Introducing the Aspiring Heads of Volunteering Programme

If you are looking to make your first move into a Head of Volunteering role this programme is for you!  We understand that it’s not always easy to see how you can move from an operational day to day volunteer management role into more strategic leadership and that support to do this may not always be available internally within your organisation.

Finding career development support from people who actually understand the world of volunteering can be tricky, and it can sometimes feel like targeted development to support career progression in volunteering is particularly hard to find.

This programme has been developed specifically to address these needs.  Designed and delivered by a team with direct experience of both being Heads of Volunteering and recruiting Heads of Volunteering in multiple organisations, and with extensive experience in learning and development, this programme will help you build the knowledge, skills and confidence to explore how you can move into a Head of Volunteering role.

Programme overview

Running over seven months, the Aspiring Head of Volunteering programme is targeted at experienced volunteering managers seeking to transition to their first Head of Volunteering role.      

Our first cohort will run March to October 2026 and spaces are limited to 20.  

The programme comprises:

  • Two full day face to face workshops
  • Three online webinars (two hours each)
  • Two online action learning sets (two hours each)
  • Self-managed learning (supported by a programme workbook)

Throughout the programme you will also have access to insights, advice and guidance from a wide range of current and former Heads of Volunteering, who will share their experiences of becoming and being in role.

By the end of the programme you will:

  • Understand the Head of Volunteering role and the core knowledge, skills and experience needed to transition into this role
  • Have increased your self awareness and understanding of the importance of this in your development as a leader
  • Built knowledge, confidence and skill in key aspects of leadership, relevant to the role of Head of Volunteering.  These include:
    • Strategic leadership
    • Influencing (internal and external)
    • Delivering through others
    • Working with data and insight
  • Have reviewed and developed your interview skills, relevant to a Head of Volunteering role or equivalent
  • Have developed a bespoke ongoing professional development plan to support you in the next steps of your career
  • Have built a network of peers that can provide an ongoing source of support as your career develops

Who is the programme for?

The programme is targeted at experienced volunteer managers and leaders looking to transition to their first Head of Volunteering role. You may be a Volunteering Manager, Senior Coordinator or internal Volunteering Consultant or Business Partner.  You will be a volunteering specialist with considerable subject knowledge but may lack leadership or management experience at a more senior and strategic level.  You may be seeking support to transition from subject matter expert to strategic leader.  

Programme style

There will be no more than 20 participants on the programme.  We want you to have the opportunity to create and build deep connections with peers and learn from those who are on a similar career journey to you.   Beginning and ending the programme with face-to-face workshops is core to this.     We will make these engaging and collaborative spaces, with a conscious combination of support and challenge to enable development.  We’ll invest time in building the sense of trust and safety necessary for deep learning, and make sure we also have some fun.  The final workshop, as the programme ends, will also have time for a celebration.

To help you make the most of the time we have together, we will point you towards useful activities and resources to explore as you work your way through the programme. We have put together a programme workbook to keep all your learning together in one place.

Programme dates

The programme runs between March – October 2026, with a break in August. The programme dates are:

Workshop one (in person in Birmingham, UK)

Webinar one (online)

Action learning set one (online) 

Webinar two (online)

Action learning set two (online)

Webinar three (online) 

Workshop two (in person in Birmingham, UK) 

Thursday 5 March 2026

Thursday 16 April 2026

Thursday 14 May 2026

Thursday 11 June 2026

Thursday 2 July 2026

Thursday 10 September 2026

Thursday 1 October 2026

9.30am – 4.30pm

10am – 12pm

10am – 12pm

10am – 12pm

10am – 12pm

10am – 12pm

10.30am – 4pm

To be eligible for a place you must be able to attend all scheduled sessions.

Programme costs

The programme fee is £499+VAT.

This programme provides seven months of learning and development support, including the two full day face-to-face workshops, three online webinars, and two online action learning sets. 
In total the programme delivers 22.5  hours of learning and development, plus self-directed learning opportunities outside of the core content.

There is a reduced fee of £449+VAT for any organisation that is currently a customer of Team Kinetic customer, the programme sponsors .

How do I secure a place?

Applications for a place will be open from 3 November to 30 November 2025.

Complete this Form 

When completing the application form, you will be asked:

  • where you are in your volunteer management career journey and how this programme fits with that.  We’ll ask a) why this programme? and b) why now? and give you up to 500 words to respond
  • to confirm you have line manager approval to take part in the programme
  • to confirm that budget is available to secure your place
  • details of who invoices should be sent to i.e. email and postal addresses. 

We will let you know the outcome of your application in early December, and payment in full will be required in advance to secure your place.

Places are limited to 20 per cohort to ensure a high-quality experience for learners.

What do charity leaders have to say?

“This is a great programme for anyone looking to move into strategic volunteer leadership or into a Head of Volunteering role. Charlotte and Helen have vast experience in volunteering leadership and development across many organisations, and together, as great trainers and facilitators, that‘s a winning combination. This will also be fun! I recommend this learning to anyone who wants to develop their volunteering leadership skills.”
Rachael Bayley
Director of Membership Services - Girlguiding
“This much needed programme within the profession is an exciting opportunity for anyone looking to move into strategic volunteering leadership and take that next step as a Head of Volunteering. It’s been developed by experts in leadership development and in volunteering, who have also been on this journey personally. This will be extremely beneficial for anyone lucky enough to be part of it. “
Julie Meredith
Associate Director of Volunteering, People Engagement & Inclusion - Cats Protection

Programme leaders

The programme has been devised and will be delivered by Helen Timbrell and Charlotte Witteridge. 
Both are experienced trainers and facilitators with deep experience in recruiting, managing and “being” Heads of Volunteering.
Dr Helen Timbrell MCIPD is a consultant, researcher and coach working across people and organisational development. She is a former Head of Volunteering and Director of Volunteering at the National Trust and held the positions of Director of People and OD at Samaritans and Versus Arthritis. She has an MBA and an MSC in Coaching and Behavioural Change, and her PhD explored geographical variations in volunteering. Helen is accredited in the use of the MBTI psychometric tool and an experienced facilitator, including of action learning sets. Her coaching work spans Heads Directors and CEOs in the charity sector. Helen is a visiting lecturer at the Centre for Charity Effectiveness. She is currently Co-Chair of Dogs for Good and a Trustee of Abortion Talk. As a Director, Trustee and external adviser Helen has been involved in the recruitment of Heads of Volunteering in multiple organisations.
Dr Helen Timbrell MCIPD
Charlotte Witteridge brings over 19 years experience of involving volunteers across the charity sector, having worked for organisations such as Sense, The Myton Hospices, and Macmillan Cancer Support in senior volunteering leadership roles. Charlotte is also Vice-Chair of Bliss, and a Non-Executive Director for the Association of Volunteer Managers (AVM).


Using her experience of developing and implementing volunteering strategy and building high performing teams, she is a trainer, facilitator, and consultant specialising in the development of those who manage and work with volunteers.
Charlotte Witteridge

Programme sponsorship

The Aspiring Heads of Volunteering programme is kindly sponsored by Team Kinetic. Team Kinetic provides volunteer management solutions and are passionate about supporting the voluntary sector. That means simple, practical tools with no hidden costs and unlimited volunteer accounts. 
They reinvest their profits to help build a thriving volunteer community.
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