This year’s Volunteers’ Week may be drawing to a close but for the new cohort of ICAEW volunteers – giving their time on the many and varied ICAEW boards and committees across the Institute, the journey may be just beginning. 

While applications for next year’s vacancies haven’t yet opened, a June 2026 start date for the next army of volunteers means there’s plenty of time to think about getting involved and identify areas where your expertise might best be put to good use. 

ICAEW regularly recruits members, and non-members, to its wide range of boards and committees – this year around 1,500 volunteers give up their time for ICAEW and their involvement plays a vital role in shaping the Institute’s supervision, qualification and services to members, not to mention its policy voice. 

Successful applicants to boards and committees help ICAEW chart the future of the profession – from equipping members in the skills to deliver sustainability to ensuring the profession builds trust and confidence. 

Information about boards and committees can be found on the ICAEW website, which categorises them under the five pillars of Reputation and Influence; Belonging and Support; Education and Training; Governance; and Regulatory and Compliance.

Every committee/board has its own role profile that gives details of its volunteer requirements, including details of the committee’s remit, how many members are needed, and what the roles entail. 

The application process usually begins in about February/March and takes around six to eight weeks. Successful applicants start their term of office from the first Tuesday in June. Committee members commit to a three-year term with a maximum potential tenure of up to six years. 

ICAEW welcomes applications from a range of backgrounds, including individuals from any accountancy background across all specialisms and sectors, and people at all stages in their careers, including newly qualified, career-breakers and recent retirees. Roles are open to both ICAEW members and non-members.

Catherine Taiwo, Active Member Recruitment and Engagement Manager, says: “ICAEW really values the active members’ contributions. And active members want to come on to these committees and boards because they know that their voice will be heard.” 

But more than just helping to shape ICAEW policy and work by providing invaluable expert insight and knowledge, volunteering in this way can also be a great opportunity to develop new skills that can benefit your day job.

“Within committees, there are opportunities to progress to leadership roles – with ICAEW providing CPD training and refresher courses specifically for chairs and vice-chairs. There are lots of opportunities for volunteers to gain an array of skills,” Taiwo adds.

For new ICAEW President Derek Blair, the path to his current role started as a volunteer on ICAEW’s Council in September 2014, and he has been on a journey of increasing ICAEW volunteer engagement ever since.

“It’s really important that we refresh that active member pool, because we want to make sure that the volunteer pool represents the diversity of the membership that, in turn, represents the diversity of the population.”

In addition to contributing his knowledge and expertise to ICAEW, Blair says his ICAEW volunteering experience has contributed so much to him personally as well as professionally. “There are people from all different backgrounds, from all over the world, working in all sorts of sectors. There’s a huge range of views on everything; an enormous wealth of knowledge but also a great network.” 

“It’s fascinating and I’m a curious person,” he continues. “We all get something out of it. In my case, as a partner in a small practice, I got to see what was coming down the line. We saw the digital revolution and Making Tax Digital coming sooner than we would have done had I not volunteered on Council.”