Trustees and Chair

Chairperson for Board of Trustees

We are looking for someone to take on the role of Chairperson for our Board of Trustees. This is a vital role and we are keen to find the right person.

Job Requirements
The role of the chairperson is to:

• Lead the Board of Trustees
• Ensure smooth running of board meetings
• Promote good governance among fellow charity trustees
• Provide supervision and support to the executive team
• Act as a figurehead or spokesperson where required
• Ideally, you will have experience in a senior organisational leadership role and be able to bring the knowledge and expertise you’ve gained through your work to the Chairperson role.
• Meeting online on a quarterly basis
• One in-person meeting each year

Experience desired:

Ideally, you will have experience in a senior organisational leadership role and be able to bring the knowledge and expertise you’ve gained through your work to the Chairperson role.

Job Responsibilities

The Board of Trustees meet online on a quarterly basis. There is usually one in-person meeting each year. To ensure effective governance and support for the executive team we seek to balance the range of skills and experience amongst the trustees to match the needs of the organisation. We recognise the importance in having a Board that reflects the communities that we work within and encourage applications from individuals with diverse backgrounds.

Our board members advise us, hold us to account, and champion our work in Cornwall and beyond. Our current board members have expertise in the arts, in business, the public sector, education, marketing, and accounting.

Some are Cornwall-based and others are further afield. Geography is not a barrier; we meet online and in-person.

Our Board Members:

• Commit to the vision and values of Wildworks
• Take part in the board’s collective decision-making
• Scrutinise business planning and ensure robust financial management
• Accept the legal duties and responsibilities of trusteeship
• Be an ambassador for Wildworks, championing our work and helping to secure new partners and sponsors
• Attend four board meetings a year including the AGM and an away-day
• Provide advice and support to the executive team
• Attend Wildworks events and shows

Board members of charities do not get paid to be on boards. However, the company will reimburse any reasonable expenses (e.g. travel or childcare) incurred by attending board meetings and Wildworks is committed to covering costs incurred by any additional access needs of prospective and current board members, such as BSL signing services.

Board members are initially appointed for a three-year term. Board members may be reappointed at the discretion of the Chair. You are of course free to step down at any time.

There is lots of information about the governance of charities and the roles and obligations of Trustees at www.charitycommission.gov.uk.

Board Trustees

Thank you for considering joining our board at this exciting time of evolution for the organisation. At the end of 2024, the Wildworks Board of Trustees appointed a new co-leadership team, Gwen Scolding (Executive Director) and Nathan Jackson (Executive Producer), with a bold and inspiring vision for the future of Wildworks.

Now, as 2025 begins, we are looking for the right people to join our existing Board of Trustees, and to work with Wildworks’ leadership team in shaping the company’s future. This is a great opportunity for people from all backgrounds and communities to be part of Wildworks, to help develop how the company is run and to support the organisation’s ongoing development.

Job Responsibilities
We do not expect all board members to be experienced in all areas of governance however we do ask all board members to:

• Commit to the vision and values of Wildworks
• Take part in the board’s collective decision-making
• Scrutinise business planning and ensure robust financial management
• Accept the legal duties and responsibilities of trusteeship
• Be an ambassador for Wildworks, championing our work and helping to secure new partners and sponsors
• Attend four board meetings a year including the AGM and an away-day
• Provide advice and support to the executive team
• Attend Wildworks events and shows
• Training and support is available, including mentoring if appropriate, so previous experience as a trustee is not essential.

Board members of charities do not get paid to be on boards. However, the company will reimburse any reasonable expenses (e.g. travel or childcare) incurred by attending board meetings and Wildworks is committed to covering costs incurred by any additional access needs of prospective and current board members, such as BSL signing services.

WHAT WE OFFER

The role of Trustee is voluntary, however we provide the following:

• Financial expenses including travel, subsistence and accommodation to attend board meetings and shows
• Complimentary tickets to all Wildworks projects
• Any access support required for the role
• Training if required
• The opportunity to build your professional profile and network
• The satisfaction of sharing your expertise and passion
• That great feeling you get from contributing to something special

Trustees are appointed for a three-year term and may be reappointed for a second three-year term at the discretion of the Chair. Trustees are free to step down at any time

ABOUT YOU

You will be someone who can offer us time, commitment, valuable skills and passion

Previous experience as a Trustee is not essential. Training and support are available, including mentoring if appropriate

We welcome applications from everyone. We want our board to be as diverse as the communities we work with, so if you have any commitments or barriers which you feel exclude you from becoming a Wildworks Trustee, please get in touch. We want to learn from you how to make it possible for you to be involved.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

We do hope that you have found all the information you need to fully consider joining our Board of Trustees or become our Chairperson. The next stage is for you to get in touch to register your interest. When you do, we would like you to consider these three questions:

1. Who are you?
2. Why does being on the board of Wildworks interest you?
3. What relevant skills or experience do you have that you would you bring to the role of Chairperson?

We don’t expect any more than a few sentences for each question. You can send over a CV if that helps to introduce yourself and give us a sense of your past work and experience.

Or if you prefer to record a video or audio file or send your answers to these questions in any other format then let us know.

Once you’ve got in touch, we’ll organise a short informal online chat with a member of our board and our leadership team, to hear a little more about what is involved, discuss the current priorities of the board and the role in more detail. If we feel like it’s the right fit for both parties, then we’ll invite you to come to a board meeting so you can make sure you are happy before officially joining the board.

If you’ve any questions or queries about then please don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can call Nathan on 07747 834255 or email [email protected]

Julia Webb-Harvey, our current Chair, is also available for an informal chat or to answer any further questions.

Please email [email protected] or [email protected] to register your interest.

Deadline to register your interest – 31st January 2025