Join us as a volunteer
Are you passionate about safe and responsible expeditions for young people? We are looking for volunteers to help us be the national voice of Youth Expeditions.
In order for the YET to succeed in achieving it’s vision and aims as a charity, it is reliant on it’s volunteers. We are currently recruiting for the below positions. If you would like to talk to us more generally about volunteering opportunities, please contact us here.
These roles are based from home in the UK and will require travel for the occasional meeting.
Assistant Company Secretary
| Purpose The Assistant Company Secretary will work closely with the charity secretary and is primarily accountable for: • The smooth and efficient running of meetings of the Trust Board and any sub-committees and provision of assistance and support to the chairman • Monitoring and complying with relevant legislative and regulatory requirements affecting the charity • Ensuring that trustees’ decisions are followed up and carried out and that they accord with the governing document, serve the objects of the charity and provide public benefit. The secretary is responsible for keeping the conscience of the charity and watching over sound governance. Until 2006 it was a requirement to appoint a company secretary. Although no longer a mandatory appointment, someone still has to undertake the same tasks. It is useful if the secretary maintains good informal relations with everyone of importance to the Trust To be fully effective the secretary should be independent and not combine the role with any other major office that could be a source of conflict but have a good understanding of what those other roles involve. It is especially important to work well with the treasurer. Duties The Board of YET typically meets two or three times a year and its advisory Council twice. There is in addition an AGM and in principle an Operations Committee of which all officers are members. For all of these the secretary works with their chairman to plan, arrange and produce an agenda, to make a record of proceedings and decisions and to check follow up. To do this effectively typically involves: • Booking and attending meetings • Providing advice and guidance on legal and regulatory matters • Taking, writing and circulating minutes • Ensuring that statutory books are kept and procedures observed • Keeping a follow up list and enquiring after progress so that issues are not overlooked or forgotten • Reminding members of obligations or deadlines • Maintaining registers of officers, Board, Council and committee members, organisation arrangements and job descriptions • Control of stationery etc. • Ensuring timely submission of report and accounts and any other returns • Other tasks of representation or administration that the Board may require. Terms & Conditions • The secretary holds office at the pleasure of the Board and the position is normally reviewed, together with that of other officers, each year before the AGM. • All trustees have a right to support or advice from the secretary • The secretary is accountable to the Board but in practice normally through the chairman. • Since YET has no employees a YET secretary does none of the work with them that often falls within the purview of a secretary The work of the Trust is organised so that the secretary is able to maintain an independent perspective and not be unduly influenced by anyone else. |
Ambassador Coordinator
| Description Ambassadors in various parts of Britain working or attempting to work with various organisations require a well organised Ambassador Coordinator. Tasks • Encourage and lead YET ambassadors • Help in case of ambassadorial difficulty • Seek and plan new opportunities for influence • Report developments periodically as agreed to the Board Accountability All YET officers are appointed annually by and are accountable to the Board of Trustees. Usually one of the Trustees is identified as taking particular responsibility for an officer’s area of work. Officers are unpaid volunteers but may be reimbursed for out of pocket expenses and exceptionally other costs. Qualities & Skills An Ambassador Coordinator should: • Have a lively interest in spreading enthusiasm for expeditioning amongst young people • Be content to work chiefly through others to achieve YET’s aims • Have a persuasive personality Desirable skills are • Ability to manage a team, most of whom will rarely meet, at long range • Good judgement about who to recruit • Judgement and firmness in recommending removal of ambassadors whose efforts are not beneficial to YET |
Mentoring Coordinator
| Description YET offers mentoring to expedition organisers, and aspirants to be so, and also to young people keen to have expedition experience. Because no two requirements are the same it is impossible to dictate what should be included. The notes that follow aim to ensure that no mentor is held liable for some subsequent misfortune whilst trying to help. Mentors are normally assessed and approved by the evaluation panel and in case of doubt by the Board of Trustees. Approval may be limited in some way. Tasks • To judge what a mentee wishes to achieve and as far as possible why • To help a mentee arrive at his or her own conclusions, not to coach anyone to achieve particular ends and to make it explicit that this is so • To provide factual information helpful to people trying to form opinions or plans or come to decisions • To warn a mentee if a disclosed decision or plan appears likely to have a harmful result Accountability All YET officers are appointed annually by and accountable to the Board of Trustees. Usually one of the Trustees is identified as taking particular responsibility for an officer’s area of work. Officers are unpaid volunteers but may be reimbursed for out of pocket expenses and exceptionally for other costs. Qualities & Skills A mentor should: • Understand the ethos, procedures and demands of expedition planning including the provisions of BS8848 and be competent to undertake the tasks set out above • Promote the work of the Trust and the concept and benefits of youth ventures • Maintain the confidentiality of all information received unless release is agreed in writing with a venture provider or as may be required by law. Desirable qualities are: • Skill in helping people to sort out their ideas • Ability to work with a variety of people • Strong administrative capacity |