Programme Administrator Volunteer Roles in Glasgow

TRUSTEE - BRANCH SECRETARY 

RSPCA South West Somerset Branch

Overview of the Branch Secretary opportunity

As a Branch Secretary, you would be in an essential volunteer role as the principal communications trustee managing and maintaining the administrative affairs of our branch. Using your expertise and skills, you will be able to influence how we care for and prevent cruelty to animals and drive the implementation of key initiatives.

This role would require a time commitment of 1-4 hours per month.  This would include attending a committee meeting every 4-6 weeks in the evenings, usually lasting up to 2 hours and the annual general meeting.

We are happy to take applications from outside the branch catchment area, as long as you are able to join meetings by electronic means such as Zoom, and are willing to travel to in person meetings a couple of times a year.

About the RSPCA

Founded in 1824 we have been saving animals for almost 200 years and are proud to be the oldest welfare charity around. It has always been our vision to live in a world where all animals are respected and treated with compassion, so our volunteers and employees work tirelessly to ensure that all animals can live free from pain and suffering.

Through our numerous campaigns, we seek to raise standards of care, and awareness of issues, affecting animals today. We rely heavily on our volunteers who play a significant role in enabling us to carry out this important animal welfare work every day!

The RSPCA South West Somerset Branch

The RSPCA South West Somerset Branch is one of the branches of the RSPCA, but we are also a separately registered charity looking after animals in our local area. Much of the animal welfare work of the RSPCA is carried out through local branches, which is run by volunteers who have the support of the National Society of the RSPCA.

The RSPCA South West Somerset Branch runs charity shops in Taunton, Wellington, Chard and Bridgwater.

Primary responsibilities of the Branch Secretary

• To act as the primary contact point for all branch communications with the national Society, the branch committee, and the branch membership.

• Arrange branch meetings, ensure accurate minutes are taken and distributed in accordance with branch rules.

• Ensure all branch committee decisions are implemented and actions completed.

• Arrange the branch AGM including the compilation and distribution of the annual report, nominations, and agenda in line with the strict timetable laid down in the branch rules.

• Arrange the timely dissemination of the contents of all correspondence and literature received by the branch, ensuring availability to all committee members, and reply to all branch correspondence where necessary.

• Order and distribute RSPCA stationery, leaflets, posters and other fundraising and promotional material.

• Liaise with the Branch support specialist (BSS) and group chief inspector and notify them of all branch meetings.

• Advise the BSS of all changes to branch facilities, services, and contact details.

• Maintain the branch membership list.

• Submit recommendations for national Society awards to the BSS, in accordance with the wishes of the committee.

Core Branch Trustee responsibilities

• Appreciate and support the aims and policies of the RSPCA.

• Work in conjunction with fellow trustees and branch officers and jointly act in making decisions for the best interest of the branch and the RSPCA.

• Work with national RSPCA staff to ensure that the branch meets all minimum animal welfare standards (MAWS).

• In conjunction with your fellow trustees and Branch Partnership Manager write, adopt, monitor, and review a development plan setting out the short and long term aims of your branch.

• Actively participate in branch committee meetings and to attend the branch annual general meeting and regional conference.

• Be aware of the outcome of regional board meetings and support regional initiatives.

• Actively promote and advertise the society in an ongoing programme to recruit new branch trustees and volunteers and welcome new members.

• In conjunction with your fellow trustees, ensure the proper management and control of all activities and decisions relating to any premises held or staff employed by the branch if applicable.

What we are looking for in a volunteer:

Above all, we are looking for someone who is committed to the RSPCA’s charitable objectives and shares our passion for animal welfare. 

Specific skills such as finance, fundraising, project management, business experience, awareness of employment and/or charity legislation can be useful, but not essential.

You will need to be able to work with people and have good interpersonal skills. You do not need to be an expert, although commitment, common sense, and the ability to be objective are vital.

What we can offer you as a volunteer Branch Secretary

• We will provide you with a comprehensive trustee training course which will provide you will everything you need to carry out the role.

• Ongoing support is also provided by regional and national RSPCA staff in addition to any additional training provided by the relevant branch.

• The platform to utilise your skills and experience to oversee the charity and make decisions that have a direct impact on local animal welfare.

• The opportunity to gain new skills and develop existing ones, whilst making a real difference to the lives of animals.

• A way to expand your professional and personal network through working with like-minded people.

Practical considerations

• Please also note that to become a Trustee, you will need to be aged 18 or over and a member of our branch for three months before you are eligible to be elected.

• Trustees are elected for a 12-month term each year.

• Reasonable expenses will be reimbursed.

• Trustees must sign a Trustee Declaration of Willingness to Act to clarify that they are not disqualified from being a trustee and read the Charity Commission’s guidance for individuals on who cannot be a trustee or senior manager of a charity.

• References will also be required.

How to find out more about being a Branch Trustee

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.

We hope you are interested in volunteering for our Branch!

Volunteer Job Description: Events Assistant w/ Graphic Design Skills

Position Title: Events Assistant (Volunteer)

Location: Remote and/or around Exeter/Bath/Bristol

Time Commitment: [5-10 hrs per week/ Monday-Thursdays/ Flexible]

Reports To: Events Executive

Position Overview:

We, at Millimetres 2 Mountains Foundation, are seeking a passionate and creative Events Assistant with strong graphic design skills to join our volunteer team. This role offers the unique opportunity to learn and grow in event planning and coordination with the ultimate goal of organizing your own event under the guidance of our experienced team. This position is ideal for someone looking to make a meaningful impact while developing valuable skills in both event management and graphic design. Having the ability to travel to either Bath, Exeter or Bristol at least once a month for face-to-face meetings would be advantageous, but not essential. 

Key Responsibilities:

1. Event Planning and Coordination:

   • Assist in the planning and execution of various events, including logistics, scheduling, and supplier coordination.

   • Work closely with the Events Executive and team to develop event concepts and themes.

   • Help manage event budgets, timelines, and task lists.

2. Graphic Design:

   • Create visually appealing marketing materials such as flyers, posters, social media graphics, and banners to promote events.

   • Design event programs, invitations, and other printed materials.

   • Ensure all designs align with the organization’s brand guidelines and vision.

3. Marketing and Promotion:

   • Develop and implement marketing strategies to increase event visibility and attendance.

   • Assist with social media content creation and scheduling related to events.

   • Help maintain and update the event pages on the organization's website.

4. On-Site Event Support:

   • Provide on-site support during events, including setup, registration, and attendee assistance.

   • Assist with event photography and videography as needed.

   • Help manage volunteers and coordinate their activities during events.

5. Post-Event Activities:

   • Assist in gathering and analyzing feedback from attendees to improve future events.

   • Help with the creation of post-event reports and presentations.

   • Support the team in post-event clean-up and organization.

6. Independent Event Planning:

   • Under the guidance of the Events Executive, conceptualize, plan, and execute your own event from start to finish.

   • Conduct research and outreach to secure venues, suppliers, and sponsors for your event.

   • Create all necessary marketing and promotional materials for your event.

   • Manage a team of volunteers to support the successful execution of your event.

   • Analyze the success of your event and prepare a detailed report with feedback and insights.

Qualifications:

• Desirable, but not essential: experience in event planning and coordination.

• Graphic design skills with proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) or similar software is advantageous.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Strong organizational and multitasking abilities.

• Creative thinking and attention to detail.

• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team.

• Prior experience with social media marketing and website management is a plus.

• Demonstrated initiative and the ability to take ownership of projects.

Benefits:

• Opportunity to learn and develop under the guidance of an experienced event professional and charity team.

• Gain hands-on experience in event planning, coordination, and graphic design.

• Build your portfolio with diverse design projects and a fully executed event.

• Network with professionals and other volunteers in the industry.

• Receive a letter of recommendation upon successful completion of the role.

How to Apply:

We’re happy to look at volunteers who have a similar passion for the work that we do. If you feel you’d be a good fit, but don’t have everything listed here, we’d still love to hear from you. Depending on responses, we reserve the right to close the application window ahead of the deadline; so apply early! Application Deadline is 23:30 August 16th. 

Please submit your CV, a brief cover letter detailing your relevant experience and interest in the position.

We look forward to having you join our team and making a difference together!

T&C’s. 

The charity recognises the value that diversity adds to the work it does and the organisation. We welcome applications from all sections of the communities, and particularly encourage applications from people with lived experience of forced migration and/or those who grew up in the UK speaking English as an additional language – the organisation is committed to interview anyone from these backgrounds who fully meets all the Essential criteria outlined in the Person Specification You will need to undergo an enhanced DBS check if offered the role. 

Tanzania Development Trust (TDT) works in some of the poorest parts of Tanzania, helping people to lift themselves out of poverty by funding small projects that meet their essential needs.  

It sponsors 40-50 small rural development projects p.a. in Tanzania, mainly in the areas of clean water, girls' education and small income generating activities. It also has 3-4 larger, longer-term projects. Its primary function is fundraising, although it provides general project management and business advice where appropriate. 

Around half of its income comes from individual donors, and half from Trusts & Foundations. It helps villagers in Tanzania who lack the capacity and language skills to present their projects to international donors, conducting project appraisals and monitoring project outcomes on their behalf. The projects are implemented by the villagers themselves, or by small local contractors.

TDT is run entirely by volunteers (17 regular volunteers in the UK and 16 local representatives in Tanzania). It has no paid staff, premises or overheads, so 100% of all money raised goes directly to projects in Tanzania.

We are looking for additional Trustees who can help us to grow by identifying potential donors, increasing awareness of our activities, and strengthening our project selection and monitoring procedures.

We would like at least one of the new Trustees to help us with fund-raising by piloting more innovative and creative approaches. Experience of living or working in Tanzania is not essential, but to improve the Board’s racial diversity we would like at least one of the new Trustees to be of Tanzanian origin or have strong connections with East Africa.

The Trustees are all unpaid. Although their main job is the overall direction of the business, they can become involved in day-to-day operations if they so wish. We all work remotely, which helps us to engage with our local representatives in Tanzania in everything we do.

The work we do is immensely rewarding. You would be joining a close-knit organisation that is growing and adapting to meet the needs of a changing world, where helping poor people to help themselves is of paramount importance. 

We are looking for an ambassador and spokesperson for the organisation! We would like someone that is interested in leading the Board in providing strategic direction, setting overall policy, defining goals and evaluating performance against agreed targets. 

Additionally, the roles involves:

• Ensuring that Action Hampshire complies with charity and company law and its own Articles,
• Chairing and facilitating board meetings, ensuring good decision-making and follow up, and a culture of collective responsibility and decentralised leadership
• Fostering respectful relations within the Board and across the organisation that reflect Action Hampshire’s values and ensure clarity on the respective roles of staff and trustees
• Bringing impartiality and objectivity to decision-making
• Enabling the development of the board of trustees including induction, training, appraisal and succession planning
• Developing and maintaining good relations with key stakeholders as appropriate.

With the Chief Executive:

• Planning the annual cycle of board meetings and other general meetings where required, including Annual General Meetings
• Enabling all sub committees and any ad hoc working groups to report their work and any recommendations to the Board
• Agreeing agendas for board and general meetings
• Building a strong relationship with the Senior Leadership Team
• Enabling Trustees to engage regularly with staff and contribute appropriately in supporting their work
• Ensuring, through regular contact, the support and appraisal of the performance of the Chief Executive, including their professional development
• Membership of appointment and disciplinary panels

Our Interim Chair says, "I was an admirer and user of Action Hampshire’s services for many years as a CEO of a local charity, and for the last 6 years have been involved as an Action Hampshire Trustee. At a time when the voluntary and community sector, and the people they serve are under severe pressure, Action Hampshire’s promotion and support for a healthy, vibrant sector has never been more needed.

Trustees and staff share a vision of community-led action; the power of true partnership; the channelling of voluntary effort; and of public service defined by its values and directed at offering hope and practical support to the most vulnerable.

Our Trustees are diverse, focussed, clear about our role, supportive, deeply committed to the work of Action Hampshire, and very proud of our brilliant staff team.

We are a year into the delivery of our 3 year strategy, moving towards financial sustainability, a uniquely coherent identity, and a healthy and supportive staff culture in which people feel in control of their work; and we’re aiming to use all the benefits of technology to become more digitally smart, connected, informed, efficient and so even more effective.

If you share this vision, have the sort of leadership qualities we describe, and if, like us, you are inspired by Action Hampshire’s history and potential, we would love to hear from you."