Become a charity trustee
A friend has invited you to do this with them.
Trustees have overall control of a charity, so your judgement and working experience shape what it actually does. It is one of the few voluntary roles where you help steer an organisation rather than only lend a hand.
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How to start
- Read the Charity Commission guidance on what a trustee is responsible for.
- Create a profile on Reach Volunteering and search trustee roles that match your skills.
- Apply to one charity whose cause you care about and ask to observe a board meeting.
Where to go
We opened these links on 6 October 2026 and found them to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
Plan this
Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. Projects run over months and stall without a rhythm, so the plan sets milestones you can see.
From the site
Volunteering: where to start and what it gives back
How to start volunteering: the UK and US directories worth using (NCVO, Do IT, Royal Voluntary Service, Age UK, AmeriCorps Seniors, VolunteerMatch), skills-based roles and trusteeships, what the evidence says about wellbeing, and a simple first-month plan.
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