Trustee

We are looking to recruit new Trustees to help us delivery our new exciting strategy.

We thrive on difference - sadly rape and sexual abuse affects everyone in all of communities - as a Trustee Board we want to reflect all those individual characteristics and life experiences so that we can respond most sensitively to the needs of everyone who uses or would like to use our services.

Where you live, how old you are, whether you work and if so what you do, whether you have been a Trustees before or whether you consider yourself a leader are not the characteristics that will make you a good Trustee at Birchall. Sharing our belief and having passion and energy to help the organisation achieve that, is what matters. 

Being a Trustee at Birchall is a rewarding and exciting experience. We currently have 44 team members - a mixture of employed and freelance across Cumbria, North Lancs, East Lancs, and the Fylde Coast, and numerous volunteers and people with lived experience involved in our services,

You'll join a strong team dedicated to supporting people affected by rape and sexual abuse. Each year we campaign, fundraise and offer educational programmes as well as wellbeing services and group work activity sessions.

At Birchall, we work in a trauma informed way, which means we realise the widespread impact of trauma and understand potential paths for recovery. Our services allow people to work on a deeper level and address the trauma they have experienced. We are committed to the highest standards of governance as a Trustee Board and we will ensure you have the training and support to participate fully and to feel prepared and empowered as a Trustee.

We have a challenging strategic plan but wow what a difference we can make to individuals and communities if we achieve that.  

The main criteria we are looking for is someone who is enthusiastic about the work we do here at Birchall and is keen to get stuck into being on a board. We know that this will mean you will come with great ideas and thoughts. We all have different experiences from many walks of life and feel like there is so much that would be beneficial for us to learn from.

As a trustee, some of the things you could support us with are:

Championing our vision to live in a world free of rape, sexual abuse and sexualised violence

Be involved in various sub committees, bringing your expertise and knowledge

Support our financial planning and accounts

Monitor the risks to the organisation and ensure we are putting in steps to manage them Oversee our safeguarding processes

Grow the voice of people with lived experience within our governance

Understand and accept the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of being a trustee (we can organise training for this)

Lead on making sure the Birchall is well governed and complies with its constitutional and charitable objectives

We’re not expecting you to do all of these things, but if there is anything on this list that speaks to you or sparks your interest, and you feel passionate about what we do and want to get stuck in, We would love to hear from you. Don’t think you can’t make a difference – together we can! 

 If you'd like to apply, we just want to hear 2 things from you:

1. A bit about who you are and what experience you have (this doesn't have to be paid employment!). What are some interesting things you've done in your life?

2. A quick explanation of why you're applying for the role. What makes this sound interesting to you?