Youth volunteering programme volunteer roles in ashford, surrey

Abianda works with young women and girls affected by criminal exploitation and violence, associated with ‘gangs’ and county lines. Our vision is that young women and girls are free from oppression and harm caused by criminal exploitation and violence.

Abianda’s Board of Trustees is a group of highly experienced and skilled women. We work hard to ensure that the organisational culture is echoed in the behaviour and functions of the Board. Our Trustee group is high functioning, collaborative, and rigorous. They hold the CEO and organisation to account and provide essential scrutiny, with warmth, humour and compassion, and with an expectation of very high standards - always with a focus on the needs of girls and young women. ​

As a Trustee coming on board with the Abianda team, we want to see that you are willing to enter into collaborative spaces with young women, learn from them, implement their ideas and support a culture where their expertise is celebrated and prioritised.​

We are looking for candidates with specific specialisms in:

• People and HR

• Safeguarding

• Board Secretariat responsibilities​

We're also interested in hearing from candidates who have expertise in:

• Sector Specialism (including criminal exploitation, policing and crime, VAWG, health and social care, education, local and national policy)

• Policy and Public Affairs

• Organisational Development

• Income Generation

• Marketing and Communications

• Governance

• Digital Transformation

Please note

• Due to the work we do, Abianda's roles are subject to an Occupational Requirement on the grounds of the protected characteristic of sex. We are a women’s-only employer, and as such, this position is exempt under Schedule 9 of the Equality Act 2010. For the avoidance of doubt, all women including trans women are welcome to apply for and hold such roles, as are non-binary people if the applicant believes that their lived experience aligns with that of women and girls.

• We are particularly keen to attract Trustees with lived experience of the issues we address and the challenges facing young women and girls, either directly or through communities and relationships.

• All applicants are requested to complete a criminal record self-disclosure form at interview stage. We value the lived experience of our applicants and all disclosures will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

• We have a specific focus on ensuring diversity of voice on our Board and representation across all intersections of identity. As such, we are particularly keen to hear from Disabled people, Black and people of the Global Majority, people from the LGBTQ+ community and people from different socio-economic and educational backgrounds.

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If you want to make a difference to people living with a mental health condition then we’d love to hear from you!

About us

At The Mental Health Community we use our lived experience to build understanding and support for what it’s like to live and work alongside managing a mental health condition. 

We know that it can be difficult to get, or keep a job if your energy levels, how you’re feeling and your ability to go to a place of work every day are affected by a mental health condition like anxiety or depression. But we also know that having a sense of purpose and belonging can really help with the symptoms and impact that mental health conditions can have on you.

Our work is focused on helping people with a mental health condition who are in work or looking for work. We do this by supporting businesses to improve how they look after people, because we know that by creating inclusive and safe spaces at work we make it possible for people with mental ill health to stay in the workplace which helps keep them well and benefits the businesses too.

By joining our board you will be: 

• Making a lasting impact by helping us make more workplaces safe and inclusive for people with a mental health condition
• Shaping the future of our charity as we expand our services and reach more people who need our support
• Using your skills and experience for good by helping guide the strategic direction of our charity.

What we’re looking for

We are looking for at least 4 new trustees to join our team. Whatever your skillset, we’d love to hear from you and there are some areas where we need particular help:

· Treasurer: oversee our financial health, provide guidance on building long term financial plans to help us grow and ensure appropriate financial management.

· Marketing and Communications: strategic oversight of our marketing and communications, raising awareness of our work and reaching new audiences through digital strategies and media engagement.

· Fundraising: develop our fundraising strategy and income streams, including grant applications, corporate sponsorship and campaigns.

· Governance: guide us in operating transparently and effectively whilst maintaining high standards of governance in compliance with our governing document and charity law.

We particularly welcome applications from people with lived experience of mental ill health, young people aged 18-30, people of all socio-economic backgrounds, genders and people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.

About the role

As a board of trustees we meet remotely every 6 weeks, there may be some activity in between meetings so the estimated total time commitment is 4 hours every 6 weeks.

In addition to using your specific skills to develop how we work, all trustees share responsibility for:

· Developing our activities to help us achieve our purpose and positive impact,

· Making sure we are compliant with our governing document and the requirements of the Charity Commission, and

· Being an active member of the board to help us make good decisions

What you can expect from us

We are committed to supporting our Trustees: you can expect an induction to the organisation and trustee role plus any additional conversations and support you need to help you feel confident in your role.

Our meetings are relaxed and informal; there are no expectations of ‘business clothes’, technical jargon or having all the answers.

We welcome and support your preferences for the way we work together, how you like to receive information and how we can make it easier for you to participate actively in our discussions.

One more thing

We know that great trustees come from many backgrounds and with a variety of experiences and that’s great - we really value people who bring different perspectives and add new voices to our team.

But you might not feel you ‘check all the boxes’ as you read this advert or the role description, especially if you’ve been marginalised or excluded. We get it, and we’ve felt like that too. But we hope you’ll apply anyway because we’d love to hear from you and will take care to help you feel welcome and included.

For more information on the role please see the role description.