Inclusive Activity Volunteer Volunteer Roles

Volunteering with Independent Choices, the domestic abuse helpline for Greater Manchester

Do you;

Have an interest in supporting survivors of domestic abuse?

Want to have a rewarding volunteering experience?

Want to volunteer within a supportive and caring team?

Have 3 hours a week to commit to making a difference?

We are looking to recruit female Helpline Volunteers to support callers on the Greater Manchester Domestic Abuse Helpline. On the helpline, volunteers provide high-quality, empowering, emotional, and practical support for survivors of domestic abuse and their friends & family members as well as professionals.

About Volunteering

•     Our shifts are 3 hours a week between 10 am – 4 pm Monday to Friday

•     Office-only volunteering

•     Training at your own pace

•     Based in Hulme

•     Reasonable adjustments can be made

Volunteering with Independent Choices Greater Manchester can be a very rewarding experience and you will gain many useful skills, as well as making a positive difference to survivors of domestic abuse. We provide:

•     Full and ongoing, training

•     On -site support and regular supervision

•     Flexible shifts

•     Expenses are paid in cash on the day of volunteering

•     A friendly office spaces

Who we are looking for,

Whilst there is no experience needed, we would ask that our volunteers have the following skills:

•     Good listening skills and the ability to communicate well with a variety of people

•     Punctuality, reliability, and a commitment to volunteering

•     Ability to empathise and be non-judgmental

•     Ability to learn new information and a can-do attitude  

We welcome applications from a wide range of backgrounds, and are keen to hear from women who:

•     Speak another language including Urdu, Punjabi, Bengali, Polish, and Arabic  (but please do contact us if you do not have another language!)

•     Women aged over 50

We currently have a volunteering opportunity in the East Finchley area of North London for a Volunteer Befriender. If you have a couple of hours to spare and can commit to volunteering on a weekly basis, we’d love to hear from you.

Are you a warm and chatty person, who’s also a good listener?

Are you looking to help someone gain confidence and engage with the local community? Could you organise and source activities that align with our service-user’s interests, which include comedy and writing poetry?

Can you commit to learning Creative Support’s Safeguarding Procedure and be able to implement this if needed?

We are looking for a reliable, friendly, outgoing and supportive person who can join us as a Volunteer Befriender.

As a volunteer with Creative Support we offer training for your role, access to a volunteer supervisor, an induction, a monthly volunteer newsletter, and an online volunteer’s peer support group. Together we can make a difference.

Suggested time commitment: 2 hours a week.

Creative Support is a passionate, inclusive, and anti-racist organisation. We are a Stonewall Diversity Champion, Disability Confident Employer who have recently received Investors in People Silver award. We actively encourage applications from candidates from all backgrounds and cultures.

We are looking for volunteers to join our team at Oakley, 4 High Street, Bedford at our residential care service for adults with Learning disabilities. If you’re a car driver with some spare time each week, join us in our Volunteer befriender role to take our residents on day trips.

We are looking for people who are committed, reliable, and friendly. You will need to be a confident driver with a full, clean driving licence.

Whether it’s a trip into Bedford town centre to enjoy a wander down the river, a cup of tea and a cake in the local cafes, a visit to the library, or leisure activities, or even a little bit further afield. If you can commit to volunteering with us once or twice a week we’d love to hear from you!

As a volunteer with Creative Support we offer training for your role, access to a volunteer supervisor, an induction, a monthly Volunteer newsletter, and an online volunteer’s peer support group. Together we can make a difference.

Suggested time commitment: 2-4 hours a week.

Creative Support is a passionate, inclusive, and anti-racist organisation. We are a Stonewall Diversity Champion, Disability Confident Employer who have recently received Investors in People Silver award. We actively encourage applications from candidates from all backgrounds and cultures.

Are you passionate about making a positive impact on young people’s lives? Do you have a friendly, welcoming personality and a good sense of humour? We invite you to join our team as a Volunteer Project Worker! You’ll engage with young individuals through various programs, providing support, guidance, and creating a positive, enjoyable atmosphere. Your enthusiasm and commitment will help foster a nurturing environment, making a real difference in their lives and contributing to our community’s success.

As a Volunteer Project Worker, you will play a key role in supporting our outreach sessions. Your friendly and welcoming demeanour will contribute to creating a positive and inclusive atmosphere for children of all ages and backgrounds. Whatever your PASSION is – come and teach our children!!! Your main responsibilities may include:

1. Play Sessions: - Engage with children in interactive and imaginative play sessions, promoting creativity and social development.

2. Cookery Activities: - Assist in cookery sessions, helping children explore the joy of preparing simple, nutritious meals.

3. Sewing and Crafting: - Guide children in sewing and crafting activities, fostering their artistic expression and fine motor skills.

4. Friendly Support: - Provide a warm and welcoming presence, ensuring that every child feels valued and included during the sessions.

5. Sense of Humour: - Bring your good sense of humour to create a joyful and enjoyable environment for both children and fellow volunteers.

6. Flexibility: - Be adaptable and ready to assist in various activities as needed during outreach sessions.

Placement Volunteers at the British Red Cross are highly valued for the skills and energy they bring. We aim to provide our placement volunteers with an insight into the daily workings of the world’s largest humanitarian organisation. They will have access to relevant in-house training and development opportunities during their placement with possible ad hoc opportunities to get involved in other areas of activity.

Your role as a placement volunteer will help make a great contribution to the work of the British Red Cross. You will take responsibility for achieving specific objectives that are agreed with you within one of the various departments across the UK. You will have a real responsibility and place in the department, bringing some of your skills and experience to the role; you will also have the chance to develop workplace skills. While we don’t offer voluntary internships, we are happy for you to describe yourself as an intern on your CV, if you feel that would be helpful.

Hours: The placement is due to run for a period of 4 to 6 weeks. The placement will take place across 2 o 3 days, flexible hours, Mondays to Fridays 9am to 5pm. The volunteering hours are negotiable to balance your needs and what can be achieved in the role.

Location: The placement will take place on a remote basis, from the volunteer's home, but there may be occasional travel to London and/or other regional offices to attend and support at meetings.

Bursary Scheme: The British Red Cross offers a bursary scheme to those placement volunteers from low-income households. Eligibility will be determined through a separate application process open to all short-listed candidates. All British Red Cross volunteers are entitled to out-of-pocket reasonable expenses. For this scheme we are defining low-income households as: Inside London: Living with family or partner £25,000 or under. Living independently £22.500 or under Outside London: Living with family or partner £18,500 or under. Living independently £16,500 or under

Diversity: We welcome applications from people of different backgrounds, experience and circumstances. We seek to ensure that our organisation and our services are relevant and accessible to all, with equality, diversity and fairness at the core of what we do. We invite applications from individuals regardless of their gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion or political belief and are committed to promoting fair participation and equality of opportunity for all of our applicants.

The British Red Cross is committed to being inclusive, with a diverse workforce. We encourage applications from people from the widest possible diversity of backgrounds, cultures and experiences – including disabled and ethnic minority candidates. We value fresh perspectives and insights gained by involving and welcoming people from the widest possible diversity of background, culture and experience. This is to contribute to the breadth of experience we need to respond to people in crisis.

The Community Education product team are looking for an aspiring content developer to support a co-production project working on our resilience building education for young people and their educators.

Our free humanitarian education aims to support educators across the UK with teaching resources, session plans and professional development courses. One of the key parts of our programme is our resilience topic, including resources which help young people to cope with challenges.

We are looking to improve our resilience resources in co-production with young people. This volunteer placement would be involved in running the co-production sessions with young people from across the UK, gathering insights and ideas. The role will assist our content development team to implement these ideas by creating new humanitarian educational resources.

We want to ensure that our resilience building resources are relevant and exciting for young people, including accessible formats of learning and focusing on challenges young people are really facing. Your insights will bring a new perspective to the team, helping us to engage young people during both the co-production project and through the final resource you help to produce.

What you will be doing:

• Gathering and interpreting insights from young people to inform and propose decisions about the educational products created.
• Writing, editing and reviewing educational products.

Skills you will need:

• Interpersonal and communication skills to engage participants in the co-production project and work collaboratively as part of the team.
• Strong writing, editing and proofreading skills to create engaging and relevant learning activities, guidance for teachers and more.
• Time management skills as you may be working on multiple parts of the project at one time.

What's in it for you

• Meet new people and be part of a supportive and inclusive team
• A great opportunity to develop your existing skills and gain new ones
• All training and induction for the role (there is no charge for training)
• Reasonable pre-agreed travel expenses for the role including for attending training
• An opportunity to be part of the world’s largest humanitarian organisation and the knowledge that you are making a difference to people’s lives

Please ensure you mention your education, experience & skills you acquire related to this role in your application.

Amazing, giving, inspiring and awesome are just a few of the words we would use to describe our volunteers.

Our volunteers play an integral part in the services we provide and the people we support. If you are looking for a rewarding role where you will really make a difference whilst gaining experience along the way, then join us here at Rethink Mental Illness.

About the role

We are looking for Volunteer Befrienders to support our Brent Mental Health service in the London Borough of Brent. Volunteers must be based within this area to take part in face-to-face befriending activities.

As a Volunteer Befriender, you will be required to travel across Brent to meet with service users and carry out your role. Ideally, you will be able to commit a minimum of 2 hour per week to volunteering. 

There will also be opportunities for you to support staff who deliver wellbeing and recovery workshops to service users e.g. managing anxiety or confidence and self-esteem, if this is something you would like to get involved with.

You will be supported by Befriending Volunteer Coordinators who will provide regular supervision to ensure you feel confident in your role. You can read more about the benefits of volunteering on the full advert on our website.

About the service

Our Brent Mental Health service provides support to people aged 18 and above, who live in the Borough of Brent, and who have a mental illness and are known to the local NHS trust Central and North West London (CNWL).

The aim of the Befriending Service is to;

• Reduce social isolation of service users
• Increase the confidence of service users in accessing community resources independently
• Provide meaningful activities and peer support for service users 
• Help service users to live happier, healthier, independent lives
• Provide volunteering opportunities for people with mental health issues
• Reduce stigma and raise mental health awareness

What you will be doing as a Volunteer Befriender:

• Meeting with service users in locations and times which meet their needs (including evenings and weekends)
• Provide befriending support to a maximum of 2 services users at any one time
• Provide emotional support based on your own lived experience
• Support service users to access and build social and community networks and activities
• Act as a community connector to local services

What will make you a great fit for this role?

• You will have lived experience of mental illness, either as a carer or as a person who has experience your own mental health need
• You will have good communication skills
• You will be flexible in order to meet the needs of the service users
• You will live within the London Borough of Brent

If would like to express an interest for this opportunity, please complete an application as soon as possible as the advert may close early if we receive a high level of interest.

Who are we?

We’re Rethink Mental Illness, a leading charity provider of mental health services in England. We support thousands of people through our groups, services, policy, campaigns and advice and information. Our work supports us in delivering on our mission: “A better life for everyone severely affected by mental illness.”

We welcome applications from everyone, applicants with lived experience, those who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ ), people with a disability, or those from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds are actively encouraged to apply. We are proud to have also been awarded Disability Confident employer status. We have an ambition of becoming an anti-racist organisation and we recognise there is more to do in ensuring our recruitment is fair and inclusive, which is why we are recruiting new roles in helping us to achieve this.

Are looking to give back to the local community? By joining our team of befrienders, you will support us to reach some of the most isolated adults in the community to reduce their feelings of loneliness, build friendships and provide support for mental wellbeing.

You will support individuals who struggle to communicate with others and help them to reconnect with their local community. You will support to relight a spark in a hobby, interest or encourage individuals to explore and participate in new social activities.

Loneliness and isolation can affect anyone in life, whatever their age or family situation.

What you will be doing

• Agree a mutual time and frequency to meet in the local community
• To develop and promote a positive relationship with your befriendee
• To encourage your befriendee to engage in social activities and support them in doing so whilst building their confidence
• To support your befriendee in developing their goals and social skills
• To advocate for our Service User if any issues arise with their tenancy or other issues that may need resolving

The skills you need

• Ability to provide a supportive and inclusive atmosphere which motivates and inspires others
• Willingness to engage in activities in the community
• Able to maintain strict confidentiality and follow professional boundaries
• To be consistent in attendance

What's in it for you

• Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications
• Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
• Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards and Celebration events; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering; We hold social events and outings for our volunteers to get together and have some fun

Are looking to give back to the local community? By joining our team of befrienders, you will support us to reach some of the most isolated adults in the community to reduce their feelings of loneliness, build friendships and provide support for mental wellbeing.

You will support individuals who struggle to communicate with others and help them to reconnect with their local community. You will support to relight a spark in a hobby, interest or encourage individuals to explore and participate in new social activities.

Loneliness and isolation can affect anyone in life, whatever their age or family situation.

What you will be doing

• Agree a mutual time and frequency to meet in the local community
• To develop and promote a positive relationship with your befriendee
• To encourage your befriendee to engage in social activities and support them in doing so whilst building their confidence
• To support your befriendee in developing their goals and social skills
• Encourage your befriendee to make links with community services, based on their identified goals

The skills you need

• Ability to provide a supportive and inclusive atmosphere which motivates and inspires others
• Willingness to engage in activities in the community
• Able to maintain strict confidentiality and follow professional boundaries
• To be consistent in attendance

What's in it for you

• Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications
• Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
• Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards and Celebration events; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering; We hold social events and outings for our volunteers to get together and have some fun

We are recruiting volunteers to coordinate sport and fitness activities to support service users to get active, have fun and move together. Exercising helps strengthens bones and muscles, supports with mental wellbeing, increases self-confidence, self-esteem, and provides opportunities for people to make new friends, try out new sports, activities and learn new skills.

What you will be doing

• Keep a record of attendees, provide feedback and report any concerns to the staff team
• Coordinate a weekly timetable of sports and active games to engage the service users
• General knowledge about wellbeing and how sport affects physical and mental health
• Support the service users to maintain their physical health through exercise
• Support the service users to work as a team
• Plan activities or sports in collaboration with the service users

The skills you need

• Ability to provide a supportive, and inclusive atmosphere that encourages learning and participation.
• Calm and patient approach
• A skilled and qualified sports coach/fitness instructor
• Good communication skills

What's in it for you

• Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications
• Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
• Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards and Celebration events; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering; We hold social events and outings for our volunteers to get together and have some fun

Refugee Support Devon aims to create a community where refugees can achieve their full potential and be treated as equal members of society. We support refugees and their families by providing the protection they need, aiding in their successful settlement within the local community, and helping them rebuild their lives with dignity and respect.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Board of Trustees at Refugee Support Devon. As Chair, you will have a unique chance to champion the charity’s mission to support and empower refugees and asylum seekers as they rebuild their lives.

What will you be doing?

The Chair leads the board of trustees, ensuring that it governs the charity effectively, in service of the charity’s vision and mission. The Chair leads in an inclusive way, supporting the board to work together well, and providing support and challenge to the manager. The Chair is also an ambassador for the charity.

Time Commitment is estimated as equivalent to 2-4 days per month.

What are we looking for? 

• Experience of being a trustee or a CEO. (You do not need to have been a Chair before) 
• A keen sense of strategic purpose. 
• An inclusive leadership style: able to inspire and support everyone to participate on an equal footing. 
• The ability to listen and engage effectively. You are comfortable with challenge and debate and are able to encourage that in others whilst fostering a collaborative board environment. 
• An understanding of issues facing refugees and asylum seekers. 
• A strong personal commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion. 
• Be responsive. As a small charity, things sometimes ‘come up’ that require the Chair to advise, support or give consent to. It is very helpful to have a Chair who is available and responsive.

What difference will you make?

"RSD has been supporting refugees and asylum seekers in Exeter and across the county for over 20 years and has built a community of committed, dedicated staff, volunteers and community supporters. We are all proud of the essential work that we continue to deliver, to support some of the most vulnerable in our community. A new Chair would bring fresh perspectives to the Board’s strategy." - Current RSD Chair, Jenny Longford

How to Apply

Reach Volunteering are supporting Refugee Support Devon with their Board recruitment. Please submit your CV along with a covering letter stating why you wish to join the organisation and how your skills would add value to the board. 

Get Out There groups are a growing division of Sense that cater for children between 6 and 16 with complex needs. We provide a 4 hour social setting which caters for children and families who need respite. We offer activities such as games, puzzles, arts and crafts, experiments, cookery and sensory play. We aim to tailor sessions to the needs, interests and abilities of the children we support and put pupil voice at the center of all we do. 

As a volunteer you'll make sure that everyone has a great time and can make the most of the activities on offer. You'll need lots of energy, a warm and welcoming personality and to be happy getting stuck in to a wide range of tasks and activities, all of which make sure that everyone has the best day they can together. 

What your role will involve

• Taking part in activities alongside disabled young people. You could be joining creative activities, movement or sports session, trips out in to the local community or seasonal themed activities. 
• Helping to set up the activities at the start of the day, clear away at the end and keep activities safe, clean and running smoothly throughout.
• Helping to welcome young people to the group, find their way around and between activities, enjoy breaks and lunchtime and generally have a great day with the team and Sense.

A basic / enhanced Disclosure & Barring check will be required for this volunteer role. 

Will the role suit me? Yes, if you are:

• Fun and friendly and confident to meet and spend time with disabled young people.
• Willing to develop the knowledge and skills to communicate with young people who have multi sensory impairments and who may use a wide range of communication methods
• Able to work well in a team and be flexible about the role you play during the day depending on what’s needed by individuals and activities
• Reliable and punctual.
• Committed to providing support in a way that offers choice, independence and dignity
• We welcome volunteers of all ages to this role who are able to create an inclusive and welcoming peer environment for everyone involved in the group. 

What can Sense offer me as a volunteer?

• Induction information to prepare you for your role, a briefing at the start of each event, and lots of on-site support and guidance from our experienced staff team who will be running the day
• Agreed out of pocket expenses to be reimbursed, in line with Sense policy
• The chance to get to know new people, try new activities in your local community and to have lots of fun taking part together 
• To develop new skills and knowledge about communicating and working with children and young people with complex communication needs and multi-sensory impairment 
• To know you’re part of a passionate and committed team making a big difference to how young people are able to get the most out of both new and favourite activities and to have a great time together.
• If you are 16 or 17 we will ask to make contact with a parent or other appropriate adult to share details of your volunteering role, timings and contact / emergency information. 

About us

For everyone living with complex disabilities. For everyone who is deafblind. Sense is here to offer personalised support to help people communicate and experience the world. We believe that no one, no matter how complex their disabilities, should be isolated, left out, or unable to fulfil their potential. Our experts offer support that’s tailored to the individual needs of each person, whether that’s at our centres, through our holidays and short breaks, or in people’s own homes. In addition to practical support, we also provide information to families, and campaign for the rights of people with complex disabilities to take part in life. 

Volunteers add real value to Sense, bringing their passion, enthusiasm and fresh perspectives to the work that we do. We believe that volunteers enable us to bring people together, and provide opportunities for people with complex disabilities to communicate and experience the world. 

Do you enjoy meeting people and engaging with them? We are looking for volunteers to join our team to provide a friendly face as people arrive at our Services. You will support people to connect with others, make them feel welcome whilst assisting our staff to run services for people in crisis. Get in touch and make a difference!

What you will be doing

• Holding conversations with people using the Service, checking in on their wellbeing and providing a listening ear/friendly face
• Motivate and inspire people to take part in activities
• Support with ad hoc and administrative tasks to support the smooth running of the Service
• Opportunities to deliver activities alongside the staff team and other volunteers
• Work alongside staff to support people living in the service or accessing one of our drop-in sessions
• Welcoming and engaging people using the Service
• Support with preparing light refreshments to create a relaxed environment

The skills you need

• Good communications skills
• Ability to provide a supportive and inclusive atmosphere that encourages learning and participation
• Calm and patient approach
• Maintain discretion and judgement when dealing with sensitive and/or confidential information

What's in it for you

• Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications
• Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
• Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards and Celebration events; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering; We hold social events and outings for our volunteers to get together and have some fun

About The Role

This role involves:

• assisting the Reserve team with all seasonal management activities including reedbed, wet grassland, ponds, scrapes and ditches, hides, paths and boardwalks
• ·operating agreed machinery safely in order to carry out management activities e.g. Brushcutter work when required (if appropriate qualification is held).
• helping maintain and clean paths, signs, benches, bins, leaning rails and gates
• working with a variety of hand tools safely and correctly, observing and applying health and safety regulations at all times
• taking due care for the safety, welfare and enjoyment of the visiting public
• you may be asked to undertake related ad hoc tasks
• Engaging with visitors to educate them on the work that we are doing and the tasks in which you are involved

About You

This role will suit you if:

You have a can-do attitude and are happy to help us in all weathers, and are both a practical person and physically fit. Having experience or qualifications in some habitat management would be helpful, particularly brushcutter, experience, but a support of WWTs work and a keenness to learn is more important. It’s a closely-working team, however, the ability to work under your own initiative and being self-motivated is also needed. Having, or being happy to develop, the confidence to engage our visitors with the work of WWT is also a key part of this role. Please note that this role is currently only open to those aged 18+.

About Us

We’re WWT, and we’re on a mission to restore the super-powered ecosystems we call wetlands. There’s never been a more important moment for our work, and we’ve got some phenomenal people on the case.

Whether they’re taking a new visitor under their wing, or conducting ground-breaking research further afield, our team are second to none. And there’s nothing we love more than watching them soar.

Whatever you do here, you’ll be helping to restore wetlands and unlock their power. So, the only question left is, what role will you play?

Why you'll love volunteering at WWT

• Feel good knowing you are helping to restore wetlands, and our world
• Be surrounded and inspired by like-minded wetland lovers
• Hear from the people who inject their energy, passion and expertise into wetlands and wildlife - talks, walks, webinars, tea and cake...
• Free entry to all our wetland centres, including your family
• Volunteer discount on shopping and memberships
• Access to webinars and practical information to help you manage daily life

Trustees x 2 vacancies 

At BTO, we are fortunate to have a fantastic and committed Board of Trustees and we are now looking for two new trustees to join us from 2025 on an initial 4 year term. BTO Trustees work with the Chief Executive Officer and Senior Leadership Team to enable our organisational strategy,and to manage and administer the charity effectively, bringing a range of valuable expertise from their own knowledge and experience. 

Trustee vacancy 1 Regional Network member
We are pleased to offer an opportunity for a member of the BTO Regional Network to contribute to the work of BTO’s Board and to Chair our Regional Network Committee. This opportunity is open to all Regional Representatives, Regional Ambassadors, Regional Organisers, Local Organisers. The committee meets four times a year, once face-to-face and three times via video call. In this important role, as well as undertaking the responsibilities of a Trustee, as Chair of a BTO committee, you will ensure the Regional Network is represented at both committee and Board level, working collaboratively and supportively with BTO staff and the wider network to ensure the network is effective and enabled.

You can find out more about becoming a Regional Representative on our website.

Trustee vacancy 2 Safeguarding and Inclusion 
We are seeking someone to bring their knowledge and experience in the areas of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and safeguarding to BTO and our Board of Trustees and to Chair our Governance, Safeguarding and Inclusion committee which meets 4 times a year. BTO is undertaking significant work in the area of EDI, and safeguarding is a critical part of the way we work. Alongside the responsibilities of a trustee, this is an important role that requires working closely and collaboratively with staff, the committee and BTO Board to apply your knowledge and experience within a BTO context. We are looking for applicants with a range of experience across both or either area of EDI and Safeguarding, with a willingness to demonstrate a commitment to both. 

BTO is pleased to be in the process of implementing its framework to become more inclusive with huge support from external expertise, staff, volunteers and Board members. There is more information on BTO’s commitment to EDI on our website. 

The role of a Trustee
Board members have overall legal responsibility for BTO, ensuring financial, regulatory and monitoring performance. BTO provides induction and training opportunities to all Trustees to support them in fulfilling their role. Trustees have the opportunity to contribute to discussions, identify key issues and provide insight, ideas and encouragement on various topics, all of which help BTO to achieve its vision and mission.

We are interested in hearing from people who are passionate about contributing to BTO and are able to demonstrate:

• Commitment to the mission and values of the BTO

• Willingness to meet the minimum time requirement*, as well as contributing outside of Board meetings, through attending events and supporting staff 

• Integrity, vision and good independent judgement

• Ability to think creatively, make an individual contribution and work effectively as a member of a team to take decisions for the good of the BTO

• Understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of trusteeship

• Demonstrate passion, understanding and experience for the sector and BTO’s work.

You will have the opportunity to make a real difference with a charity that has an unparalleled reputation for engaging volunteer science that has a significant impact for the conservation of birds and nature more widely.
 

Our Commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
We are committed to working towards greater representation on our Board and tackling the barriers to equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). We particularly welcome applications from people under-served in the environment sector. We are also interested in hearing from people across the UK as we are a national charity, as demonstrated by our work and supporter and volunteer base.

Time Commitment
Being a trustee is a commitment and we aim to be upfront about what it involves. We provide a calendar of meetings and engagements to all trustees at the start of the year. As an overview, annual meetings and engagements include 5 Board meetings, 1 Annual General Meeting (AGM) and sub committee meetings if you are interested in serving on a subcommittee. There will also be an induction period which takes approximately 10 hours in total but some parts are done independently at times that suit you (like the reading and eLearning).

Expenses
This is a voluntary, unpaid position. Travel and accommodation associated with attending meetings can either be arranged in advance by BTO (so there is no expenditure on the part of the Trustee), or expenses can be reimbursed afterwards.

Not sure it's for you
If you are interested in supporting our work but perhaps you are earlier in your career or think you may not have the breadth of experience required, please do not hesitate to get in touch to discuss how we can work with you. 

Find out more
If you have an questions, you can contact Sian Knott, Head of People, Safeguarding and Inclusion.

About BTO
BTO is a national charity with headquarters at Thetford in Norfolk. We also have offices and staff at the David Attenborough Building at University of Cambridge, University of Stirling, Bangor University and Northern Ireland.

BTO helps to secure the future for birds and nature, using our science, monitoring and data to inform good environmental decisions, inspiring others with the wonder of birds and empowering them to work with us. Our priority is to make a positive impact for birds, using our strong and objective science in partnership with others. We strive to work sustainably and to welcome everyone. We are evidence-led, inclusive, collaborative and empowering.

Birds Science People; it is a powerful combination – will you be part of it?

Closing date for receipt of applications is Sunday 29 September 23:59 (BST) and interviews will be held virtually week beginning Monday 7th October.

Charity No. 216652 (E&W); SC039193 (Scotland)