Advisory Board Member At Velos Youth

Context and story to date

Velos Youth is a non-profit organisation founded in May 2017 with the mission of supporting children and young people to restart and rebuild their lives in Greece.

Velos Youth operates a youth centre in central Athens for young people aged 16-21 years old, where a range of emotional, material and specialist support services are offered. Through Velos Youth young people are also supported to access a range of other state and NGO services.

We are a response to the unique and diverse needs of youth on the move in urban Athens, and a place where young people come together as persons – not profiles – to understand and practice both difference and unity.

You can find more information about Velos Youth on our website.

We are looking to build an advisory board to support the work of the existing Directors of Velos Youth.

Key responsibilities

As a Velos Youth Advisor you will be responsible for:

• Attending 4 strategy days/meetings per year (alongside directors), for a minimum of one year
• Providing ad hoc advice and support when available via phone or online, according to the expertise and special interests of the advisor
• Being an advocate for the work of Velos Youth and the needs of our target group

The Advisory Board will be asked to:

• Commit to the mission of Velos Youth
• Be willing to devote the necessary time and effort
• Commit to acting with integrity at all times
• Over strategic vision and insight regarding the organisation as a whole and in focus-specific areas
• Be willing to provide support/advice ad hoc or at short-notice on certain occasions
• Speak openly and critically, whilst remaining sensitive to the resource scarce reality of a small grass-roots organisation

This is not a legal position, and does not carry any personal liability, but exists to add to the skills and expertise of the board of directors, diversifying it where possible. Memorandums of Understanding (not legally binding), bespoke to the individual, will be signed with Velos Youth in order to formalise this commitment. Members of the Advisory Board will be invited to see and experience the work of Velos Youth first hand to develop a better understanding and insight into the organisation’s work.

Who and what are we looking for?

We are looking to build a team of advisors to help us take Velos Youth into the next phase of its development. The broad range of skills and/or expertise we would like to welcome onto the board include the following areas:

• Lived experience
• Social work
• Psychology
• Law & human rights
• Communications
• Advocacy
• Accounting & Finance

We are looking to build a board that is diverse and inclusive, and so in particular welcome applications from those under the age of 25 and/or those who have experienced similar journeys to those faced by the young people we work with.

Experience of working in the humanitarian and NGO fields and/or with small to medium sized organisations will be a significant advantage.

It is preferred that individuals who apply are located in, or close to, Greece.