Community Education Network Local Organiser

The Community Education Network (CEN) started in Nottingham as a way to connect young people who needed academic support with volunteers who wanted to give it. Now we want to take it national.

If you believe every young person deserves access to quality academic support regardless of where they live or what their family can afford, this role is for you. As a CEN Local Organiser, you would set up and run free homework help sessions or in-library tutoring in your own city or town — becoming the local face of a national, volunteer-run movement.

You do not need to reinvent the wheel. NSEMM provides the safeguarding framework, the training, the resources, and the national coordination. You bring the local knowledge, the relationships, and the energy to make it happen on the ground. Whether you want to launch something new in an area where it does not yet exist, or link up with and strengthen sessions that are already running, there is a place for you in this movement.

This is not a one-off volunteering slot. This is building something — a community resource that could outlast your time in it and become a permanent part of the local landscape.

• Find or establish a venue for regular free homework help sessions — libraries, community centres, schools, and faith spaces all work well
• Build relationships with local schools, libraries, and community organisations to recruit students and co-volunteers
• Recruit and coordinate a small team of local volunteer tutors to support sessions
• Deliver or oversee at least one regular weekly session (in-person, in your area)
• Keep simple session records and share them with NSEMM's central CEN team
• Connect with other CEN Local Organisers across the country to share what is working
• Follow NSEMM safeguarding policies and ensure all volunteers in your area are DBS-checked and trained before working with young people
• Feed back to NSEMM on local needs, barriers, and successes so we can improve the national model

• Based in a UK town or city and motivated to serve your local community
• Organised, reliable, and able to take initiative without much hand-holding
• Comfortable building relationships with local institutions (libraries, schools, councils)
• Committed to at least one academic year — this role is about building something lasting, not a one-off
• Willing to complete NSEMM safeguarding training before starting
• Enhanced DBS check required (funded by NSEMM)
• Right to work or volunteer in the UK
• No formal teaching or education qualification required — community spirit and commitment matter more

• The chance to build something real and lasting in your community
• Full safeguarding and programme training from NSEMM before you start
• Connection to a national network of CEN Local Organisers — you will not be doing this alone
• A named reference from NSEMM recognising your leadership and community contribution
• Certificate of volunteering hours for DofE, UCAS, or professional development
• Access to NSEMM's resource bank, session plans, and volunteer toolkit
• Canva Pro and other tools, free for all NSEMM team members
• Direct support from NSEMM's central CEN team whenever you need it