Could you help to improve education in Chelmsford by volunteering to become a member at a multi-academy trust? The Chelmsford Learning Partnership seeks one new member with experience in the audit and legal sectors to join their board.

Members provide independent oversight to the work of the board of trustees to ensure suitable accountability for decision making and strategy. As multi-academy trusts (MATs) grow and develop, they face significant challenges. This role enables professionals to use skills and experience gained throughout their career to help trusts across England and improve the life chances of young people. All roles are pro bono.

The opportunity

The Chelmsford Learning Partnership was established in 2012 and grew out of The Boswells School which converted to academy status. The trust expanded rapidly in 2018 when five schools joined and the trust opened its first brand-new school, The Beaulieu Park School as part of the free schools programme. Despite the challenges of the Corona virus, the trust opened its second new school, Lakelands Primary on time and the first cohort of children are settled into the new building and looking forward to growing next year as the children move up a year and more new children join.

The trust's vision for their schools is a simple one. They believe that, as a collective of schools, they are stronger together and that by working together they aspire to provide an outstanding education for every child.

The trust's ethos is centred on keep each school's individual identity and ensuring all schools operate with their own headteachers, leadership teams, staff and Local Governing Bodies; each with a degree of earned autonomy and ethos that makes each school in the trust unique.

Person specification

The board seeks one member with previous experience in

• Audit or
• Legal or
• Succession Planning

Applicants should have an extensive and demonstrable background in senior leadership roles, with strategic vision and knowledge of the non-executive director role.

What's involved?

Members have a similar role to the shareholders in a company limited by shares. They provide high-level oversight and scrutiny of the work of the trust board.

Most notably, members:

• define the trust's charitable object and governance structure;
• amend the articles of association;
• appoint or remove trustees;
• appoint the trust's auditors and receive the trust's annual audited accounts; and, ultimately,
• dissolve the academy trust if required.

Members will typically meet once per year with preparation time required. This translates to a commitment of around two hours per month.

People from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

All roles are pro bono

We strongly recommend applying as early as you can to have the best possible chance of being considered as we may change the closing date if we have received sufficient applications.

Icon is now recruiting for a Trustee - We seek a people-focussed individual with an appreciation of conservation of cultural heritage, to work with our Board of elected and co-opted trustees to help the charity deliver its mission of delivering ‘Advocacy, Excellence and Engagement’ in conservation. 

About Icon

The Institute of Conservation (Icon) is a membership organisation and charity which brings together those with a passion for the care of cultural heritage. Icon’s vision is for cultural heritage to be valued and accessible and for its future to be enhanced and safeguarded by excellence in conservation. Icon raises awareness of the cultural, social and economic value of caring for heritage and champions high standards of conservation.

The Role

Icon’s Trustees have ultimate responsibility for the organisation and are both charity trustees and the directors of the charitable company. Trustees are either elected by members or are recruited for their expertise and interest in heritage. Icon is now recruiting for a Trustee who will also be Chair Designate for the Finance Committee.

Person Specification

-Board level business and financial management experience in a commercial, public sector or charitable environment, including expertise in management accounts, financial risk, audits, regulatory frameworks and project finance. A qualification from one of the recognised professional accounting bodies and current registration would be an advantage.

-Non-executive director or trustee experience is not essential.

-Icon is keen to increase the diversity of its Board.

-Commitment to Icon’s values and the conservation of cultural heritage

-Understanding and acceptance of the duties, responsibilities and liabilities of trusteeship

-Understanding of the role of governance

-Good, independent judgement and a willingness to speak their mind

-Ability to work effectively as a member of a team

-You will also meet the requirements in our Trustee Role Description

-All trustees agree to comply with the Icon Trustees’ Code of Conduct.

Please download our candidate pack for more details.

Are you a CFO, Legal, Estates or HR professional looking to make a difference to the education sector by joining an academy trust board at the point of opening?

Inclusive Education Trust, a special educational needs (SEND) focused trust, based in Surrey, seeks three non-executives/directors to join its board. Board meetings are held at Guildford GU2 8AA when safe to do so.

The Academy Ambassadors programme brings the expertise of the business world onto boards at multi-academy trusts (MATs) throughout the country to raise standards of education and improve the life chances of young people, which is critical to our social and economic success.

The opportunity

Inclusive Education Trust will be comprised of one primary school and two 5-16 schools in Surrey with a combined budget of £3.2 million. All three schools are Ofsted rated Outstanding. All students have SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) and have been or at risk of exclusion from mainstream school and circa 50% of pupils in the trust's schools are Free School Meal recipients. The trust will be led by a National Leader of Education with a focus on staff CPD alongside delivering purpose driven curriculum and maintaining the Ofsted Outstanding judgements. This is an exciting opportunity to join the trust at this early stage and make a huge impact to the students and communities the trust serves.

The board seeks three business leaders with board level experience in

• human resources or
• legal or
• finance at CFO level or
• estates/property management (experience working with local authorities would be highly regarded)

As a key member of the board you will support the trust in achieving the following over the next 12 - 24 months:

• Maintain high standards and outstanding Ofsted results whilst providing more CPD opportunities to staff within the trust
• Management and ongoing maintenance of the premises which are in need of upgrade to be conducive to learning
• Ensure the ongoing financial stability of the trust, mitigating any potential changes to funding in the complex environment of SEND funding

What's involved?

Board governance in education is a strategic, 'eyes on, hands off' commitment which typically involves attending c. six board meetings per year/6-8 hours' time per month.

You will be responsible for:

• Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
• Holding executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the organisation and its pupils, and the effective and efficient performance management of staff; and
• Overseeing the financial performance of the organisation and making sure its money is well spent

As an Academy Ambassador, you will join our ambassador network which provides resources, guidance, networking events and webinars to support you in your role.

All roles are pro bono.

People from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

What next?

Please register your interest now to be considered for the role.

Please be aware the closing date may change if we have received sufficient applications.

Citizens Advice Witness Service provides free and independent support for both Prosecution and Defence Witnesses giving evidence at a Criminal Court. Our trained volunteers provide practical information about the court process as well as emotional support to help witnesses feel more confident when giving evidence.

We are looking for people who are able to give one day per week to support witnesses at Stafford Combined Court Centre, we provide free training and any out of pocket expenses during volunteering. As a Witness Service Volunteer you can make a real difference to individuals experience through offering an enhanced and tailored service based on their needs, additionally, you can gain valuable experience and develop interpersonal skills.

If you are available to volunteer for at least one full day per week and you are looking for a volunteering role that is sometimes challenging and very much rewarding, then this may be a volunteering opportunity for you. Our Volunteer Role profile is available for further details.

COVID-19 considerations:
In response to coronavirus, we’re taking additional precautions to ensure our volunteers are kept safe, in accordance with Public Health guidance HMCT ensures court buildings are safe, secure & clean.

Citizens Advice Witness Service provides free and independent support for both Prosecution and Defence Witnesses giving evidence at a Criminal Court. Our trained volunteers provide practical information about the court process as well as emotional support to help witnesses feel more confident when giving evidence.

We are looking for people who are able to give one day per week to support witnesses at Walsall Magistrates Court, we provide free training and any out of pocket expenses during volunteering. As a Witness Service Volunteer you can make a real difference to individuals experience through offering an enhanced and tailored service based on their needs, additionally, you can gain valuable experience and develop interpersonal skills.

If you are available to volunteer for at least one full day per week and you are looking for a volunteering role that is sometimes challenging and very much rewarding, then this may be a volunteering opportunity for you. Our Volunteer Role profile is available for further details.

COVID-19 considerations:
In response to coronavirus, we’re taking additional precautions to ensure our volunteers are kept safe, in accordance with Public Health guidance HMCT ensures court buildings are safe, secure & clean.

Could you be an Academy Ambassador in York? South York Multi Academy Trust seeks one new non-executives/director to join its board, to shape the next phase of the trust's journey and to inspire its children and young people to achieve and flourish.

The Academy Ambassadors programme brings the expertise of the business world onto boards at multi-academy trusts (MATs) throughout the country to raise standards of education and improve the life chances of young people, which is critical to our social and economic success.

The opportunity

The South York Multi Academy Trust stems from over twenty years of collaborative working and partnership between the current trust members and the schools set to join the trust. The trust's current membership and growth plans exemplify its work to develop outstanding provision across the 4-18 age range within York and its surrounding area.

The trust currently has one secondary, one junior and two 'through primary' schools all of which are rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted. Within the trust, Church of England primary and junior schools work alongside the community provision in Fulford Secondary School. Another primary which serves children from 4-11 is set to join later this year as well as a school specialising in alternative provision for children that struggle to manage in the mainstream setting.

The board seeks a business leader with expertise in

• Education Leadership (secondary)

As a key member of the board you will support the trust in achieving the following over the next 12 - 24 months:

• Growth - there are plans to grow the trust beyond the current two schools set to join. The Board will need to maintain strategic oversight and manage associated risks.
• Maintain high standards through the period of growth. The trust is proud that all its schools are currently 'good or better' and the trust is keen to ensure the highest standards are maintained.
• Strategic development of central capacity to support the trust's schools.
• Maintaining strong financial management.

What's involved?

The trust meets as a full board once each half term (SIX meetings per year) with occasional extras for urgent matters e.g. when a new school is set to join the trust. The committees meet around FOUR times per year, and it is likely that new trustees would be invited to join a committee based on their skills and interests. The average time commitment of a trustee is around 6/8 hours per month.

You will be responsible for:

• Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
• Holding executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the organisation and its pupils, and the effective and efficient performance management of staff; and
• Overseeing the financial performance of the organisation and making sure its money is well spent

As an Academy Ambassador, you will join our ambassador network which provides resources, guidance, networking events and webinars to support you in your role. All roles are pro bono.

What next?

Please register your interest to be considered for the role.

A full trust specification is available at the academy ambassadors website.

Please be aware the closing date may change if we have received sufficient applications.

Greenpeace Chester is looking for an events coordinator to play a key role in the coordination team of the local group. The local group runs Greenpeace global campaigns focusing on protecting the natural environments we depend on, advocating for solutions to the climate emergency and building a people power to achieve these things. In the Chester local community, this involves organising many events for both campaign impact and community engagement, for example, film nights, community campaign events, new volunteer welcome evenings or fundraising events. At the moment they are mainly online, however in future these will also include in-person events.

If you are someone who is; 
- committed to Greenpeace's core values and mission 
- wants to work within the coordination team to deliver high-impact campaigns and grow the size of the local group 
- able to deliver exciting, inclusive events within the local group 
- organised and proactive 
- able to work well within a team 
- able to communicate effectively to different groups of people

This volunteer role is open to anyone who is able to:
- commit 1-2 hours per week 
- lives nearby Chester and is able to attend monthly meetings

All expenses related to events (within the Greenpeace volunteer expense policy) are able to be reimbursed.

People are needed from the Warwickshire area to support vulnerable and intimidated victims and witnesses away from the court environment, either at their home or in another agreed safe place. The outreach volunteer will assess their needs and provide support to help reduce their anxiety and enable them to give their best evidence.

Once you become a volunteer you will be given free online training. There is then a further online training based around supporting vulnerable and Intimidated victims.

Once you are fully trained you will be able to visit the witness in their home or at another safe place in Warwickshire and then support them at court on the day of the trial.

Travel expenses are reimbursed for travel to see/support the witness / victim.

*Covid Safety Measures: Due to the current situation volunteers are currently not conducting Home Visits, all Outreach support is temporarily delivered through Phone calls or through Google Meet and face to face at a Court Building.

Overview:

The aim of the social supermarket is to provide a relaxed and informal meeting place for community, providing community space for the community to feel welcome and a sense of ownership. A place where they feel safe and supported to engage with dignity and confidence, make positive relationships and can enjoy low cost provisions in a social environment.  It is therefore vital to the success of ALL #webb1fusion projects that the volunteers understand that it is not solely a supermarket or cafe meal service, but is a source of support and recreation for the people who use the centres. It is ESSENTIAL that all volunteers have a patient and cheerful disposition to ensure that the webb1welcome is practiced at all times! WE SERVE the COMMUNITY, people are OUR priority.

Main responsibilities:

• Welcome all members entering the social supermarket with a positive greeting on arrival, and ensure that they are comfortable, and know where they are going.
• Ensure names are signed in on entry/exit (track and trace)
• Assist with processing supermarket stock, including sorting, pricing, preparing items, restock the shelves when needed.
• To be involved with the till operation and the handling of cash
• Keeping the shop and kitchen area clean and tidy, recording of all cleaning in recording file.
• Ensure fridge temperatures are taken daily and all food stored clearly labelled with date stored.
• Fill out welfare forms for customers who require extra help
• Arrange delivery of emergency food hampers
• Undertake any other duties as and when necessary
• Undertake relevant training as requested
• Represent the professional standards of the charity

We are looking for volunteers, who have:

• Good communication skills, honest, trustworthy and care about community
• Catering experience, Retail, community or support work desirable but not essential
• Ability to collect and administer money from refreshment, social supermarket sales
• Good time keeping skills.
• Patience, empathy and ability, to focus on issues that are affecting members of the community
• A welcoming and helpful attitude.
• Ability to react positively and appropriately in potentially challenging situations.
• Understanding of importance of Confidentiality, Trust building and raising self-esteem of others.
• All staff Volunteers aim to work using P.A.C.E. approach to working with Community in practice.