Volunteer volunteer roles in mansfield, nottinghamshire
Enriching lives and creating bright futures for all, Derby College Group is looking for a Chair of Finance & Resources and a new Governor with audit expertise to help push forward this critical agenda.
Applications close: 9 a.m. Monday 1st September 2025
Location: Derby
Time commitment: 5 board meetings per year
About Derby College Group
Derby College Group (DCG) is the 18th largest college in the country, supporting 54% of learners in Derby City and its surrounding area. The vision of Derby College Group (DCG) is to create world-class, accessible education opportunities that enrich lives and make bright futures a reality for all. DCG is committed to providing educational excellence, championing social mobility and driving economic prosperity.
DCG delivers high-quality academic, vocational and technical education that empowers people to achieve their ambitions while providing employers across the Midlands and beyond with the talented workforce of tomorrow.
Through a dynamic and responsive curriculum, it predicts and serves the needs of its business and civic communities. Students of all ages and backgrounds are prepared for positive destinations in the next stage of their lives, whether that be further study, the world of work, entrepreneurship or independent living. They leave DCG ready to contribute to society as responsible citizens.
The Group’s portfolio of educational programmes and skills solutions is underpinned by thriving partnerships with employers, shaped by comprehensive market intelligence and informed by liaison with key stakeholders such as the East Midlands Combined Authority.
A truly diverse organisation, the Group comprises four Colleges – the Roundhouse, the Joseph Wright Centre, Broomfield Hall, and the Community College, Ilkeston. Every year it caters for thousands of learners spanning post-16 students pursuing academic and technical pathways, apprentices at all levels, higher education students, and adults seeking career progression, upskilling and reskilling.
About the roles
Being a Governor in the FE sector is like no other voluntary role. At Derby College Group, you will be a member of the Board of Corporation led by our Chair, Andrew Cochrane, contributing to the overall responsibilities of the Board, which include:
- The preservation and development of the educational character and mission of the Group and oversight of its activities:
- Setting and communicating the Group’s strategy and goals.
- Exercising effective control to ensure that funds and assets are protected, the organisation remains solvent and legal obligations are met.
- Holding executive leaders to account for the educational performance and quality of the college and for the performance of staff.
The DCG Corporation structure consists of five Board meetings per year with all Governors attending and a number of specific committees, including Curriculum Performance, Audit, Finance & Resources and Strategy & Curriculum Planning, feeding into the main Board.
Who we are looking for
Chair of Finance & Resources Committee
We welcome applications from qualified financial leaders, someone who understands technical accounting, and has the ability to monitor financial performance to ensure financial stability. Candidates may have gained their professional experience from a range of settings, including education, the public sector, charities, and other corporate entities.
Given the committee leadership nature of this role, we anticipate that candidates will have previous experience sitting on or reporting to a Board, which will provide them with the skills and understanding of the expectations, processes, and procedures that come with leading a committee.
You will attend all board meetings and lead the Finance & Resources Committee that meets five times over the academic year, along with building a trusted professional relationship with our Chief Financial Officer, Jo Clifford.
Governor – Audit
As a member of the Corporation and Audit Committee, you will attend all Board meetings as well as the Audit Committee meetings.
For this role, we are seeking someone ideally with a regulatory background, an active interest in further education, and someone with strategic awareness experience and understanding, as well as critical reasoning skills and the ability to engage in board-level discussions and decision-making.
Most importantly, you will be passionate about the power of education at all stages in life and will have an understanding of the area, both the City of Derby and the wider East Midlands.
You will also be a team player and a critical thinker, using these skills to work closely with other Governors to continue to drive forward the success of the College for students and the City of Derby.
Peridot Partners and Derby College Group are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and our client expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references before any final offer can be made.
Please click 'Redirect to recruiter’ to be redirected to the Peridot Partners website, where you can find full details of the candidate profile and register your interest to apply.
Applications for this role close at 9 a.m. Monday 1st September 2025.
Recruitment Agency
21 - 50
We’re an executive search firm working across third sector, education and membership sectors to transform leadership and inspire change.
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Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Since 2002, we’ve delivered a structured, high-impact, programme of mentoring, a paid internship, skills masterclasses, and workplace visits for young people from under-represented backgrounds.
Our programme empowers them with new-found skills, confidence, aspirations, and support networks, boosting their life outcomes. It also enables employers to engage with and shape future talent, adding value to their organisation, and make a positive difference in their local communities.
Our values
Our people are committed and passionate about changing the lives of young people. Our organisational values underpin how we work and are at the core of everything we do.:
· Trust
· Bravery
· Collaboration
· Empowerment
· Inclusion
We have 40 colleagues across the UK, and strong collaboration across a remote working environment is critical to our success. We champion flexibility and wellbeing, and strive to be a positive place work, both in terms of our mission and our culture.
Our impact and growth
Across the UK in 2024 we supported 4,238 young people across our two programme cohorts, with 4,395 volunteers supporting them. We worked with 374 employers to provide mentors and summer internships in 2024 and have 194 school and college partners.
Thanks to the support of our network, we’re able to have the following impact for young people:
· 99% of programme graduates go into higher education, apprenticeships or work
· 90% of students said they felt more confident than before the programme
· Career Ready alumni have a professional network twice the size of their non-programme peers
· 90% of students rated their career skills a strength following their paid internship
Following a challenging couple of years in the charity sector and wider economy, we have just closed the 2024/25 financial year in a more positive position. We are set to embark on a new 2025-30 strategy which focuses around 4 key pillars:
· Income sustainability
· Digital enablement and adoption
· UK programme alignment
· People & Culture
We are looking for further brilliant people to join our Board of Trustees and help us excel our new strategic focus.
About the role
Role purpose
As a Trustee you will make a significant contribution to creating empowering opportunities for young people from under-represented backgrounds.
The role of the Trustee is to ensure that Career Ready is carrying out its purpose, as set out in the Memorandum and Articles of Association, and that it complies with the law.
Trustees must always act in the best interests of Career Ready, with reasonable care and skill, whilst also ensuring it is accountable. They must also ensure that Career Ready manages its’ resources effectively and sets the forward direction of the organisation.
Main responsibilities and accountabilities
· Ensuring that Career Ready functions within the legal and financial requirements of a Charitable Company
· Account for the work of Career Ready to Companies House, The Charity Commission, OSCR, funders
· Managing risks, protecting assets (reputation) and people
· Ensuring that Career Ready strives to achieve best practice in all aspects of its work
· Determining the overall policy and direction of the Charity
· Fixing the annual budgets and approving accounts
· Recognising and dealing with conflicts of interest
· Appointing the Chief Executive Officer when required
· Agreeing strategic and work plans
· Collaborating with members of the senior management team in the development of strategic plans
· Hearing membership appeals against the decisions of the Chief Executive Officer
· Ensuring that Career Ready maintains and complies with a policy of equal opportunities in respect of staff, members and stakeholders
· Act as a champion and ambassador for the work of Career Ready
Person Specification
We are looking for 3-4 Trustees who have:
· A commitment to the mission of Career Ready
· An understanding of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of Trusteeship
· Integrity
· Sound judgement
· Strategic vision
· A willingness to contribute ideas and challenge
· Willingness to actively participate in developing the senior leadership team through sharing of skills and expertise
As part of this recruitment exercise, we aspire to have greater Trustee representation from the following sectors/areas of expertise:
· Digital/technology/systems
· Comms/marketing
· Fundraising
· Finance
· Government/Policy
· Operations
In addition, we welcome applications from individuals from underrepresented groups, to align with the diverse range of young people we serve, for example, lived experience of social mobility.
Commitment
We’re looking for trustees who aren’t just interested—they’re invested. Our ambitions are big, and we need people who have the capacity and motivation to engage with us in achieving these.
At least four meetings per year plus AGM. Usually held in person in London/other locations with opportunity to join remotely.
Up to three-year initial term.
Invitation to join Career Ready team at annual All-Colleague event.
Encouraged to support and participate in Career Ready events.
Opportunities to join and influence other projects and governance committees.
Timetable
Applications close at 5pm on Thursday 31st July.
Please note that the closing date may be brought forward if we receive strong applications.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
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The International Council of Museums in the United Kingdom (ICOM UK) is seeking a new trustee with strong financial acumen and a passion for the museums and heritage sector and working internationally to be the Finance Lead on our Board. This is a strategic finance role to support the Strategic Director and advise the Board of Trustees in respect of the conduct of the charity’s financial affairs.
The role requires experience and skills in financial planning and management, preferably in a charity and/or company, along with the ability to understand and communicate the impact of decisions on the organisation’s finances.
We welcome applications from professionals with the skills, knowledge and lived experience that will strengthen and diversify our Board.
For further details on the roles and ICOM UK, you can view our Finance Lead Trustee Recruitment Pack.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
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Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
At a time when we are experiencing the largest reforms to the welfare rights system in a generation, we believe this is an exciting opportunity for individuals interested in welfare rights work, to join a respected organisation working at the forefront of the advice sector.
The Welfare Benefits Unit offers specialist welfare benefits advice to those who work with members of the public. Our experienced advisers provide independent support through our advice line, publications, training, consultancy, campaigns and projects.
The Welfare Benefits Unit aims to maximise benefit take-up, helping to reduce the incidence and impact of poverty and in doing so improve health, well-being, financial and social inclusion. We are a registered charity based in York. We primarily operate in North Yorkshire and York although some of our services are accessed by organisations working further afield.
We continue to aim towards a board that reflects the populations we work to support, and as such, welcome individuals from diverse ethnic communities, LGBTQIA+ groups, as well as younger people, those with disabilities, and those who have lived experience of the welfare benefits system.
Knowledge, Skills and Experience
We welcome and support applications from those new to being a Trustee. We also know that studies have shown some people are less likely to apply for positions unless they believe meet every requirement in the description. The most important thing for us is to find Trustees that connect with our values and who can readily buy into our mission. Though we have suggested skills and experience areas below, which would be keen to hear from, we’re eager to meet people that believe in our mission and can contribute to our board in a variety of ways – not just candidates who tick all the boxes.
We’re keen to add these areas of skills and experience to our board:
- Financial, legal or HR matters (especially as they may apply to a small charity)
- Expertise in marketing, digital or similar technological areas
- Welfare benefits system and welfare rights advice or lived experience.
About the Role
All Trustee positions are voluntary with reasonable expenses remunerated. To be an effective Trustee, you will need to commit up to 1-2 days per quarter to attend and prepare for board meetings which are held virtually.
Effective Trustees support our work by:
- ensuring we are working towards our vision, mission and values in everything we do
- ensuring the effective and efficient use of resources, maintaining proper financial and regulatory oversight and best practice as a charity
- approving the annual budget, and supporting strategic decision-making by actively contributing advice and guidance
- appointing key personnel such as the Chief Executive, and determining pay and conditions for the wider team
- constructively guide the Senior Leadership Team in the delivery of the organisation’s strategy
- actively representing and championing the work of the Welfare Benefits Unit.
Registered Charity
6 - 10
Maximise benefit entitlement, ensuring access to expert advice, improving the capability of advisers, disseminating information and influencing policy
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
The Sheila McKechnie Foundation (SMK) was set up in June 2005 in memory of legendary campaigner, Sheila McKechnie.Campaigning is vital to a healthy society. We help campaigners to thrive. In a free and hopeful society, people need to know they have the power to make a difference: that they are able to envisage change and can push for that change to happen. For nearly two decades, we have helped all sorts of individuals, causes and charities to find their power as changemakers – as campaigners. We support, connect and champion these campaigners, equipping them to go after the social change they seek.
The Chair will hold the Board and staff team to account for SMK’s mission and vision, provide inclusive leadership to the Board and ensure that Board members fulfil their duties and responsibilities for the effective governance of SMK. The Chair will line manage and support the Chief Executive and ensure that the Board functions as a unit and works closely with the Chief Executive and staff team to achieve agreed objectives. They may also be asked to act as an ambassador and a public face of SMK in partnership with the Chief Executive and the Board.
For further information, see our website and the recruitment pack.
