Diversify London
- One-Year board placements
- Board ready candidates
- Enhanced governance
- Are you a Voluntary, Community Organisations (VCO) or co-operative or social enterprise in Camden, Croydon, Lambeth, Harrow, Islington, Richmond and Wandworth, Southwark or Westminster?
- Do you need trained board members?
- Why not sign up for the Diversify London board placement programme?
What is Diversify London?
Diversify London offers VCOs and social enterprises the opportunity to recruit trained board members through the Black on Board (BoB) programme
We provide your organisation with fully trained board ready candidates
How does the programme work?
- We will supply your organisation 1 to 3 candidates to interview for the placement, and their CV and supporting statements.
- Your organisation interviews the candidates and can select up to two 2 BoB delegates for the role.
- Board placements last one year using the Special Independent Model, with an option for both parties to turn this into a full board placement.
- Participant organisations are required to provide confirmation of the placement.
- The programme is FREE to our partners in Camden, Croydon, Lambeth, Harrow, Islington, Richmond and Wandworth, Southwark or Westminster.
- There is charge to local authorities in the rest of London.
What happens next?
Olmec will assess your expression of interest and get back to you within one week
Frequently Asked Questions
Diversify London was designed to provide an opportunity for BoB graduates to give back to the community by meeting the board recruitment needs of community-led organisations
Diversify London is open to charities, community groups, and co-operatives and social enterprises in listed boroughs: Camden, Croydon, Lambeth, Harrow, Islington, Richmond and Wandworth, Southwark or Westminster all of whom are partners with Olmec in the Black on Board programme.
You can still apply for the programme via the Expression of Interest form – just specify the name of your organisation and the borough it is in.
There is however a charge for organisations outside of our current remit.
Contact info@olmec-ec.org.uk for more information.
What does a Special Independent Director (SID) do? SID are expected to focus on board matters and not stray into ‘executive direction’, thus providing an independent view of the company that is removed from the day-to-day running. and bring:
- independence
- impartiality
- wide experience
- special knowledge
- personal qualities
Strategic direction
As ‘an outsider’, the SID may have a clearer or wider view of external factors affecting the organisations The normal role of the SID in strategy formation is therefore to provide a creative and informed contribution and to act as a constructive critic in looking at the objectives and plans devised by the chief executive and the executive team.
Our BoB delegates are trained in responsibilities of company directors, trustees, co-operative and community benefit society committee (board) members. As well as the Nolan Principles of public life:
- Openness
- Objectivity
- Honesty
- Leadership
- Integrity
- Selflessness
- Accountability
Award winning social enterprise Olmec, has trained a talent pool of 200 people in 2023 through the programme in all aspects of governance from legal structures to finance, through managing risk to strategic and operational planning,
Between 2018 and 2022 Olmec trained over 240 people, 75% of whom ended up on boards or being promoted in their roles at work.
Olmec established the Black on Board programme in 2003 and has run the programme successfully for 20 years.