Volunteer roles

Shelter Bucket Collection – Slough Tesco Extra

Role summary

Through their ‘Taste and Tesco’ scheme, the UK’s biggest supermarket offer charities across the UK opportunities to apply for fundraising collections outside their stores. Following a successful application, this bucket collection will take outside the Slough Wellington Tesco Extra, Slough. Volunteers will be required to stand with buckets and card machines asking the public for donations.

• Availability: This is a flexible opportunity, with various shifts between 10:00 - 17:00
• Suggested involvement: Whatever works for you - you choose the shift you volunteer at!
• Location: Slough Wellington Extra, Brunel Way, Wellington Street, Slough, SL1  1XW 
• Supervised by: Community and Events Assistant

This role is based within the Community Fundraising team. If you are looking to volunteer in our shops or services, please return to our homepage to find an appropriate opportunity.

Why volunteer with Shelter?

A home is a fundamental human need, as vital as education or healthcare. But in Britain today, that right is denied to millions of people whose lives are blighted by homelessness, bad housing conditions, soaring rents, discrimination and the threat of eviction. The time for change is now. Together with individuals, in communities and across society, we will lead the way for a safe home for all. But we need your help to do it. Becoming a Community Fundraising Volunteer will give you the opportunity to take practical action and to meet other people who are passionate about tackling the housing emergency.

Skills and Experiences Required

• Passionate about joining the fight for home

Benefits of volunteering with us

• Join our fight against bad housing and homelessness and become a force for change!
• Contribute your time flexibly as and when it suits you
• Meet other volunteers locally
• Build your confidence and develop transferable skills

Learning & Development

To enable you to take part in this opportunity we will:

• Put you in contact with a Community & Events Assistant who will support you in the role
• Provide you with relevant policies
• Provide relevant induction, training and information
• Refund any out-of-pocket expenses in line with Shelter’s volunteer expenses policy

Next Steps:

To apply for this role, please fill in an application. We'll then be back in touch with applicants to discuss the role further.

Please note, you will be asked to declare any unspent convictions. Having a criminal record does not mean that you cannot volunteer with us. It may limit the different ways that you can get involved, but please contact us if you require more information.

About Children With Voices

Children With Voices is a grassroots community charity based in Hackney, committed to supporting young people and families through initiatives that promote mental health, well-being, food sustainability, and youth empowerment. Through creative programming like Jumping Beans, the Food Hub, and holiday clubs, we aim to foster inclusive, healthy, and thriving communities.

Role Overview

We are looking for a passionate and creative Volunteer Photographer/Videographer to help us capture engaging photo and video content across our community projects. This role is ideal for someone looking to build their portfolio, gain experience in the charity sector, and contribute to meaningful causes. You'll work closely with our Social Media Manager and be an essential part of how we tell our story to the public.

Key Responsibilities

• Attend and photograph/video activities at our Food Hub on Thursdays

• Capture content during Jumping Beans and other community events

• Collaborate with the Social Media Manager to plan, produce, and edit engaging visual content

• Support the creation of digital assets (short videos, reels, photos, behind-the-scenes clips, etc.)

• Organise and file digital content for use across platforms

• Respect the privacy and safeguarding needs of children and families

• Represent the charity in a professional and compassionate manner

Time Commitment

• Mondays: Office-based (between 11am–4pm, hours flexible) to work alongside our Social Media Manager

• Thursdays: On-site at the Food Hub (between 12pm–2pm, flexible)

• Additional remote editing/content creation hours based on your availability

• Flexibility offered around academic or work commitments

Person Specification

Essential:

• Access to your own camera or video equipment

• Some experience in photography and/or videography (personal or professional)

• Strong visual storytelling skills and creative flair

• Basic editing skills (e.g., using Canva, Adobe Premiere, iMovie, or similar)

• Good interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively

• Respect for confidentiality and safeguarding protocols

Desirable:

• Experience working with community organisations or in event settings

• Interest in youth empowerment, food justice, or social impact

• Familiarity with social media trends (e.g., Instagram Reels, TikTok)

What You’ll Gain

• Experience working with a dynamic and community-led charity

• A chance to develop your photography and videography portfolio

• Opportunity to collaborate with a supportive creative team

• Recognition of your volunteer work and a reference upon request

• The chance to make a difference in local communities

Contract: Volunteer

Hours: Up to 4 hours per month

Could you befriend and support a child in care?

We are looking for volunteers for our Independent Visitors Project in Stockport!

About the Role

Independent Visitors are volunteers who befriend and spend time with a child or young person within Local Authority care. Our volunteers enjoy the challenge of building a lasting friendship and the children benefit greatly from a consistent, fun relationship with someone outside the care system.

This is a long-term, one to one commitment. Full training and on-going support will be given, and out of pocket expenses paid for mileage and activities.

About Coram

Coram is committed to improving the lives of the UK’s most vulnerable children and young people.

We support children and young people from birth to independence, creating a change that lasts a lifetime.

Coram is the UK’s oldest children’s charity founded by Thomas Coram in London helping vulnerable children and young people since 1739. Today, the Coram group helps more than one million children, young people, families and professionals every year by providing access to the skills and opportunities they need to thrive.

Coram Voice

Coram Voice is the leading specialist provider of advocacy and children’s rights services for children and young people in and on the edge of care. We support some of the most vulnerable children and young people in society, giving voice to the voiceless and reaching out to those who have missed out on the support they need. Join us as we work to transform the lives of children and young people by supporting them to uphold their rights of to actively participate in shaping their lives.

Coram Voice was established in 1975 and in 2013 joined the Coram group of charities which develops, delivers and promotes best practice in the support of children and young people. Coram’s vision is that every child has the best possible chance in life.

We have around 60 employed staff, 100 self-employed advocates and independent persons, and 70 volunteers deliver services to children and agencies throughout the country. Together they provide Coram Voice with a high degree of specialist expertise in the fields of advocacy, children’s rights, mental health, complaints, secure accommodation and experience of working with children in care, in custody, in need and those who have recently left care.

Every day we make a positive difference in the lives of children and young people in and on the edge of care across the UK. Our advocacy teams are based Nationwide and are made of up of experienced community advocates who work alongside our specialist advocates (who focus on direct work, supporting and developing good practice with young people who are homeless, 16+, or have a disability).

To immediately apply to become an Independent Visitor, please click on the ‘apply’ button below to complete the application form.

Please note this is a rolling recruitment, so please make your application now and we will arrange interviews with prospective candidates as soon as possible.

Please mark any questions as N/A if they seem irrelevant to the Independent Visitor role.

Coram Voice is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. We actively encourage applicants from Asian, African, Caribbean and other minority ethnic backgrounds to join our teams. Whilst we have a diverse team we recognise we are a predominantly white workforce and are genuinely committed to encouraging candidates from diverse communities in order to improve the services to the children and families we help.

We are committed to the safeguarding of children and where appropriate will require the successful applicant to undertake a check from the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Registered Charity No.312278.

Branch Trustees

RSPCA Stort Valley Branch – multiple opportunities

Help us make the world a better place for animals

RSPCA Branches rescue, rehabilitate and rehome those animals most at risk through clinics, animal centres, boarding and fostering facilities; offer advice and education on animal welfare; and support with microchipping, neutering and subsidised animal treatments for animals owned by people in financial difficulty.

Each RSPCA branch (of which there are approx. 150) is a separately registered charity, operating at a local level across England and Wales. Branches did 78% of the rehoming activity across the RSPCA network in 2020 and took more than 31,000 animals into their care. There are also over 300 RSPCA charity shops, all of which are run by RSPCA branches. The RSPCA has been at the forefront of animal welfare since 1824 when we were founded in a London coffee shop, and we’re proud to be the oldest animal welfare charity around.

What does RSPCA Stort Valley Branch do?

We cover an area either side of the M11 from Saffron Walden in the north to Harlow in the south and fundraise and offer welfare services within this area.

The animal welfare services that we offer are centred around our busy clinic in Harlow and include:

•  Subsidised routine veterinary treatment and microchipping for owned animals - in 2024, we made over 2,200 consultations at our Harlow clinic and administered more than 500 vaccinations and 250 microchips.
•  Advice and education
• Community outreach

We operate a charity shop in Bishops Stortford town centre, selling clothes, books, games and other items to help with our fundraising.

In addition to our Harlow clinic, we work closely with RSPCA animal centres and inspectors to support their work and to look after and re-home animals rescued in our branch area. We also support neighbouring branches by seeing some owned animals from their nearby towns at our clinic. We are working to improve our fostering network to help with rehoming, and are keen to step up our fundraising work to enable us to provide additional welfare support to the community.

What do RSPCA branch trustees do?

RSPCA branch trustees are volunteers who shape the work that the branch does, and are collectively responsible for governing and managing the affairs of the branch. “Trustees have overall control of a charity and are responsible for making sure it’s doing what it was set up to do.” “Trustees are the people who lead the charity and decide how it is run.” “They may be known by other titles, such as: directors, board members, governors, committee members” - Charity Commission. At Stort Valley, we have a lovely team of staff and volunteers with experienced, capable people managing our shop and clinic day-to-day. Trustees will set the strategy, make the big decisions and lead on new initiatives.

To find out more about being a Trustee, visit the Goverment Trustee - What's involved which explains what trustees do. There is some information on the RSPCA website about Branch Trustees, and we have an online session about becoming a Branch Trustee, which should hopefully give you more of an idea of what the RSPCA Branch Trustee role will involve.

Stort Valley Branch is presently in the process of converting to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (‘CIO’), the modern legal form for many charities - loosely equivalent to a Limited Company. We expect to complete the change in the second half of this year (2025).

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for applications from people from all social and cultural backgrounds, who are passionate about improving animal welfare. It doesn’t matter whether you are an experienced trustee or not, as trustee training and induction will be provided. If you can bring relevant skills and experience from other aspects of your life, that’s great, and we’re pretty sure you’ll learn some new ones here!

Right now, we would like to recruit several additional Trustees. We’ll define and re-balance the roles of all the Trustees once our new Trustees have settled in, so we’re not necessarily looking for you to select a specific role at this stage. The opportunities could include taking the lead on fundraising, overseeing our clinic or shop, increasing our local outreach and education activities, enhancing our online presence and recognition, and more. Ideally, for some of the roles, you’ll be relatively local to the branch area; others can be done remotely.

We hold monthly Trustees’ meetings, which last 1.5~2 hours. We ask for Trustees to join as many of these meetings as possible. You’ll also need to allow time to prepare for meetings - creating or reading through any relevant documents in advance – and of course, for the specific activities you take on. We normally meet in the evening, online (Google Meet), at times chosen to suit Trustees’ availability.

Trustees are elected or re-elected for a 12-month term at the branch’s Annual General Meeting (AGM). Between AGMs, branches have the ability to co-opt an additional three trustees who serve until the next AGM and can then be elected.

What’s in it for you?

There are lots of benefits to becoming an RSPCA Branch Trustee, including:

•  induction and trustee training
•  the chance to meet like-minded people who share your enthusiasm for animal welfare
•  the opportunity to gain new skills and develop existing ones
• the ability to use your skills to improve the wellbeing of animals in your local area, and make a real difference to the lives of animals
•  the capacity to shape innovative projects, and be part of the RSPCA’s ten-year strategy - “Together for animal welfare”
•  access to our learning hub, which contains training materials and courses on a variety of subjects
•  the chance to shape the services in your local area
•  volunteering is good for your wellbeing.

Join us in making a real difference to the lives of animals in need.

Our voluntary roles are subject to an informal interview and trial period. We will ask you to provide contact details for two referees, and dependent on the position, you may need to sign an agreement and undergo specific training before starting the role.

Job Title: Trust and Foundations Researcher
Department: Fundraising
Line Manager: Trust and Foundations Manager
Remuneration: Reasonable travel and subsistence
Location: Remote (Office in Camden, London)
Training will be offered in-person (lasting roughly 6 weeks).
Contract: Temporary
Time commitment / Working Hours: at least 7 hours a week, for at least three months.

Variety, The Children’s Charity provides practical, life-changing support to disabled and disadvantaged children across the UK.

There are currently 4.3 million children living in poverty in the U.K, with 600,000 children both disabled and living in poverty. Variety’s programmes make an immediate and lasting difference to disabled and disadvantaged children and young people by directly improving their wellbeing and quality of life.

The opportunity

Are you an enthusiastic, willing learner with an interest in Trusts fundraising at high-profile international children’s charity?

Variety, the Children’s Charity are offering a chance for a volunteer to gain valuable experience within our Trusts and Foundations Fundraising team. This is a great learning opportunity to join an international children’s charity that’s globally renowned.

We are developing into a successful national programme. This is a fantastic opportunity for a pro-active volunteer to learn and develop key research, bid-writing and fundraising skills to be a successful Trust Fundraiser.

This is an excellent CV enhancing opportunity with a Charity that is committed to improving the lives of disabled and disadvantaged children and young people.

Working with the Trust and Foundations Manager, you will provide high quality, reliable research and logistical support to research and qualify our planned approaches to new Trust and Foundations. You must be IT literate, with a strong attention to detail.

Roles and responsibilities

1. Researching Prospects

• Finding suitable new Trusts and Foundations prospects. You’ll have access to a workbook, fundraising database and grants bulletin to trawl through.
• Reviewing Trust and Foundation Accounts. You’ll undertake research using online platforms, such as the Charity Commission website.
• Assessing whether prospects are a suitable fit.

2. Administrative support

• Updating our fundraising database and Excel workbook, as you progress. This will involve deciding whether the fundraising team should make an application for each prospect.
• Supporting with fundraising related tasks, on an ad hoc basis, as is required within the Trusts and Foundations team.

Skills and qualities

Essential

• Strong IT proficiency. You will be confident in using Microsoft Office, especially Excel. With a willingness to learn about our fundraising database.
• A methodical and orderly approach. You will be comfortable with online research and working through a workbook of contacts.
• Good verbal and written communication skills. You will have the ability to clearly and concisely summarise information from readily available sources.
• Analytical skills. You will be comfortable with independently conducting research and will be happy with conducting desk-based research.
• Administrative skills. You will be organised and methodical

Desirable

• Experience of conducting research.
• Understanding and interest in the charity or not-for-profit sector
• Past fundraising volunteer experience

Applications should reach us by 11.59 on 16th May 2025. 
Interviews will be held on a rolling basis until this date. We look forward to hearing from you.

Interested?

More information can be found by downloading our Trust and Foundations Volunteer pack, under 'supporting documents'. If you would like to apply, then please submit the following:

• An up-to-date CV
• cover letter (max 1 page) on why you are interested and are a good fit

No agencies please.

Our vision for volunteering

Volunteering is and always will be at the heart of Cats Protection. It is joyful and inclusive. As a charity, working in partnership, together we transform the lives of cats, people and communities.

The difference you will make to cats and people

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 team leaders have the exciting and varied role of inspiring our fundraising volunteers to plan and deliver local fundraising events. Using their passion and imagination, they oversee a small team of fundraising volunteers who come together to raise the vital funds needed to cover costs such as veterinary bills and food. Our fundraising team leaders support their team of volunteers in all aspects of their roles, making sure our volunteers are happy, confident and supported.

You can expect us to

• make you feel welcome, included and respected in line with our values and behaviours
• support you in having a positive and impactful experience at Cats Protection
• cover agreed out-of-pocket expenses in line with our Expenses Policy
• provide you with access to learning, development and engagement opportunities

 What we need from you

You’ll be:

· supporting and encouraging a team of fundraising volunteers

· planning fundraising events and activities with your team

· allocating tasks before and during fundraising events

· keeping financial records 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

Time expectation

Our fundraising team leaders usually spend three to four hours per week in this role, which is flexible and can be shared by more than one volunteer if needed.

You may be just the volunteer we’ve been looking for!

We are committed to building a diverse, compassionate and inclusive organisation where everyone can be themselves and do their best. We are courageous and compassionate in our purpose of helping people see the world through cats’ eyes. Together, we can make a difference. Together, we are all for cats. Join the UK’s leading cat welfare charity and help make a better life for cats, because life is better with cats.

Become our Trustee Tresurer and chair our Finance Committee.We need a Trustees with energy, enthusiasm and commitment to help accelerate our influcence on wildlife and nature recovery issues in the country and beyond.

With a refreshed 3-year strategy (23-26), “A Wilder Herefordshire, More Nature Everywhere” we’re working hard to recover nature at scale through deeper collaborations, working with local community organisations and networks to develop a clear plan for nature’s recovery. We are also working with neighbouring Wildlife Trusts, river partnerships and national partners such as the Woodland Trust, National Trust, and Duchy of Cornwall.

So, with lots happening, it’s an exciting if challenging time for the Trust.  Urgent action is needed to address the decline of wildlife in our beautiful county – and we need to muster all the resources and skills we can to succeed.

We are a welcoming board who support and challenge each other to do better for wildlife.

We look to recruit trustees from a range of backgrounds, life stages and skills to join us.

At this time, we wish to recruit someone to take on the role of Treasurer, and chair our Finance Committee. You would need the following skills and qualities:

· A strong commitment to wildlife conservation and the Vision of the Trust;

· Demonstrable experience of financial management;

· The skills to analyse proposals and examine their financial consequences;

· A good understanding of governance, gained either as a Trustee of another charity, a director of a company, or as a manager who has worked with Boards;

· The ability to apply clear logical thinking and creativity to developing our strategy

If you are successful, you will be welcomed and supported by a talented and committed board of trustees, a strong and experienced staff team and an active and expanding band of volunteers and by the wider Wildlife Trust movement. We hope you are inspired to apply, and we look forward to hearing from you.

Alison McLean OBE, Chair, March 2025

The Zero Carbon Oxfordshire Partnership is seeking a Steering Group Chair to provide leadership as it works to mobilise partners and communities to achieving a net zero and climate resilient Oxfordshire.

Oxfordshire is one of the leading counties in the UK in setting ambitious climate change targets and delivery. This is an exciting opportunity to lead this partnership of its largest and most influential organisations. By joining the partnership, you will be part of a passionate group of individuals and organisations who are making a tangible difference in creating a greener, more sustainable future for Oxfordshire and beyond.

The Partnership includes representatives from business, academia, the voluntary and community sector, local authorities, and public services –including both universities, both hospital trusts, Oxfordshire’s District and County Councils, further education bodies and large businesses such as BMW Mini, Lucy Group, LandSec, SSEN and Unipart, as well as OxLEP and the Low Carbon Hub.

We are now looking for a new Chair to take forward the work of the Partnership at this critical moment for Oxfordshire’s climate action. Working closely with ZCOP members, the Secretariat, and key partners across the county, the Chair will play a key role in shaping and championing the next phase of delivery, governance, and collaboration. As we:

•Build a county-wide Partnership: attracting more public, private & third sector organisations to join us in driving positive collaboration.

•Accelerate action: to tackle new and complex issues by convening expert stakeholders around specific challenges.

•Inspire and engage: to showcase more of the positive actions being delivered to help build a movement that everyone who lives, works, or studies can feel part of, while continuing to learn from best practice in other UK and international areas. Further enable our partners to accelerate their emissions reductions by sharing practical experience and insights with each other.

•Shape our work plan: to ensure the next 5-year plan is inclusive, ambitious and practical, setting a clear path for both the partnership.

The Chair appointment is part of a wider update of ZCOP’s governance and delivery structures, which also includes the appointment of Working Group Champions and an expanded membership of the Steering Group, following the expansion from a city to county-wide partnership.

ZCOP’s work is guided by the Pathways to Zero Carbon Oxfordshire (PAZCO) report, with partners working together to translate strategic goals into deliverable actions. This work is supported by sector-based Working groups and driven by the Steering Group who coordinate and champions progress. The ZCOP Secretariat is hosted by Oxford City Council.

More information on the Partnerships can be found in our annual report on our website. 

Role duration: 3 years, starting in Q3 2025

Remuneration: The role of Partnership Chair is not accompanied by any financial remuneration. Costs incurred as part of the role (e.g. travel and subsistence) may be claimed.

To apply: Submit your CV (2-page max.) and a cover letter (1-page max.) detailing your suitability and ambitions for the role. Applications are to be received at the below email by 12am on 30th April 2025.

Our vision for volunteering

Volunteering is and always will be at the heart of Cats Protection. It is joyful and inclusive. As a charity, working in partnership, together we transform the lives of cats, people and communities.

The difference you will make to cats and people

 As a charity we are only able to help thousands of cats and kittens each year thanks to the donations we receive from generous members of the public. Our online fundraisers help our volunteer groups raise vital funds by organising online sales of goods, using social media to encourage donations and any other innovative ways to raise funds they can think of! Making a difference can mean as little as raising 20p, which is enough to feed one cat in our care for a day.

You can expect us to

• make you feel welcome, included and respected in line with our values and behaviours
• support you in having a positive and impactful experience at Cats Protection
• cover agreed out-of-pocket expenses in line with our Expenses Policy
• provide you with access to learning, development and engagement opportunities

 What we need from you

You’ll be:

• Organising online donations and selling products to raise funds
• Raising funds through social networking sites and websites
• Asking for pledges and raising awareness of how donated funds are used at Cats Protection
• Sharing fundraising ideas and putting these ideas into practice
• Creating posters and graphics for fundraising events 
• Promoting events on local social media pages and groups

Time expectation

Our online fundraisers usually spend 2 to 3 hours per week in this role, which is flexible and can be shared by more than one volunteer if needed.

You may be just the volunteer we’ve been looking for!

.We are committed to building a diverse, compassionate and inclusive organisation where everyone can be themselves and do their best. We are courageous and compassionate in our purpose of helping people see the world through cats’ eyes. Together, we can make a difference. Together, we are all for cats. Join the UK’s leading cat welfare charity and help make a better life for cats, because life is better with cats.

This is an exciting time in our growth as we look to grow our governance systems, build on our successes and ensure we are a radical, dynamic organisation rooted in our anti-racist and anti-oppressive values.  We are looking to recruit 2 new trustees.  We are looking to diversify the experience and expertise of our Board, and we believe that there are people out there who have knowledge, skills and passion in different areas that will help SWWB. Areas for organisational development include:

· Embedding lived experience expertise into the design, delivery and evaluation of our work

· Developing our campaigning and strategic work

· Building up our social media and comms presence

· Stepping up our fundraising game

If you think you can help with any of these things (or something else), and you are interested in being a trustee, please get in touch, we would love to hear from you!

Swansea Community Workshops

The Board of Trustees are looking to recruit a knowledgeable and experienced individual for the voluntary role of Secretary (Board of Trustees). The main activity at Swansea Community Workshops (SCW) is to provide facilities for hobbies, recreation, and leisure time occupation in a socially interactive and practical environment, where there are skills sharing, learning of new skills, and helping community-based projects. As we are a charity, these facilities are for public benefit, specifically targeting socially excluded members of the local community in Swansea.

Role Overview

Title: Secretary (Voluntary) Reports to: Board of Trustees.

Hours: 3-6 hours per month as minimum. Attendance to monthly sub-committee meetings and bi-monthly Board of Trustee meetings is expected.

Role Summary

The Secretary is responsible for the recording and documentation of all charity and Trustee meetings.

The below Role Description and Person Specification should be considered in addition the SCW’s standard Trustee Role Description and Person Specification, which is available separately to this document.

Role and Responsibilities

Overall 

• Leading the charity to enable it to fulfil its purpose.
• To ensure an effective relationship between:
• the charity and the staff/volunteers
• the charity and the external stakeholders/community
• Acting as a spokesperson and figurehead as appropriate.
• To supervise and support the Centre Manager.

Specifically 

• Support the Chair or Vice-Chair in the planning and preparation of the charity meetings and the AGM, as appropriate.
• In charity meetings, ensure that:
• Decisions, actions, and deliberations are adequately minuted.
• Meeting minutes are distributed to all members of the Board promptly after the meeting takes place.

Person Specification

Personal Qualities 

• Friendly and approachable 
• Clear communication skills – both written and verbal. 
• Good attention to detail 
• Happy to volunteer on evenings and weekends when required. 
• Enthusiasm or interest in craft activities 

Education, Experience and Knowledge 

• Secondary education required as minimum. 
• Knowledge and experience of charity law, good governance, and operation relevant to voluntary and community organisations. 

Skills 

Essential 

• Good listening, writing, and typing skills. 
• Knowledge of appropriate software including: Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint and Adobe Acrobat 
• Excellent customer service skills. 
• Excellent organisation skills. 

Desirable 

• Knowledge of specific software and systems, such as WordPress, Skedda. 
• Clean and valid UK driving license, personal vehicle, and insurance. 
• Basic Welsh language skills. 

Additional Information

Key Dates 

September 2024 - This is an ongoing recruitment with no fixed deadline for registering your interest. 

Michael Roberts Charitable Trust (MRCT), a cornerstone of Harlow's community support network, is seeking four passionate and dedicated practicing Christians to join its Board of Trustees.

What will you be doing?

MRCT provides vital services to those in need in and around Harlow. These services include the Harlow Foodbank, Maybury Open Door (drop-in centre), Bump to Five (baby bank), Harlow Community School Uniform Exchange, the Bounty Club Community Supermarket, the Hive Community Forum and the Community Cafe. 

We rely on the commitment of our Trustees to ensure responsible governance and continued impact, all motivated by our strong Christian ethos. Currently, we are seeking to recruit new trustees to bring extra skills and experience to our board.

As a Trustee, you will play a crucial role in shaping the future of the MRCT.  Your expertise will be vital in guiding the Trust's strategic direction, overseeing financial management, and ensuring compliance with UK charity law.

Key tasks:

• Embrace the organisation’s vision, mission and values.
• Ensure the charity complies with its governing document and charity law.
• Ensure focus on strategy, performance, risk and assurance rather than operational matters.
• Act with integrity, making objective decisions without undue influence by special or personal interests.
• Ensure openness and accountability, build public trust and confidence in MRCT’s work and legitimacy in representing beneficiaries and stakeholders.
• Uphold collective responsibility of the board.
• Commit sufficient time and energy to the role of trustee and make reasonable use of own skills and experience to support the work of the board and MRCT.
• Ensure an understanding of, and commitment to, the principles of equality, equity, diversity and inclusion.

What are we looking for?

We welcome applications from individuals who are committed to their local Christian church. Our ideal candidates would:

• Share our passion for supporting the Harlow community.
• Possess strong strategic thinking and decision-making skills.
• Be an effective team player with excellent communication skills.
• Demonstrate the 7 principles of public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.
• Able to commit the time and effort required.
• Bring relevant capabilities that help the board perform its role effectively and achieve  MRCT’s vision.
• Pray for and thus actively contribute to the Trust's work.

MRCT would particularly welcome applications from those with experience in one (or more) of the following areas: 

• Finance: To provide guidance on financial best practice.
• Marketing & Communications: Helping to raise awareness of the Trust's work and attract new supporters.
• Human Resources: Providing guidance on recruitment, management, and development.
• Volunteer Management: Providing guidance on recruitment, management, and development of volunteers.
• Fundraising: Providing insight with regard to effective fundraising strategies.
• Legal: experience or knowledge of Charity Law.

What difference will you make?

This is a voluntary role offering the rewarding opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of others. By supporting the governance of MRCT, you are part of a team providing a vital holistic support function in your local community, ensuring a dignified experience to anyone visiting or anyone who comes into contact with MRCT.

Volunteer Helpline Advisor – Role Description 

Purpose of role:

As a Volunteer Helpline Advisor, responding to Helpline enquiries from parents and carers, you will be playing a part in helping ERIC to achieve its key goal of reaching even more families.

You will work remotely, with equipment and training provided.

If you are passionate about helping to improve the lives of families whose children are affected by continence issues, and can commit your time on a regular basis, we’d love to hear from you.

Terms:

Due to the nature of the work, our helpline volunteers are continence nurses or qualified healthcare professsionals.Volunteer sessions are a full day of 5 hours, on the same day each week, please note that currently we need more volunteers on Mondays & Tuesdays only. We ask volunteers to commit to this regular weekly pattern, ideally for a period of one year or more. This helps to maintain consistency and a high standard of professional practice. 

Expenses may be paid, subject to agreement in advance . 

Tasks could include:  

· Answering calls on the Helpline

· Signposting to information on our website

· Responding to & following up enquiries by email  

· Entering information onto our IT system

Skills and qualities:

· Professional qualification and/or clinical experience

· Enjoy working as part of a team

· Friendly and positive with a can-do attitude

· Well organised with good time management skills

· Empathetic and non-judgmental

· Able to use standard IT packages including Microsoft Office (Excel, Word and Outlook)

· Able to follow ERIC’s policies, including safeguarding and confidentiality 

· Willing to continuously develop professional practice.

You could become part of our team of trained, supportive and compassionate volunteers who are at the core of the support we provide. Our volunteers share an unshakeable commitment to the welfare of the families they support and remind families that they matter.

Our home-visiting volunteers are each matched with a family and commit to providing 2-3 hours of support once a week (between Mondays-Fridays and within the hours of 9am-5pm). The focus of this support is relationship-building within the whole family unit. They might need help accessing support, getting out of the house, or just a friendly person to talk about their worries with.

In the same way that there is no typical ‘Home-Start family’, there is no typical ‘Home-Start volunteer’ either. Our families are individual and diverse and having a diverse range of volunteers helps us to pair the two effectively.

• We welcome volunteers of all ages and from all sections of the community.
• No special qualifications are necessary, but volunteers are usually parents or grandparents with a love of people, and an interest in, and experience of, young children and family life.
• For our home-visiting volunteers we ask that you commit to a free friendly volunteer training course.
• We will offer you regular training and development workshops.
• You will have back up, and ongoing support in the form of regular one-to-one catch ups with your volunteer coordinator.

If you share our passion for helping families, this could be the role for you!

For those interested in becoming a volunteer, we ask that an ‘Expression of Interest Form’ (found on our website) is submitted and then we can get in touch with you to talk you through the application and training process.

Here are some quotes from some of the families our volunteers have supported, to show just how much of an impact our volunteers have:

“I felt really supported.  I get the kids out now, I’m more confident and I speak out a bit more.”

"My eldest loves our volunteer and doesn’t want her to leave. It was like having heaven when she was around…She has been so helpful just giving me some time to myself to reset for the day. She’s the best person I’ve ever had support wise! "

“All the support was good and just what I needed it was good helping the healing process being able to talk to the volunteer has helped me become more open with friends in general.”

"I have found it really helpful to talk to someone who is non-judgemental and has first-hand experience of being a Mum."

If you think this volunteering role is for you, then please do get in touch.  We look forward to hearing from you.