping a Board on track means following things through. Discretion, as you will sometimes be dealing with confidential matters. Governance or Board experience would be helpful but is not essential.

What you will get from us:

The chance to gain genuine Board-level and charity governance experience and see how a community charity is run from the inside. A full induction and proper support, so you are never left to figure things out alone. Direct experience working with our Board of Trustees and leadership team. A personal reference from our Founder and CEO, Michelle, and the knowledge that your work is helping our charity run properly for the children and families we support.