CHARITY SEEKS UNIVERSITY VOLUNTEERS
Universities are being invited to work with a charity to help provide governors for schools across England.
The School Governors' One-Stop Shop (SGOSS) says universities are ideally placed to find volunteers with a background in education.
SGOSS is dedicated to recruiting volunteers with transferable skills to become school governors.
The charity has been working with the University of Manchester over the last two years to increase its network of governors, made up of staff, students and graduates.
Professor Aneez Esmail, associate vice president for social responsibility at the university, said: "Universities have much to offer schools in terms of governance, not only from their pools of talented academic and professional services staff, but also through their vast alumni communities - their former students.
"We have taken a lead on this issue by producing a guide with our partners SGOSS describing the simple steps any university can take that wishes to contribute to the development of schools in this way."
SGOSS works with local authorities and schools to fill governor vacancies across England. The charity hopes to work with other universities to help more schools across the country.
Janet Scott, interim chief executive at SGOSS, said: "One of the most requested skills we receive from schools for new school governors is experience in education.
"Therefore universities, who have a large network of students, staff and alumni can bring huge value to schools through governance."
To find out more about working with SGOSS or to download the guide, visit www.sgoss.org.uk.
