Independent Trustees

Join the board of ACRE, which champions vibrant, sustainable and inclusive rural communities, and help it achieve its ambition that no one should be disadvantaged by where they live.

Location: In-person meetings usually take place in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, twice a year, and other meetings are held online

Closing date: Monday 16th September

ACRE (Action with Communities in Rural England) is an independent charity formed in 1987 with the aim of improving opportunities for people and communities in rural England. Today, ACRE works to create thriving, inclusive and economically active rural communities which have access to the services they need. We are the national body of the ACRE Network – England’s largest rural grouping of community support charities. Our work includes the coordination of nationally funded projects, programmes and research and contributing to public policy-making that impacts rural communities.

We work hard and want to maintain close relationships with our members and support them by providing insights into the issues facing rural communities and the changes that are required. With our members and data from across the country, collected through over 35,000 community groups each year, we work with government departments and other national bodies such as the Rural Coalition to ensure policies take into consideration rural community need. We provide nationwide advocacy and collaborate with our members to support local initiatives and deliver projects and programmes that secure a better future for everyone in the countryside.

We function as a membership body and manage the government’s strategic investment in the ACRE Network. ACRE is currently funded mainly by Defra as the core network of support for rural community projects and to help rural communities recover from the pandemic. We are commissioned by the government to deliver a country-wide programme to support the development of rural affordable housing. We are exploring the development of new digital solutions that benefit our members and our end beneficiaries.

It is an exciting time to join with a newly appointed Chief Executive and a new government. We are about to begin work on developing our latest strategy which will see us grow, develop and increase our impact. We are looking for up to three new trustees to join us, who share our commitment to supporting rural communities and ensuring the voices of local people are heard.

We are looking for people who can bring diverse backgrounds, experiences and views to the board. It is key that our board represents our society, and we are looking to develop our board’s lived experience of rural life and ensure it is diverse in terms of age, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender balance and cognitive diversity. We are especially interested to hear from those currently under-represented on the board such as young people, people from minority ethnic backgrounds and people with lived experience of rural disadvantage.

We are also looking for trustees who can bring different professional experiences to the board. This might include but is not limited to, finance, commercial acumen, experience of partnerships between the corporate and charity sectors, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) or Environment, Social and Governance (ESG), community building and engagement, transport, utilities, housing or digital connectivity and communications.

The board meets quarterly with an annual strategy away day and an AGM. Board meetings are usually held in person twice a year and virtually twice a year.  There are opportunities to engage with our executive and our membership throughout the year. We expect the time commitment, inclusive of board meetings, preparation, and ad hoc discussion with the executive and board to be the equivalent of up to a day a month.

Please click 'Apply via website’ to be redirected to the Peridot Partners website, where you can find full details of the candidate profile and register your interest to apply.

Applications for this role close on Monday 16th September.