Become a trustee

Like all charities, WHAG has a board of trustees who have overall responsibility for its work, how it uses its funding, and ensuring it fulfils its legal duties as a charity.

WHAG is a company limited by guarantee, so our trustees are also company directors.

The full board meets every quarter.  The term of office for an elected trustee is for an initial four years and can be extended for another term.

A comprehensive induction is undertaken for all new trustees. The Board meets four times a year, usually in Rochdale. The BoT holds a strategy away-day once a year. The Board has three Sub-committees, and each trustee is asked to join a sub- committee of their choice. These meetings can be held on teams.

This is a voluntary position, but reasonable travel and other expenses are paid.

Becoming a trustee is a commitment but it is also very rewarding with many career and personal benefits.

Contributing to a great cause

Being a trustee is one of the most effective ways in which you can contribute to your local community or to a cause you really care about. As a trustee, you play an integral part in the good governance of a charity, not only ensuring that the organisation remains viable and sustainable but ensuring that it adheres closely to its mission and works in the interests of its beneficiaries. Many businesses are taking voluntary and community enriching activities much more seriously with trusteeship considered one of the most effective methods of professional development and community engagement.

Strategic experience

Strategic experience can be difficult to gain in many roles and it can often take a long time to find yourself in a role which requires strategic oversight. Trusteeship is a fantastic way of getting a head start on this, giving you the opportunity to develop and refine your critical thinking, problem-solving and analytical skills as well as developing vital strategic sensibilities and team working skills. The strategic experience which can be achieved through a trusteeship can impact upon your career, opening doors to new responsibilities and more senior job prospects.

Professional networks

Diverse and varied professional contacts is one of the best things you can do for your career. Ensuring that you have access to good people from diverse professional backgrounds can be useful on so many levels. Whether it’s seeking advice on a current workplace predicament or scoping out opportunities for the next step in your career progression. Being a trustee can open your professional network in all kinds of unforeseen and advantageous ways that will only become clear once you have taken the leap!

Developing skills and experience

Being a trustee is a very interesting and rewarding experience, it allows you to adapt and apply everything you have learned in your day job to an entirely new context. Through trusteeship you can gain a clearer idea of your own professional strengths and weaknesses whilst simultaneously learning altogether new skills. Understanding how to adapt your professional knowledge to useful ends within a charity is a good reminder of your own versatility, giving you confidence in your existing abilities whilst challenging you push the boundaries of your expertise.

Team working

Communication and people skills are just as important. The ability to collaborate effectively with others, to constructively challenge the ideas of fellow trustees as well as those of the CEO and senior management is essential to ensuring that the board’s strategic decisions are scrutinised and tested before being implemented. Negotiating, empathising, listening and clearly communicating ideas and concerns are huge factors in this process and often help to set the tone and culture of board meetings and the charity. this is essential to positive, forward thinking and efficient charity governance. It is also a wonderful opportunity to develop sound judgement and interpersonal skills.

Becoming a trustee is a fantastic and fascinating way to engage in the charity sector. It’s a role which will give back just as much as you put in and often much more. Often challenging, trusteeship will reward you with a wealth of personal and professional skills and connections.

Trustee

The role and responsibilities of a charity trustee are to:

• Ensure the charity carries out its purposes for the public benefit.
• Comply with the charity’s governing document and the law.
• Act in the charity’s best interests.
• Manage the charity’s resources responsibly.
• Act with reasonable care and skill.
• Ensure the charity is accountable.
• Make informed decisions that guide the charity toward fulfilling its mission and purpose.
• Ensure the charity is running smoothly and as it was meant to.
• Sitting on senior leadership appointment and disciplinary panels.

How to apply

 Please contact us if you require more information.

Please make applications via the CEO kirsty.rhodes@whag.info. To apply please submit your CV along with a covering letter stating why you wish to become a Trustee of the organisation, how your skills would add value to the board and any other relevant information.

You can read more about trustees’ roles and responsibilities here

• WHAG currently do not have vacancies for trustees.

Whether you need assistance or want to help, your involvement makes a difference. Reach out to WHAG today to learn more about our programs and how you can contribute.