Volunteer

Volunteer

Volunteer or join the NSS Council.

Volunteer for the NSS

We often recruit volunteers to help with our work. Volunteers tasks have included research, office administration, assistance at events, photography and more.

If you are interested in volunteering for the NSS, please send an email to admin@secularism.org.uk . Please let us know a bit about yourself and what kind of volunteer work you are interested in.


Join the Council of Management

Council members greatly add value to the work of the NSS, through the knowledge and experience they bring to the organisation.

If you share our belief in the urgent need to keep religion and politics separate, agree with our Secular Charter and think you have appropriate skills to contribute to the running of the NSS, and you have the time to devote to doing so, then you may wish to consider putting yourself forward for election to the Council of Management.

The role of the Council is to make decisions which will best deliver the objectives of the NSS and see that they are implemented within a framework which complies with the rules of the organisation set out in the Articles and are fully compliant with the law.

The Council meets ten times per year and oversees all the Society's affairs including policy, staff and financial matters. Meetings are held on a weekday evening in central London. There are occasional additional meetings sometimes at weekends.

Council members (whose term is generally three years after which they automatically retire but are eligible for re-election) form the board of directors of the Society. Those in the most senior Council positions, the Presidency, vice-presidency and Treasurer positions face annual elections. Council members are directors under the Companies Acts. The Society is registered under the Companies Act as a company limited by guarantee. Each member's guarantee is £1.

Council is always keen to identify NSS members with talent and an understanding of good governance who may be interested in standing for election to Council, particularly those with specialist skills and/or who are able to contribute in other ways.

We welcome nominations from suitably qualified candidates from all sections of society, and would particularly be interested to hear from underrepresented groups including women and individuals from ethnic minority groups.

Nominations for new Council members are sought each year between August and October. The elections are held as part of the AGM which takes place in late November (or sometimes December).

Nominations for Council members/officers can be sent by email, or posted. In the case of email the member putting themselves forward, their proposer and seconder must be paid up members and the emails should come from their registered email address in order to avoid delays. Postal forms should be signed and carry the contact details of the nominee, their proposer and seconder.

Nomination letters/emails must clearly state the name of the person standing for Council.

The nominee, proposer and seconder must be paid-up members. In order to eliminate any unintended implication of favoritism, Council has voluntarily agreed not to propose or second nominations and this also applies to staff.

Applicants will normally be requested to provide an election statement of around 180 words, together with a head and shoulders photograph, which will be included in the AGM papers. They will normally be expected to give a short presentation at the AGM and answer any questions members may have, which may probe their experience and contribution they intend to make.

Members at the AGM then vote on the candidates and, assuming more votes in their favour than against, candidates are elected. Where the number of seats available is less than the number of candidates, those with the most votes are elected. The maximum number of Council is thirteen members.

To announce your intention to stand for election, please contact the Company Secretary by email or by writing to: The Company Secretary, 25 Red Lion Square, London, WC1R 4RL. Closing dates are announced in communications to members.

If you would like to talk to us about the possibility of running for Council, please contact the office or use the form below.

If you'd like to get started, we simply need an email from you formally stating your intention to stand with the names of your proposer and seconder, and a separate email from both your proposer and seconder (both need to be members) stating their desire to propose and second you. All emails should include full name and contact details and should get to us before the deadline.

In order to eliminate any possibility that candidates proposed or seconded by a member of Council

could be regarded more favourably than those that are not, Council has voluntarily agreed not to

propose or second nominations and this also applies to staff.