SCHOOL governors play a vital role in shaping every child's future. They are volunteers who care about the way education is delivered and work as part of a team to ensure that pupils receive the best possible teaching and resources.

In fact, they form the largest volunteer force in the country -- but 10 per cent of the 370,000 places are vacant.

If you want to be a governor at one of your local schools, how do you go about it and what skills do you need?

The School Governors' One-Stop Shop is part of the Government's Excellence in Cities Strategy, of which Blackburn with Darwen is a part, and it is seeking people who want to get involved in education.

Firstly, not all governors are parents. And currently the One-Stop Shop is asking people with skills and experience from the world of work to volunteer. What will be asked of you? Jo Buchanan, of the One-Stop Shop, said: "The role of the governor is strategic. Governors take an overall view of, and make important collective decisions on, the direction of a school.

"An effective governing body allows the headteacher and staff to concentrate on providing the highest possible quality of education."

If you are interested you can contact the School Governors' One-Stop Shop for more information and an application form.

The Shop works closely with Blackburn with Darwen Local Education Authority to match candidates with schools close to where they work or live.

Write to: School Governors' One-Stop Shop, 64 Essex Road, Islington N1 8LR, or e-mail: info@schoolgovernors-oss.co.uk