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The Silver Pages

The Silver Pages

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07541 659442

Trustee (Voluntary Position)

The Trust is looking for new Trustees to support the work of the charity.

WHO WE ARE

St Albans Old People’s Trust (“the Trust”) is a local grant-giving Charity established in 2000 and is in the very fortunate position of not requiring to raise funds.

The Trust provides very valuable and worthwhile support to those who live in poverty or have fallen on hard times, are vulnerable and not likely to have their positions much improved. It strives to give back some dignity to those individuals by assisting them to remain in their ‘own’ homes and be independent as much as possible with the purchase of services and items which, for all sorts of reasons, they are unable to afford themselves.

The Trust also has sound working ‘partnerships’ with other elderly focused Charities as well as Citizens Advice St. Albans District (CASTAD), Hertfordshire Independent Living Service (HILS), St. Alban’s City & District Council (SACDC) etc. to ensure that the individual(s) concerned are also receiving all their benefit entitlements.

STRUCTURE

The Charity Board is made up of 7 Trustees including the Chair. There is a paid clerk who acts as the Trust’s Secretary as well as two seconded personnel (from HILS) to provide subject matter expertise in elderly support (benefits, other help available etc)  grant management and admin activities.

The Trust is looking to appoint Trustees with an interest in supporting elderly people, and although not essential, who can provide valuable related knowledge (hands on or otherwise) to help drive the Trust forward in the day-to-day operation and, together with their fellow Trustees, be part of future directional planning.

WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR

Our Trustees are proactive, passionate and empathetic to our target base of the needs facing older people. It is essential that Trustees share this approach and are committed to continuing and developing the Trust’s core values.

WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING

  • Reviewing grant applications, together with the Board, for individuals and institutions
  • Reviewing the Financials (presented by the Treasurer), together with the Board, at each Trustee meeting, usually held bimonthly
  • Considering new/innovative ways the Trust can support their target sector whilst still satisfying the core values of the Trust
  • Undertaking ‘ownership’ of tasks/projects as appropriate/required and presenting back to the Trustee Board
  • Engaging in training programs that will enhance skills and that are recommended e.g. Safeguarding
  • Ensuring you understand the governance responsibilities of being a Trustee as well as those that apply specifically to the Trust

KEY SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES

  • Good knowledge of Microsoft Office
  • A team-oriented approach to problem solving
  • Respectful of the abilities of the staff and other Trustees
  • Non-judgmental approach
  • Willingness to get involved
  • An interest in helping the elderly and a willingness to understand the challenges they face.

DESIRABLE SKILLS (not essential)

  • Experience of working within the Charity/Voluntary sector
  • Knowledge/experience of supporting older people

TIME COMMITMENT

  • The Board meets bimonthly. There may be the need for separate/additional strategy meetings if specific topics require Trustee discussion and decisions – either in person, via Teams or simply via email depending on the point of discussion
  • Commitment to assessing grant applications, via email, usually 10 – 30 minutes a week
  • On average 2 to 3 days of commitment across a month are required for normal Trust business
  • If a Project has been initiated time commitment may/will vary accordingly, especially if acting as a Project Lead.

SAFEGUARDING

The Trust takes safeguarding seriously for their Trustees and Clients.  Appropriate training has been undertaken by existing Trustees with guidelines/governance currently being put together.  New Trustees will receive Safeguarding Training within the 1st year of joining and thereafter every 2 years.

The Trust also requires that all Trustees have a DBS check (which the Trust will pay for).

TO APPLY

For an informal discussion with the Chair of Trustees, please either email Chair@staopt.org, or call the Grants Manager on 07541 659442 who can pass your details onto the Chair who will call you back.