Trustee

Canine Partners have extraordinary voluntary Trustee opportunities to make a positive and sustained difference, not only to the lives of adults with disabilities, but to their families and communities. If you share our values and you have the skills to contribute to our board, we would love to hear from you. 

Canine Partners train assistance dogs to transform the lives of adults with physical disabilities and their wider community of family, friends and colleagues. Our values are excellence, respect, passion, teamwork, innovation and the personal touch. We have a training hub in Leicestershire, and a national network of staff and volunteers, supporting and developing our dogs from birth through to partnership into retirement and beyond with their welfare and care prioritised throughout. 

Our teams work with adults with a wide range of complex physical disabilities as they partner with dogs and benefit from the deeply rewarding bonds that are formed. The Canine Partners team of approx. 90 staff includes occupational therapists, highly skilled dog trainers, experts in dog breeding, veterinary professionals, dedicated fundraisers and talented support teams, all working alongside around a thousand volunteers who help at every stage of the journey to creating life-changing partnerships between dogs and people. 

The Canine Partners Board is diversely talented, highly engaged and united in its purpose. It works closely with the Chief Executive and senior leadership team to ensure Canine Partners effectively deliver its mission and is governed to the highest standards. 

We are actively seeking to attract new Trustees who will use their skills, experience and expertise to make a real difference to our well-respected and growing charity. We are particularly looking for people who have experience or knowledge in the following areas:

• dog training or dog behaviourist or experience within the assistance dog sector 
• fundraising
• working with people with disabilities e.g., health care sector 

You will possess strategic vision, organisational acumen and a passion to support adults with disabilities and their network

Trustees of Canine Partners will possess the right balance of skills, commitment, interests and motivations to serve the needs of the charity at the time. This will be determined in line with the strategic needs and the profile of the other members of the Council of Trustees. 

We ask for a commitment of attendance at our meetings, five to six board meetings per year. Our meetings are a combination of online and face-to-face. We ask you to read associated documentation and contribute to discussions. In addition, Trustees may be asked to offer their skills, expertise and insight into specific projects and/or support Executive arms of the charity in determining and delivering strategic objectives. 

We encourage applications from all sections of society and locations and are keen to ensure continued diversity brings constructive challenge and adds to the governance and work of the charity. 

To express your interest in this fantastic opportunity, please apply online with a CV and cover letter that demonstrates how your experience, skills and abilities meet the selection criteria set out in the role description. 

Closing date for expression of interest: Friday 28 June 2024. 

First stage interviews (virtual): Week commencing 9 September 2024. 

Thank you for your interest in Canine Partners.