Charity Trustee (training and matching provided)
Volunteer Centre Tower Hamlets
Join our METs programme to receive training and be matched to a local charity that is recruiting trustees. Trustees are the unpaid volunteers who lead charities and decide how they are run. This fantastic leadership development opportunity is only open to Tower Hamlets residents from Global Majority communities (all communities other than White British), aged 18+. Get your voice heard, share your lived experience, and ensure that diverse communities are better represented on charity boards.
Volunteer Centre Tower Hamlets is running the METs Programme - a training and matching service for people interested in becoming trustees for local charities. Trustees are the unpaid volunteers who lead charities and decide how they are run. This fantastic leadership development opportunity is only open to Tower Hamlets residents from Global Majority communities (all communities other than White British), aged 18 and over. Maybe you have considered volunteering as a charity trustee but been unsure what is involved? Perhaps you’ve wondered if the skills and experience you have would be welcomed? Or have you been unsure how to find the right charity and cause to support? Volunteer Centre Tower Hamlets' METs programme is perfect for anyone who is keen to take on a leadership role as a charity trustee, but who would prefer doing this with training and support. It’s a chance to get your voice heard, share your lived experience, and ensure that diverse communities in Tower Hamlets are better represented at senior level on charity boards. The METs programme will train you on the roles and responsibilities of trustees and some of the essentials of charity governance, so that you feel confident and empowered to take on a trustee role. After completing a short training programme, you will be introduced to local charities, representing a wide range of causes, all recruiting new trustees from Global Majority (minoritised ethnic) communities to strengthen and diversify their trustee boards. Training for this round of the programme will take place in June and July 2025, online, on Tuesday evenings. You must be able to attend all 4 training sessions, as well as the matching event: Training Session 1 - Tuesday 10 June 2025, 6pm-8.15pm Training Session 2 - Tuesday 17 June 2025, 6pm-8.15pm Training Session 3 - Tuesday 24 June 2025, 6pm-8.15pm Training Session 4 - Tuesday 1 July 2025, 6pm-8.15pm Matching Event - Tuesday 15 July 2025, 6pm-8.45pm The training and matching event all take place online on Zoom. You must have access to a laptop/computer, broadband, be able to use Zoom, and have a quiet space to participate in the online training. Speakers of English as a second language are welcome. However, all trainees must be able to communicate fluently in English, as the training and trustee meetings are conducted in English. Once you have been trained you will be invited to attend an online matching event. Here we will introduce you to around 10 charities in Tower Hamlets that are recruiting new trustees. The aim of the matching event is to align your interests, skills and lived experience to charities that appeal to you, and hopefully create a good potential match. After the matching event, some of the charities may invite you to interview to join their trustee boards. Being a charity trustee normally involves volunteering for a few hours a month, usually in the evenings, so it is a role that fits well around paid work, studying or other commitments. This is a very serious role that requires a long-term commitment so you should expect to volunteer for at least 2 to 3 years. Applications will close in late May 2025. We expect to receive a high volume of applications, so please express your interest now. We will send you a short application form to complete, then invite you to a Zoom meeting for an informal enrolment interview, and to answer any questions you may have.
Trusteeships & Committees
Basic IT skills - internet & email, Managing People, Organising & Planning
You should not have been a trustee before. If you have previously volunteered in another role, this would be very helpful, but it's not essential. You must be from a Global Majority (Minoritised Ethnic) community (any community other than White British), be aged 18+, and CURRENTLY LIVE in Tower Hamlets to be eligible. Speakers of English as a second language are welcome. However, all trainees must be able to communicate fluently in English, as the training and trustee meetings are conducted in English. You will have a genuine interest in taking on a serious leadership/governance role and will be willing to make a long-term volunteering commitment (approx 2 to 3 years) as a trustee for a local charity. Almost all participating charities hold their trustee meetings on weekday evenings, so you must be available to volunteer in the early evenings, once matched to a trustee board. You must be available to attend 4 x training sessions and 1 x matching event before you take on your trustee role. Training sessions take place online in the early evenings (6pm-8.15pm), the matching session is between 6pm-8.45pm. Please check you can make the dates provided in the description above. If you are not free on those dates, there will be another round of the METs programme in Autumn/Winter 2025. You must have access to a laptop/computer, broadband, be able to use Zoom, and have a quiet space to participate in the online training.
• A chance to get your voice heard and to represent your community • Free training in the essentials of trustee roles and responsibilities and charity governance • The opportunity to take on an unpaid leadership role in a local charity and make a real difference. • A practical way to gain strategic/leadership experience that may help your career plans • Be part of an ongoing supportive peer group of trustees from Global Majority communities.
Training and matching phase = 11 hrs 45mins over 5 x Tuesday evenings in June/July 2025 (see description for the dates). Once you become a trustee the time commitment will vary, depending on the charity your join, but expect somewhere between 3 and 8 hours a month (usually weekday evenings) for at least 2 to 3 years. This role involves making a long-term commitment.
N/A
Various
The 4 training sessions and the matching event are all held online on Zoom. Once you are matched to a charity, you will attend Board meetings, either online or at their premises in Tower Hamlets.
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