Becoming a Trustee
The Board of Trustees is responsible for the overall governance and strategic direction of UpCycle, developing the organisation’s aims, objectives, and goals in accordance with the governing document, and legal and regulatory guidelines. They meet as an entire board on a quarterly basis (online meetings plus one in-person meeting per year). Additional subgroup meetings are held on an approximately monthly basis.
Core Board responsibilities:
- Ensure that UpCycle complies with its governing document (its Articles of Association), charity law, company law, and any other relevant legislation or regulations
- Ensure UpCycle pursues its objects as defined in its governing document
- Contribute actively to the board of trustees’ role in giving firm strategic direction to UpCycle, setting overall policy, defining and setting goals, and evaluating performance against agreed targets.
- Safeguard the good name and values of UpCycle.
- Ensure the financial stability of UpCycle.
- Appoint and support the CEO of UpCycle and monitor his/her performance.
- Promote and develop the charity for it to grow and maintain its relevance to society.
- Maintain sound financial management of the charity’s resources, ensuring expenditure is in line with the organisation’s objectives, and investment activities meet accepted standards and policies.
In addition to the above statutory duties, each trustee should use specific skills, knowledge, or experience to help the board of trustees reach sound decisions. This may involve leading discussions, focusing on critical issues, providing advice and guidance on new initiatives, evaluation, or other issues where the trustee has special expertise.
The Board of Trustees needs new trustees with skills and experience in:
- Financial management
- The criminal justice sector – both HMPPS and probation service staff and individuals with lived experience in the criminal justice sector
- The voluntary sector – particularly experience of working with vulnerable groups
- Digital strategy
- Charity retail/ social enterprise
- Human resource management
- Volunteer management
- Fundraising/ income generation
- Youth work (particularly within youth offending teams or youth services)
- Community development/ partnership working
- Marketing and communications
At UpCycle, we strive to create a welcoming, inclusive organisation representing people from all segments of the communities we serve. Diversity and lived experience of the criminal justice system in members of our Trustee Board allow us to understand better, connect to, and respond to the needs of our communities.
People with lived experience of the criminal justice system are particularly encouraged to apply.
If you are interested in joining our Trustee Board or want to find out more, please don’t hesitate to email us.