As our Trust matures and grows we recognise the need to strengthen our board of trustees.
Are you a leader with a passion for protecting the environment? Do you want to be part of a dynamic team working to preserve one of the most precious resources in our community?
The Aire Rivers Trust is seeking enthusiasts like you to join our team of trustees. As a trustee, you'll have the opportunity to shape the future of the River Aire and its surrounding environment. You'll work alongside a dedicated group of individuals to protect and preserve this vital ecosystem.
Responsibilities include:
Don't just sit on the sidelines, make a real impact in your community. Apply to become a trustee of the Aire Rivers Trust today and help us preserve this precious resource for future generations.
If you are passionate about protecting the environment and want to make a difference in your community, we encourage you to apply to become a trustee of the Aire Rivers Trust. Apply now and help us preserve this precious resource for future generations.
We are looking for people with diverse perspectives, so we welcome people with no experience of being a trustee (or loads!). If you are still unsure, you’ll find more information about what the role is about in the tabs below.
The six core responsibilities of any charity Trustee are as follows:
Essentially the role is to ensure that we operate within the law, that we maintain the sustainability of the Trust, to ensure that what we do is allowed by our charitable objects and to have overall responsibioity for the resources (financial , human and social) available to the Trust.
Please note: Trustee roles are voluntary unpaid, however eligible expenses are paid in line with our policy and at the discretion of the Board.
You might like to read more about what it means to be a trustee. The links below offer some great resources, guidance, and case studies:
The basic platform for success as a trustee is to be interested in and committed to improving the environment.
In addition to that, we do have some specific areas where we would welcome additional expertise:
Whilst we are committed to diversity in all its forms, we recognise that our current board is not representative of either young people or or the various ethnic minorities in the catchment, we alsoonly have two women on our board. Accordingly, we would especially welcome applications from you if you identify with one of these groups.
Your time committment
We hold quarterly board meetings (lasting 2 hours) and occasionally set up working groups or sub-committees to explore some specific aspect of our operation or development. We also encourage our trustees to take a particular interest, as a mentor, in one or more of our major projects or areas of activity. So we would hope you could commit an minimum of around 2 hours per month to the role, although this might focus around Board meetings - and as your invo0lvement develops, so may the time you invest. The more you are able to commit, the more you can get out of the role.
Being a trustee offers the opportunity for professional development. It can let you gain experience of strategy and leadership, and boost your CV. It will give you experience of being a non-executive director, such as setting a strategic vision, influencing and negotiation, and managing risk. Other reasons you might want to get involved include:
1.Giving something back
Becoming a Trustee is a fantastic way to give something back to a cause you care about. You’ll be playing an integral part in the way the charity is run, ensuring it remains sustainable and financially viable. The help you provide will be invaluable.
2. Meeting new people
Joining a new organisation or charity is a fantastic way to meet new people from a range of different personal and professional backgrounds. There will be annual meetings to attend, potentially day-to-day tasks to complete with other volunteers and staff at the charity, events or activities to do within your local community, as well as many other opportunities to meet new and interesting people.
3. Learn new things
Getting involved as a charity Trustee is a great way to put your professional skills to use, but can also be a fantastic opportunity to learn new things. You’ll get great insight into what’s involved in the management of charities and gain skills on working well within a leadership role.
4. Improve your CV and enhance your professional development
Recent research shows that over 55s are most likely to become Trustees, with just 0.5% of all charity Trustees being between the ages of 18 and 24. While there are many reasons for this, young people are increasingly being encouraged to get involved as Trustees due to the fantastic opportunity it provides for professional development. From learning how organisations are run to planning finances and attending meetings, this experience can be the perfect way to boost a CV and set you apart from the crowd.
We aim to keep the process as informal as possible consistent with the requirements of the law and that fact that you are seeking a post with significant responsibility.
We also want to move as quickly as suits both partners although this will inevitably be constrained by our meeting cycle (our Board meets every three months).
The four steps outlined below illustrate how our recruitment process works.
Step 1
Read the bumf
We encourage you to read through the various tabs on this page - which should give you enough information to know whether you want to go further.
We have more information for you to download here.
If you do need any more information then please complete the form on the "Get in touch" tab and we will get back to you to see how we can help.
Thank you.
Step 2
Express your interest
Following our initial chat we will ask you for more details (there are legal requirements for being a trustee and company director that we will need to check) and a CV we can circulate to other trustees.
Thank you.
Step 3
Meet the trustees
Before our next board meeting, we will invite you to meet some of our other trustees so we can 'get a feel' for each other in advance of your attending a formal board meeting.
Following that we will ask you to attend the next Board meeting at which you can meet other trustees and have a discussion about our mutual aspirations and motivations.
Thank you.
Step 4
Appointment
if all the legal requirements are met, and each party is happy to progress, the Chair will propose you be elected to the Board.
A vote will take place to then duly elect you. When the vote is passed the candidate will immediately become a Board member and start in the role.
Inductions and support will be tailored to your needs and provided by other Board members and our Operations Manager.
Thank you.
Once you have read the information on this page, all you need to do is complete the simple form below, press 'Submit Form' and we will get back to you within a day or two for an initial chat. Thank you for your interest.