1,529 Volunteer roles

Position: Trustee
Reports to: Chair of Trustees
Status: Voluntary / unpaid

Thank you for considering the position of Trustee with Wandsworth Oasis, we warmly invite you to review the following Trustee Profile, and to contact us using the details below if you have any questions or would like to express interest in joining our team.

About Wandsworth Oasis
Wandsworth Oasis is a charity whose retail activity generates funds to support people affected by HIV. Following its 2025 retail restructure, the charity operates a four-shop estate and is developing a streamlined independent operating model, alongside potential strategic alliances with aligned HIV-sector organisations. Trustees have an important role in providing strategic oversight, safeguarding the charity's resources and ensuring that its charitable impact remains central to decision-making.

The role
Trustees are both charity trustees and company directors. Collectively, the Board is responsible for the governance, strategic direction and stewardship of Wandsworth Oasis. Trustees are expected to act in the charity's best interests, exercise independent judgement, contribute constructively to collective decisions and provide appropriate support and challenge to the senior leadership of the organisation.

Key responsibilities
•    Governance and compliance: Ensure that Wandsworth Oasis complies with its governing document, charity and company law, and other relevant legal and regulatory requirements.
•    Strategic oversight: Contribute to the charity's strategic direction, priorities and long-term sustainability, including scrutiny of plans, budgets, performance and major organisational changes.
•    Financial stewardship and risk: Protect the charity's assets and financial sustainability; understand financial information; oversee reserves, liquidity and key risks; and ensure resources are used to further the charity's purposes.
•    Leadership oversight: Hold senior leadership to account for delivery within delegated authority, while providing constructive support, challenge and appropriate oversight.
•    Board participation: Prepare for, attend and contribute actively to quarterly Board meetings and other agreed meetings, discussions and decisions between meetings. 
•    Collective decision-making: Use relevant skills, knowledge and experience to help the Board reach sound, evidence-based decisions, while respecting collective responsibility once decisions are made.
•    Safeguarding, people and culture: Promote appropriate safeguarding, wellbeing, equality, inclusion and organisational culture, and ensure that relevant policies and controls are in place.
•    Reputation and charitable impact: Protect the reputation of Wandsworth Oasis and maintain focus on its charitable purposes, beneficiaries and impact.

Candidate profile

Personal qualities - essential
•    Commitment to Wandsworth Oasis's charitable purpose and to reducing HIV-related stigma.
•    Integrity, sound judgement and willingness to act in the best interests of the charity.
•    Generosity with time, skills and support, including willingness to contribute between formal meetings when required.
•    Openness to learning and continuing development as a trustee.
•    Self-awareness and an ability to recognise where further information, advice or development is needed.
•    Willingness to challenge constructively and to be challenged, while working towards effective collective decisions.
•    Openness to organisational change and the ability to consider different perspectives objectively.
•    Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.

Skills - essential
•    Strategic thinking, including the ability to consider long-term sustainability, risk and organisational impact.
•    Ability to scrutinise information, ask effective questions and reach evidence-based decisions.
•    Collaborative leadership and the ability to work constructively with fellow trustees and senior staff.
•    Good communication skills and confidence contributing to Board discussions.
•    Ability and willingness to understand financial information sufficiently to discharge trustee responsibilities.

Knowledge and experience - desirable
•    Previous charity, company or other governance experience. Prior trustee experience is welcome but not essential.
•    Experience relevant to one or more of the Board's current skills priorities, which may include charity governance, finance, retail, commercial strategy, HR/organisational change, legal/regulatory matters, property, fundraising/partnerships, HIV or health-sector services, or communications.
•    Experience of organisational transformation, restructuring, strategic partnerships or alliance working.
•    Understanding of the responsibilities of trustees of a charitable company.

Current context and recruitment priorities
Wandsworth Oasis is entering an important period of organisational development. The Board has selected a modified independent operating model as its preferred strategic direction in principle, subject to affordability, implementation readiness and sufficient governance and leadership capacity. New trustees will therefore need to be comfortable providing oversight during a period of change and contributing actively to the Board's collective capacity.
 
Appointments will be made against an agreed Board skills and diversity assessment rather than solely against a fixed professional background.

Commitment and practical requirements
•    Attend quarterly Trustee meetings and additional strategy, induction or extraordinary meetings where reasonably required.
•    Read papers in advance and participate in decisions and communications between meetings.
•    Undertake induction and relevant ongoing governance training.
•    Declare and appropriately manage conflicts of interest.
•    Comply with the charity's Code of Conduct and relevant governance policies.
•    Be eligible to act as a charity trustee and company director and complete any required identity, declaration and due-diligence checks.

If you would like to find out more about this opportunity, or to express interest, please get in touch with Senior Appointment at Charity People 

Appointment
Trustees are appointed in accordance with Wandsworth Oasis's governing documents and agreed recruitment process and all candidates will be considered consistently against the agreed role requirements and Board skills needs.

Charity People is a forward thinking, inclusive organisation that actively and deliberately promotes equity, diversity and inclusion. We know organisations thrive when inclusion is at the forefront. We evidence our commitment by matching charity needs with the skills and experience of candidates irrespective of background e.g. age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. We do this because we believe that greater diversity leads to greater results for the charities we work with.

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