Be a Trustee
Join our board
Our charity is guided and governed by a board of trustees. All of our trustees are volunteers, giving up their time, knowledge and experience to benefit rural communities.
Every year at our AGM, our members have the opportunity to elect new trustees to our board. If you would like to put yourself forward to be considered for a trustee role we would love to hear from you.
Before you do, there are a few things we need you to know. There are probably a few questions you have for us too. Don't worry we should have these covered further down the page.
Who is already a trustee?
Our board is currently made up of nine people. The majority of our trustees have been elected by our members, two trustees nominated to the board by our two local county councils.
We also have a President and two Vice-Presidents, these individuals support our work but do not vote as members of the board.
Jennifer, Lady Gretton
President
Martin Traynor
Chair of Trustees
OUR OTHER TRUSTEES ARE:
Dale Mortimer (Vice Chair)
Phil Durban (Vice Chair)
John Flower (Treasurer)
Pat Crane
Janie Martin
Hilary Fryer
Lucy Stephenson
Pam Posnett
OUR VICE PRESIDENTS ARE:
Colonel Robert Martin
Hazel Byford
Do I need any special skills or experience?
You do not necessarily need any specific skills or experience to become an RCC trustee. The only things we really need from you are a willingness to give up some of your time and energy, to contribute positively to board discussions and decisions, and to engage and represent our wider membership.
As an idea, typical skills needed to be a trustee include:
A commitment to the organisation.
A willingness to devote the necessary time and effort.
Strategic vision.
Good, independent judgement.
An ability to think creatively.
A willingness to speak their mind.
An understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities, and liabilities of trusteeship.
An ability to work effectively as a member of a team.
A commitment to Nolan’s seven principles of public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty, and leadership.
We would also welcome interest from people with knowledge, experience, or skills in:
Rural community affairs and tackling rural disadvantage.
Finance, accounts, and/or project management.
Human resources and/or health and safety.
How much time will I need to put aside?
The amount of time you put into being a trustee can vary dramatically depending on how involved you want to get in our governance.
As a minimum you can expect to volunteer around forty (40) hours per year. These will tie in around our quarterly board meetings held in January, April, July and October.
What will I do?
The easiest way to start is to let you know what you won't do. At the RCC our trustees do not get involved in the day to day management and delivery of our work. All our work and operational matters are looked after by our team of paid staff.
Your role as a trustee will include:
Helping to ensure the charity remains compliant with all relevant laws and regulations.
Making sure we work in line with our governing document and charitable objects.
Reviewing and approving key organisational policies and procedures.
Helping to develop and agree our strategy and setting our overall vision and aims.
Agreeing our annual budget and ensuring appropriate and efficient use of our charitable resources.
Engaging with our wider membership to ensure we represent their major needs and priorities.
Monitoring the overall performance and impact of our charity.
When would I become a trustee?
You can register your interest in becoming a trustee at any time.
Once we receive your application we will complete some simple checks to ensure you are eligible to become a trustee. We may also ask you for a bit more information if we need it. You will then be put forward for election by our members at the next available AGM. These are held annually and usually happen towards the end of October. If you are elected you will become a trustee at that AGM.
Once elected, you can serve a term of up to three years before needing to be re-elected by our members.
What next?
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