About the organisation
Gaydio is the UK's LGBTQ+ radio station and training organisation. Each week our broadcasts reach over half a million people on FM and DAB digital radio in cities including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and Brighton, and through our app and smart speakers. We launched as a temporary pop-up radio service in 2006 and have grown into a group of four not-for-profit organisations (Gaydio CIC, Gaydio Brighton, Gaydio Digital and Gaydio Events) overseen by a joint board, with a staff team of more than 20 and an annual turnover of over £1 million. Our main studio is in Manchester, with a second studio in Brighton.
Our mission is to serve LGBTQ+ people across the UK. On air, that means an upbeat mix of pop and dance music alongside topical content on the issues that affect our community, from Pride to mental health and hate crime. Through the Gaydio Academy, more than 250 people a year take part in our grant-funded training courses or volunteer with us, so the content is not only for the community but made by it. We also run the annual Gaydio Pride Awards, which celebrate people making a difference for LGBTQ+ people and receive thousands of nominations from across the UK, and regular LGBTQ+ business networking events.
Everything we earn is reinvested into a better service for our community.
About the role
We're looking for a Non-Executive Director with finance experience to join our joint board. This is an ongoing board role, not a short-term project. In 2023 we launched a three-year plan to develop, grow and stabilise the business. As that plan reaches its final stretch and we shape what comes next, strong financial oversight at board level is our top priority.
This is an oversight role. You won't be doing the bookkeeping or preparing the accounts. Your job is to give the board confidence in the numbers and challenge where it's needed. Key elements of the role:
- Scrutinise budgets, management accounts and cash flow forecasts, and ask the right questions
- Oversee grant management, including restricted funding and reporting to funders
- Help the board understand financial risk and take a sensible approach to reserves
- Oversee the year-end accounts process
- Guide the board as we strengthen our finance function and reporting
- Be a sounding board for the executive team on financial decisions
Meetings: we typically hold six online board meetings a year, each lasting two to three hours, normally on the third Wednesday of the month from 5pm to 7pm. We also hold one in-person meeting or planning day a year, lasting four to five hours. As our finance lead, you'd review financial reports ahead of each meeting. Directors sometimes also help with tasks such as the Executive Director's performance review or an interview panel. Overall, expect around five hours a month.
You'll be registered as a Director at Companies House, so you must be eligible to act as a UK company director. Directors are also required to complete a DBS check. The role is voluntary, with reasonable travel and accommodation expenses covered.
To apply, please use the application form at https://www.gaydio.co.uk/contact/non-executive-director/ where you can also download the full recruitment pack. Applications close on Friday 16 October 2026.
Our ideal candidate
Essential skills and qualities:
- Experience of financial management, reporting or oversight in an organisation of similar size (around £1m turnover) or larger
- Confidence reading management accounts and cash flow forecasts, and explaining them to non-finance colleagues
- An understanding of risk management
- Strategic thinking, strong analytical skills and a collaborative working style
- A passion for improving the lives of LGBTQ+ people and commitment to our mission. You should have an understanding, ideally from lived experience, of the community we serve
- The time to attend around six online board meetings and one in-person session a year
Desirable skills and qualities:
- A recognised accountancy qualification (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or CIPFA). Senior finance experience without one is also welcome
- An understanding of grant funding and restricted income, ideally in the not-for-profit, social enterprise or charity sector
- Experience of working with senior management, up to board level
- An understanding of our legal commitments as an Ofcom-regulated organisation that often works with young and vulnerable people
We want our board to reflect the community we serve, so we're particularly keen to hear from people who identify as women, bisexual, trans or non-binary, and from Black and ethnic minority backgrounds. We're also particularly interested in people based outside Manchester and Brighton, where we already have strong representation. If you don't meet these criteria but have something to offer, please still apply.
What’s in it for you
This is a chance to use your finance skills to help steer the UK's LGBTQ+ radio station at an important point in its growth.
Your impact: Gaydio reaches over half a million people a week and gives LGBTQ+ people a voice on air, online and at events across the UK. More than 250 people a year train or volunteer with us through the Gaydio Academy, and the Gaydio Pride Awards celebrate people making a difference in our community. Strong financial oversight is what keeps all of that sustainable, and you'd be leading it at board level.
What you'll gain:
- Board-level experience as a registered company director, working across a group of four organisations
- Experience of the media and broadcasting sector, including an Ofcom-regulated business, grant funding and commercial revenue
- The chance to shape our next strategic plan as our current three-year plan comes to an end
- A welcoming, collaborative board and executive team, with a structured induction
- Opportunities to get involved with Gaydio events, such as our LGBTQ+ business networking events, the Gaydio Pride Awards and Pride parades
- A flexible, mostly online commitment of around five hours a month, with reasonable expenses covered
Full details, including how we score applications and the timeline, are in the recruitment pack at https://www.gaydio.co.uk/contact/non-executive-director/
Apply for the role
Please provide a short cover note setting out your motivations for volunteering for the organisation, any relevant skills/experience and why you think you might be a suitable candidate.
Opportunity Filled!
It looks like this volunteering role has already been taken. But don't worry, there are plenty more ways you can make a difference!
Welcome to Charterpath!
We specialise in connecting finance professionals with meaningful volunteer opportunities at charities in need of support. If you're eager to use your skills for a great cause, we're here to help you find the perfect match.
Explore more volunteer roles here and don’t forget to join Charterpath (for free) for more opportunities, exclusive events and more.