Volunteer Roles

With our current Chair, Dame Rosemary Squire, stepping down at the end of her term in January 2025, we are now seeking an inspirational and experienced leader to steer and drive the Board and Executive, increasing our output successfully and ensuring our sustainability.

Mountview is a vibrant organisation where exceptional young people achieve extraordinary things. Our new Chair will have extensive experience/interest in Higher Education and a passion for the performing arts, specifically theatre, television and film. They will be interested in young people and drama training and will be committed to making Mountview one of the most successful, diverse and respected conservatoires in the UK and internationally.

Our new Chair will share our commitment to diversity, help us to continue our increasing brand recognition and to fundraise effectively, while ensuring that we have a strong Board of dynamic and engaged Trustees. They will help us nurture our strong partnership with the London Borough of Southwark and support our local commitments. They will ensure that our courses remain at the forefront of drama training, challenging the status quo whilst providing for the industry’s long-term needs. 

The board is now looking to appoint a new trustee to join us and help steer the sport through to the LA28 Paralympic Games and beyond. This follows the departure of our longest-serving board member at the end of her third term, and the current GFC chair stepping into her role of senior independent director. This new appointee will have responsibility at board level for matters relating to finance and governance.

We are a registered charity and Limited Company by guarantee with our own Board of voluntary Trustees/Directors. Croydon Mencap’s purpose is to provide advice, information and support through a range of projects and services. Croydon Mencap is affiliated to Royal Mencap but is not financially supported or governed by its National body.

As a trustee you will be able to use your skills and experience and have a direct influence over the Charity direction and governance. It is a rewarding role, but there are responsibilities meaning you will need to give enough time to help your charity succeed.

Being a Trustee of a Charity means you are there to look after the charity’s work and ensure that it uses its money and resources properly, and that it is managed effectively through the paid staff. Trustees are also Company Directors as Croydon Mencap is registered as a company limited by guarantee.

The Board of Trustees meets on average 4 times a year, and everyone is also expected to attend the Annual General Meeting and an annual ‘Away Day’. Trustees may also be involved in short-term specific interest task groups if necessary, training is made available where needed e.g. to raise greater awareness to the needs of people with learning disabilities or carers’ issues.

Initially the Chair and Vice Chair of the Board and Chief Executive Officer will interview applicants. Trustees can be co-opted throughout the year by the Board. A number of checks are carried out prior to appointment, including a declaration that the potential trustee is not disqualified from standing.

Oxfordshire Youth

Oxfordshire Youth is a boundary-breaking youth development charity, passionate about creating a future for and with young people that gives them the best possible opportunity to realise their potential. Oxfordshire Youth supports the youth sector across the county, working with grassroots leaders; it delivers innovative youth leadership programmes; and it provides a transformational supported accommodation service for young people. In everything it does, OY aims to meet the needs and aspirations of young people. All the charity’s work is grounded in best practice safeguarding and youth work principles and practice.

Charity Trustees

The Charities Act 1993 defined charity trustees as those responsible under the charity’s governing document for controlling the administration and management of the charity. This is the case regardless of the terminology used to describe the role. The trustee board at Oxfordshire Youth usually comprises up to twelve trustees, although there is no formal limit on the number of trustees, including the following roles:

● the Chair of the Board of Trustees

● the Deputy Chair and CEO Line-Manager

● the Treasurer and Chair of the Finance, Audit and Risk Sub-Committee

● the Safeguarding Lead and Chair of the Safeguarding,Quality and Impact Sub-Committee the People and Development Lead and Staff Liaison Trustee

The Role of the Board

At its most fundamental the role of the trustee board is to receive assets from donors, safeguard them and apply them to the charitable purposes of Oxfordshire Youth. The trustee board must always act in the best interests of Oxfordshire Youth, exercising the same standard of duty of care that a prudent person would apply if looking after the affairs of someone for whom they have responsibility. Trustees are ultimately and legally responsible for everything Oxfordshire Youth does. Trustees fulfil this responsibility by agreeing the strategy, agreeing organisational policies and implementing appropriate monitoring and control mechanisms to ensure and evidence compliance. Trustees appoint the CEO and, on recommendation by the CEO, appoint the Senior Leadership Team to manage all operational matters and the operational team in line with the approved strategy, policies and control mechanisms.

Duties of a Trustee

The statutory duties of a trustee are:

● Ensure that Oxfordshire Youth complies with its Articles of Association, charity law, and any other relevant legislation or regulations

● Ensure that Oxfordshire Youth pursues its objects as defined in its Articles of Association

● Ensure Oxfordshire Youth applies its resources exclusively in pursuance of its objects. For example, it must not spend money on activities which are not included in the objects, however worthwhile they may be

● Contribute actively to the board of trustees by giving firm strategic direction to Oxfordshire Youth, setting overall policy, defining goals, setting targets and evaluating performance against agreed targets

● Safeguard the good name and values of Oxfordshire Youth

● Ensure the effective and efficient administration of the organization

● Ensure the financial stability of Oxfordshire Youth

● Protect and manage the property of the organisation and to ensure the proper investment of the organisation’s funds

● Appoint the Chief Executive Officer and monitor performance

In addition to the statutory duties listed above, each trustee should use any specific skills, knowledge or experience they have to help the board of trustees reach sound decisions. This may involve leading discussions, identifying key issues, asking difficult questions and providing advice and guidance on new initiatives. Trustees must ensure that the charity has a clear vision, mission and strategic direction and is focused on achieving these.

Treasurer Role Purpose

To provide high level oversight of the financial affairs of the organisation and ensure they are legal, constitutional and within accepted accounting practice.

Key Responsibilities

● Attend bi-monthly Trustee meetings; chair bi-monthly Finance. Audit and Risk (FAR) Sub-committee meetings and report to the Board on financial matters. The first point of contact on the Board for any matters relating to Finance.

● Work with the Head of Finance, CEO, Finance, Audit and Risk Committee members and other Trustees to ensure the financial viability of the organisation.

● Support fellow Trustees to be aware of their financial obligations and take a lead in interpreting financial data to them.

● To have oversight of accounting policies, procedures, processes and record keeping including advising on best practice.

● Appraising the financial viability of plans, proposals and feasibility studies.

● Sign off annually on the organisation budget and annual accounts.

● Lead on appointing auditors

● Work with Finance Lead, EO, Finance, Audit and Risk Committee members and trustees to set the financial strategy for the organisation.

Time Commitment

Trustees are expected to attend an induction session at Oxfordshire Youth prior to their first board meeting. Trustees are expected to attend the six annual board meetings, five of which last approximately three hours (typically 6-9pm). One meeting is an annual strategic planning board away-day or residential held each year. Papers, proposals and reports are distributed one week in advance of meetings. The Treasurer will also Chair the FAR sub-committee sub-committee which means 6 times a year for 2 hours.

Trustee Role Boundaries

Trustees in a decision-making capacity:

● As a board of trustees

● As a sub-committee

● Chair - delegated authority by the board to make decisions between board meetings with quorum of three, where necessary

● CEO Line Manager - delegated authority by the board to make decisions between board meetings where necessary

 Trustee roles outside of the above decision-making capacity:

Advisory role (i.e. offering advice in an area of expertise). In this capacity the Trustee is acting as Trustee but, as noted above, does not have decision-making capacity in their own right.

Volunteer role (i.e. participating in an operational working group). Here the Trustee is subject to the decision-making of the operational team-member who is in a position of authority. As a volunteer the Trustee is at liberty to withdraw.

Observer role (i.e. attending an OY workshop for young people or observing OY work). In this capacity they are acting as a Trustee but have no role beyond observing or information gathering for the purposes of strengthening their own understanding and / or board-level decision-making.

Champion role (i.e. spreading the message about the work of OY). In this capacity they are acting as a Trustee, helping to build the profile of the work of OY, with no decision making, but with the view of creating a positive image and sign-posting people to OY.

Who we are looking for

As a Treasurer, you will have:

● Knowledge and experience of current and fundraising and finance practice relevant to voluntary and community organisations.

● Knowledge of bookkeeping and financial management (as necessary).

● Good financial analysis skills.

● Experience of advising others on financial matters, and being prepared to challenge

Each trustee should have:

● A commitment to the mission of Oxfordshire Youth

● A willingness to meet the minimum time requirement

● An understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of trusteeship

● Strategic and forward-looking vision in relation to the charity’s objects and aims

● Independent judgement, political impartiality, an ability to think creatively and a willingness to speak their mind

● Good communication and interpersonal skills including a willingness to use tact and diplomacy to challenge and constructively criticise

● Integrity

Oxfordshire Youth (OY) recruits outstanding talent to ensure we provide outstanding programmes services to the young people of Oxfordshire and the organisations who serve them. We are committed to creating a team of people that make diversity and inclusion the normal. Oxfordshire Youth are actively seeking to recruit candidates from Global Ethnic Majority backgrounds, and from candidates who may consider themselves to have lived experiences in the areas in which they work.

Oxfordshire Youth offers Trustees robust training to support them to succeed in their role and to broaden their knowledge on the youth sector, and other relevant issues.

Do you want to make a difference to the lives of local people with mental health conditions? We are looking  a Trustee who can think strategically and complement the existing Board.

Mental Health Resource is a well-established, independent charity based in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Our aim is to improve mental wellbeing in our community by enabling people to feel supported and valued, providing opportunities for social connections and by raising awareness of mental health. We deliver high quality and effective services across West Kent providing safe spaces and person-centred mental health support.

We provide comprehensive services with both a focus on short term and long-term mental health support, enabling people to access our projects for as longs as they want or need support. Our beneficiaries have complex and enduring mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, PTSD, self-harming, psychosis, schizophrenia and bi-polar and, on average, we work with over 900 adults and young people each year.  

About the Trustee roles

You would be working with other trustees who have different skills, knowledge and experience. It's an interesting role in which you can help formulate ideas about how we as an organisation can best address the challenges and opportunities that exist in an increasingly complex and changing environment.

We would love to hear from you if you have a true interest in helping to improve the lives of those with mental health conditions in our community, and especially if you have skills or experience in working in a charity or in finance. No experience of being a trustee is necessary.

You would be expected to attend and participate in six Board meetings per year which are held via Teams/Zoom and last 2-3 hrs. The Board is also supported by two sub-committees: Finance and Risk and Marketing and Fundraising, which meet four times a year, and trustees are encouraged to also be a member of one of the sub-committees.

As an Enhanced First Response Volunteer, you will drive our hire car and go out with a partner volunteer to look for referrals made by StreetLink, engaging with those found sleeping rough, and passing on information to the Outreach team. Enhanced First Responders play a crucial role in ensuring people sleeping rough receive vital support from the Outreach team to move away from the streets and get connected to other local services. Please note, you have to be 25 years old or over to drive the hire car, but if you don't meet this criteria, please still apply as you can support with note taking and navigation between referrals.

Do you live or work in Islington?

Are you looking to impact a young person’s life and make a difference in the community?

Join us today at The Kids Network and become a mentor!

What is the role

• The Kids Network is looking for committed, fun and passionate volunteers who live in or near to Islington to make a difference to the children of London.
• Our structured mentoring programme supports 8-11 year olds with their social and emotional development before they transition into secondary school.
• As a mentor, you will hold weekly one-to-one sessions of 1-3 hours. You will help to build confidence, resilience and support your mentee to manage feelings through a series of fun and positive experiences and activities.
• The weekly sessions can be during the weekday after school or at the weekends.
• You will also get to meet fellow adults in your community through our peer network.
• All volunteers will benefit from our two-day training where you'll gain skills and knowledge to support you as a mentor. (Many mentors share that the skills developed support their progression in the workplace, especially those seeking to gain experience working with children and young people)

What impact will this have?

• Help build resilience and confidence in a child in your local community.
• Learn from fellow mentors with our amazing peer network.
• Help a child as they transition from primary to secondary school.

Expenses

• Our mentoring pairs will have a budget of £30 per month. We are also able to cover travel expenses.

Training​

• Our induction training will provide you with all the skills and knowledge to support your mentee, including safeguarding, health and safety, child-led mentoring and understanding your role.
• We offer additional training throughout the year to in anti-oppression, trauma-informed practice and lots more to help enhance your mentoring journey and your personal and professional development.

A DBS check is required but is organised and paid for by The Kids Network.

Volunteer Retail Assistants Chiswick High Street

Are you enthusiastic and engaging? Do you love meeting new people? Are you interested in learning more about the charity sector, and passionate about making a real difference to people’s daily lives? If so, the Vision Foundation is waiting to hear from you.

We are looking for friendly and energetic volunteers to join our growing retail team. Based  in our beautiful new boutique store on Chiswick High Street, you will play a significant role in providing high quality customer service. From welcoming and interacting with customers on the shop floor to checking out at the tills, you will create a positive and enjoyable shopping experience for our community.

You will also have the opportunity to experience work behind the scenes; sorting through donated items and ensuring the shop is suitably stocked. This is a great way to gain valuable retail experience and develop strong teamwork and communication skills.

You don’t need special skills or experience to volunteer; a positive attitude and a friendly approach to chatting with other people goes a long way. We welcome anyone who is interested in retail and sustainable fashion, passionate about sight loss and supporting a charity, wants to learn something new, or is keen to meet people.

Supporting us for as little as three hours a week would have a huge impact on our work, but if you can spare more time that would help us even more. Let us know what hours and days suit you!

To find out more about the role and request an application form please contact our Volunteer Manager Beth Evans.

This role is advertised as part of TPP's Free Giving Back Services. This volunteer advertisement copy has been supplied to TPP and applicants apply direct to the organisation. Please contact the organisation directly if you have any questions about this volunteer role.

Come join our team working to help change the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in society. Ranked 2023 Q4 by Best Companies as the 8th best charity to work for in the UK, Medaille Trust is one of the UK’s leading charities in the fight against modern slavery. Our innovative model is based on three principles: Prevent, Protect and Pursue.  We are one of the UK’s largest providers of survivor services, with ten safehouses and six outreach hubs, staffed round the clock by specialist staff, working with more than 600 men, women and dependent children each year.  We work to raise awareness in the UK and to provide preventive work in source countries. Our Pursue work helps survivors to engage with police and within the legal system to seek justice and to secure convictions against their perpetrators

We are looking for a volunteer to help support us with gardening and working alongside our service users to support them with all things gardening related. Tasks will include:

•Digging, planting, maintaining, harvesting of plants

•Trimming hedges and bushes

•Weeding, planting and watering plants

•General vegetable patch maintenance

•Sharing knowledge of plant, flower and food cultivation with service users

•Offering a safe and comfortable experience for all service users, showing awareness of service users’ varying physical and mental well-being needs

Our volunteers come from all walks of life and have a wide range of experience and motivations. Whatever your reason for deciding to volunteer, we want to make sure you enjoy your time with us and know just how much we value your support.

This role requires maturity, and an ability to engage with female adults in a trauma informed way, while working alongside staff members to deliver the activities in line with agreed procedures and systems.

Volunteers need to:

•Be at least 18 years old

•Be able to get to the venue which is based in Swindon

•Have experience or qualifications in gardening, cultivation, harvesting of plants

•Have a good standard of spoken and written English

•Be able to regularly commit on a weekly basic

•Be willing to have an enhanced DBS check

•Have knowledge and understanding of human trafficking issues or willingness to learn

•Have knowledge and understanding of mental health conditions or willingness to learn

•Have an understanding of the importance of professional boundaries in the role

•Have the ability to maintain confidentiality

Enhanced DBS is required for this role

We are a Kingston-based social marketing enterprise using creative thinking to build community cohesion. We aim to attract knowledgeable individuals encouraging different cultures to unite which enables us to share and celebrate essential lessons. Partnering with local organisations, we put on programmes of training, workshops and other events that promote unity and tolerance. We conduct research to support our cause to challenge preconceptions around race and stereotyping. As well as delivering workshops on unconscious bias in the workplace.

Ready for an adventure? Dive into the heart of Quilombo UK by exploring our website and videos! Explore the values that guide our mission, values, and the impactful work we do to make a difference in our community.

Join us in leading positive change!

As the Video Production Assistant, you will support the Video Production Manager and team in all stages of video production from pre-production through post-production. This is an excellent opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a creative environment while contributing to Quilombo UK's mission of promoting cultural awareness and community wellbeing.

Main Responsibilities

• Assist with setting up video/photography equipment for shoots and live events
• Help manage video footage, files, and digital assets
• Perform basic video editing tasks
• Provide production assistance as needed (e.g. props, crafty, runner duties)
• Support live streaming setup and execution for events
• Archive and organize video footage and media files
• Attend video shoots, events, and team meetings as required

Essential Skills & Experience

• Familiarity with video production equipment and workflows
• Working knowledge of Video Editing software
• Basic understanding of different video file formats and codecs
• Ability to follow direction and take initiative when needed
• Strong organizational and time management abilities
• Good interpersonal skills to work well in a team environment
• Proficiency with Google Workspace/Microsoft Office

Desirable Skills & Experience

• Hands-on experience with live video production/streaming
• Knowledge of Video Editing Software
• Understanding of colour grading and audio mixing techniques

The Professional Development Programme with Quilombo UK runs over a period of 16 weeks, is UNPAID and requires a minimum of 12 hours commitment per week across Monday, Wednesday and/or Friday.

Upon successful application, our HR team will contact you to arrange an interview. Following a successful interview, we'll initiate the onboarding process by sending you the necessary documents. Once your onboarding and identification documents are received and verified, you'll be invited to a 6-hour HR and System Induction. Subsequently, you'll meet with your Head of Department or Assistant Manager for your First Day.

Are you looking to impact a young person’s life and make a difference in the community?

Well come and join us today at The Kids Network!

What is the role

• The Kids Network is looking for committed, fun and passionate volunteers who live in or near to Lambeth to make a difference to the children of London.
• Our structured mentoring programme supports 8-11 year old's, based across London, to support with their social and emotional development before they transition into secondary school.
• As a mentor, you will hold weekly one on one sessions of 1 -3 hours. You will help to build confidence, resilience and help your mentee to manage feelings through a series of fun and positive experiences and activities.
• The weekly sessions can be flexible between weekdays and weekends.
• You will also get to meet fellow adults in your community through our peer network.
• All volunteers will go benefit from two days of in-person  where you'll gain skills and knowledge to support you as a mentor. (Many mentors share that the skills developed support their progression in the workplace, especially those seeking to gain experience working with children and young people)

What impact will this have?

• Help build resilience and confidence in a child in your local community.
• Learn from fellow mentors with our amazing peer network.
• Help a child as they transition from primary to secondary school.

Currently recruiting mentors who are:

·Looking to give back to their communities and make an impact on little londoners.

Expenses

• Volunteers have a budget of £30 per month. We are also able to cover travel expenses.

Training​

• Our induction training will provide you with all the skills and knowledge to support your mentee, including safeguarding, health and safety, child-led mentoring and understanding your role.
• We offer additional training throughout the year to in anti-oppression, trauma-informed practice and lots more to help enhance your mentoring journey and your personal and professional development.

A DBS check is required but is organised and paid for by The Kids Network.

Feed's vison is a world where every woman has the freedom to make informed decisions in infant feeding, and is supported to exercise the choices that are right for her and her family. We need you as Feed Advocate to help us realise that vision.

Our mission is to eliminate all barriers to women and families' choices in infant feeding wherever they may exist, both practical and systemic. We do not promote any form of feeding over another. We amplify women’s voices, and ensure their experiences and needs are at the heart of our campaigning, policy development and research.

And that is where you come in. Our team of Feed Advocates make sure we are doing just that, and driving meaningful change for women and their families.

Each of our advocates has their own unique infant feeding experiences that ensure we are always thinking outside the box.

We need advocate volunteers who feel passionately about infant feeding and are willing to share their experiences and opinions.

Responsibilities may include attending advocate meetings, usually online. You may be asked to review a research proposals, help us develop recommendations and policy positions to support the needs of women and their families. You will help us with communication and outreach. But most of all you will want to use your own experience to help make things better. You don't need any qualifications for this role, the desire to join Team Feed is all that matters.

Volunteering for Sense

Our amazing team of volunteers help us run over 100 shops across England and Wales.  Every donated item that you sort, prepare and sell helps to raise vital funds to support us in our mission to make sure no one, no matter how complex their disabilities, is isolated, left out, or unable to fulfil their potential. Our shops are at the heart of local communities – sharing the work of Sense, and helping to secure support for our life changing work.

What your role will involve

There are a variety of tasks that you can get involved with in the shop, including:

• Welcoming and assisting customers, providing great customer service and a fantastic shopping experience
• Receiving donated goods from members of the public
• Sorting, steaming, tagging and preparing donated goods for sale
• Creating eye catching window and in-shop displays
• Keeping the shop floor well stocked, tidy, clean and organised
• Processing sales and serving on the till
• Promoting Gift Aid and other Sense fundraising initiatives
• Acting as an ambassador for Sense; promoting the shop and Sense in your local community
• Supporting with the recruitment and training of new volunteers
• Following new health, safety and social distancing measures to ensure the safety of everyone

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

• Motivated and hardworking
• Reliable, flexible and willing to do a variety of shop tasks
• A team player
• Friendly and helpful
• Passionate about customer service and enjoy interacting with people
• Respectful of others and their diversity
• Interested in supporting the work of Sense and want to make a difference to people who have complex disabilities and are deafblind.

What can Sense offer me as a volunteer?

• A full induction and ongoing support and guidance from your Shop Manager to make sure you feel confident in your role
• Support to develop new skills, knowledge and experience, in particular of a retail environment, but also skills such as teamwork, customer service, communication and using your initiative
• A reference for other paid or voluntary work (available on request)
• The opportunity to share your existing skills and experience to benefit others
• The chance to meet new people from a wide range of backgrounds and to join a passionate and committed team
• The opportunity to make an invaluable contribution to Sense by raising vital income and raising the profile of Sense in your local community; changing the lives of those who have complex disabilities and are deafblind

About Sense

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.

We include. We collaborate. We find a way. We challenge. We celebrate.

Our hub in Hersham is at the heart of our retail operations. Donations are centrally stored at the hub and then distributed to our 40+ shops across our care community.

We are looking for volunteers to assist our van drivers (you’ll be not driving) in collecting and delivering donations to various shops across our care community.If you would enjoy being out on the road with our van drivers, traveling between shops, and transporting donated goods, then this could be the role for you!

You will be able to commit to one shift per week which is a full day with relevant breaks. You’ll be comfortable with moving and handling bulky items, friendly and approachable.