Crumlin Lower Advancing Youth CLG (CLAY Youth Project)

Volunteer Chairperson

Opportunity

Would you like to take a leadership role in an exciting community based charity?

Would you like to bring your skills into play in a completely different arena?

Would you like to work with dynamic and energetic colleagues to maintain and develop an essential community service for the Young People of Crumlin?

Do you want to give something back to society in a challenging and rewarding role?

If so, we’d like to hear from you.

Who we are:

CLAY CLG is a community based Youth Project. CLAY provides a range of services to enhance life skills and opportunities for young people in the area.

The Clay Youth project also manages a Youth Diversion Project. The aim of the Clay YDP is to support young people to make positive choices in terms of their behaviour, decisions and lifestyle.

CLAY:

• is a company limited by Guarantee and is a registered charity (CHY19983) (RCN 20078867)
• has been providing a quality youth service to the Crumlin area for 20 years approximately and prides itself in the participation of young people in all aspects of the Project.
• has an enthusiastic and energetic Board of Directors made up of volunteers from the community and private sector.
• is a well-managed and governed organisation. CLAY is compliant with The Governance Code for Community, Voluntary and Charitable Organisations in Ireland.

CLAY’s current chairperson is stepping down from the role. It is part of good governance that CLAY’s leadership is changed periodically.

Role Description:

Volunteer Chairperson of CLAY

CLAY is looking for a Chairperson who will bring a new leadership style and a new approach to executing on CLAY’s Strategic Plan, which is currently being reviewed. CLAY has a strong board with a diverse set of skills but is now looking for a new Chairperson.

The volunteer Chairperson of CLAY CLG will have all of the duties and responsibilities associated with a company director according to the Companies Act as well as additional responsibilities as Chairperson.

Purpose:

To provide robust leadership to CLAY (Board and wider organisation)

• Ensuring the group as a whole makes and sticks to its ethos, policies and procedures by:
  • Acting as a spokesperson for the organisation.
  • Making essential or emergency decisions between board meetings.

Key Accountabilities:

• Provide leadership to the board and wider organisation and work to sustain and develop the activities of CLAY
• Manage the relationships with CLAY’s stakeholders including its funders.
• Oversight of all activities of CLAY’s including (but not exclusively) Finance, HR, Compliance, Risk Management, PR, Funding and project development.
• Act as a line manager, mentor and advisor to the Project Leader
• Act in the interests of CLAY CLG at all times
• Sustain a balanced CLAY board through recruitment and training of new directors
• Planning and Running Meetings
  • Pre-Board planning session with the Project Leader and Financial Administrator
  • Ensure all topics and required decision are shared with the Board in advance of meetings
  • Keep order and encourage everyone to express their views.
  • Delegate and share responsibility amongst the group and relevant sub-groups
  • Work to resolve any employee matters and conflict in a sensitive manner
• Ensuring the board as a whole commits to its ethos, policies and procedures by:
  • Acting as a spokesperson for the organisation.
  • Making essential or emergency decisions between board meetings.
  • Lead the activities of the board and delegate appropriately to the other directors of CLAY.

Required Competencies

• Dedication and a commitment to the provision of a top quality service to the Young People of CLAY
• Experience of working in a leadership role in any sector, with strong people management skills preferable
• Energy and Enthusiasm
• Influencing skills
• Ability to work on a team and on own initiative
• Knowledge of or experience of some of the following would be an advantage:
  • Organisational development
  • Experience as a company director
  • Company governance
  • Fundraising
  • Human Resource Management
  • Financial Management
  • Change Management
• Ability to build a strong network of relationships that can be used for the benefit of CLAY
• Strong Communications Skills – Written and Verbal
• Experience in the Charity sector is preferable but not essential

Approximate Time Commitment (Can vary from time to time)

• Two hours every six weeks to attend a board meeting (evening time)
• One hour every month attending a sub committee meeting or meeting with CLAY stakeholders/employees
• Minimum four hours every month working on various projects/Board planning/initiative for CLAY
• Be available to take phone calls at an agreed time from the Project Leader, other directors and other CLAY stakeholders.

What’s in it for you?

CLAY is a great organisation that provides a valued service to the young people in Crumlin Lower and surrounding areas. The Chairperson is a key role for the organisation and a new chairperson will bring a new style of leadership a new set of skills to the team.

Testimonies from other volunteers and the previous Chairperson:

“Getting involved in CLAY is one of the best things I have done, it gives me a great balance from my busy professional life and helps me put things in perspective”

“I was really surprised at how many skills I had that I didn’t realise would be so useful to CLAY. This has really helped my self confidence.”

“I put my involvement in CLAY on my CV, and I was asked lots of questions about CLAY at subsequent private sector interviews. My involvement in CLAY showed employers that I had initiative and a sense of social responsibility”

“Becoming Chairperson of CLAY has been one of the best things I have ever done. It gave me the opportunity to make a difference to my community and to an organisation that can have a transformational impact on young people. I used the skills I had from the private sector but learned so much from working with everyone in CLAY including the amazing young people that attend CLAY. I have a huge sense of satisfaction when I look back at the things I helped CLAY to achieve over the past years.”

Application Process:

CLAY recruits volunteers on an equal opportunities basis.

Please send in your CV with a covering letter to chairperson@clayyouthproject.ie by 25/07/2025

• Please fill in the application form attached to this ad and send it to: chairperson@clayyouthproject.ie
• Once your application has been reviewed you will hear from CLAY whether you have been successful in getting to the next stage or not.
• An interview with one or more members of the Board will take place at a mutually agreeable time.
• The successful candidate may be required to undergo Garda Vetting Prior to their appointment to this role
• The successful candidate will attend an induction session explaining how CLAY is structured and what CLAY does etc.
• The successful candidate will attend three Board of Management as a Director of CLAY and will be nominated for election as CLAY Chairperson at an Extraordinary General Meeting.

Contact us:

If you have any queries/questions about CLAY or about this role then please contact us at chairperson@clayyouthproject.ie

CLAY complies with the Governance Code for community, voluntary and charitable organizations in Ireland.

RCN: 20078867 Charitable Status Number: Chy 19983 Company Registration Number: 383751

This project is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union