Vice Chair Media and Communications Trustee Remote
Job description
BuDS is seeking a Vice-Chair – Media and Communications to join our charity trustee team. If you have strong media, public relations or communications knowledge and skills, this role will give you the opportunity to put your expertise to excellent use in supporting the growth of this unique, dynamic and expanding user-led charity and disabled people’s organisation.
This would be an ideal opportunity for those studying for a CIM or CIPR qualifications to put their knowledge into practice and gain exposure and experience. It would also suit an experienced communications professional who would like to use their time and expertise to help others.
Although it is not essential that the post-holder is themselves a disabled person, the high public profile of this role on behalf of the charity makes it strongly desirable that they are and publicly identifies as, a disabled person within the meaning of the Equality Act 2010.
What is BuDS?
Uniquely, BuDS is a working community of over 180 volunteers, mostly local disabled people, who work together, supported by staff, to achieve our goals. Our 16 projects, many of which are unique to the county, empower thousands of disabled adults, young people and children across Buckinghamshire and permanently remove the barriers facing disabled people so that they can live and work independently.
For 2022-23, BuDS anticipates having an income in excess of £250,000 and a staff team of around a dozen people. We are in process of moving to new, Covid-safe, offices in the Aylesbury area although much of the charity’s work will continue to be done online and remotely.
BuDS is a highly diverse and inclusive charity both in terms of disability and intersectionality, and diversity and inclusion are core values. BuDS is also one of the largest youth charities in Buckinghamshire.
We tackle the issues which most affect disabled people in Buckinghamshire by whatever means necessary. Our Disability Services help disabled people directly, while our Fair4All projects bring about permanent change to the built environment, structures, systems and infrastructure so that disabled people do not face barriers to living independently. Our Reach4Work projects help disabled jobseekers into work and education. All our work is evidence-based, project-led and responds to the real needs of disabled people. The expertise of our professional volunteers mean we can often punch above our weight.
The Covid-19 pandemic spurred BuDS into rapid growth to meet the surging needs of disabled people, who were most affected by the virus and the precautions put in place to contain it. Our Covid-19 information, advice and guidance have national recognition and our team of high-quality volunteers enable us to communicate about the pandemic far better than most organisations. While BuDS will continue to be there for disabled people as long as the pandemic lasts, we are also reviving and develop our longstanding non-Covid projects.
Our goal for 2022-23 is to be ‘Bigger, Bolder, Better’: to continue to sustainably expand and develop by growing existing projects, starting new ones, seeking longer-term and multi-year funding, rebuilding our office infrastructure, and setting the charity on track to be a much larger and more capable organisation by its 20th anniversary on 11 March 2023.
The Role of Vice-Chair Media & Communications
BuDS has a strong Trustee Board of 12 people, made up of both executive and non-executive roles. BuDS is a user-led organisation and as such all our executive Trustees are expected to have both a strategic role in the overall governance of the charity and an active hands-on role in the life and work of the charity. This applies to the role of Vice-Chair Media & Communications too.
The key personal responsibilities of the Vice-Chair Media & Communications, closely collaborating with the Chair, are to:
· Represent the charity to key strategic stakeholders, partners and funders
· Be a principal media spokesman for the charity and its public face
· Take the leadership role within the Trustee Board on media, social media and other communications issues, including reporting to Trustees about current practice and advising on any remedial or development work that is needed
· Liaise positively and collaboratively with other Trustees, staff and volunteers and act as a source of specialist insight and knowledge for media and communication issues.
Additionally, depending on preference and availability, the post holder will have the opportunity, as part of the charity leadership team, to play a role in helping to define and set out the charity’s strategic objectives and vision and its strategic plan, and in budgeting, grant applications, and approvals.
Charity Leadership Team
The Charity Leadership Team consists of the chair, vice-chairs, executive, and lead Trustees, supported by the grants fundraiser and admin assistant. It currently meets formally once a month on Saturday mornings, and there is often an informal gathering between formal meetings .
The three vice-chairs have complementary roles to the chair, covering specific specialist areas of the charity’s work: governance and compliance, operations, and media & communications. Executive trustees play a general role in the charity’s operations and lead Trustees have a leadership responsibility for one or more projects. Roles evolve and are adapted collaboratively according to the needs, expertise and availability of individuals.
BuDS’ ‘housekeeping’ functions such as finance, safeguarding, HR, communications, and fundraising are currently Trustee-led and not within the scope of the Project Manager’s role.
Senior Management Team
The SMT is the operational management body for all BuDS’ projects and is led by Janneke Elford as charity Projects Manager. It meets weekly (currently on Thursday afternoons) and brings together senior staff with Trustees with an executive role.
Project Teams
BuDS delivers its work through project teams, of which there are currently 16 active and several dormant teams. Project Teams are volunteer led and run with the support of staff.
Staff
BuDS currently has 11 staff, all but one part-time. They deliver specialist support, such as HR, admin or fundraising, or support project work. Project staff have an enabling and facilitating role for volunteers, while also helping to deliver project objectives.
Volunteers
BuDS is fundamentally a community of volunteers, mostly disabled people, who work together to achieve the charity’s objects and goals. The community is exceptionally diverse. Volunteers lead and deliver the charity’s project work. BuDS is supported by many professional volunteers too. Volunteer numbers are increasing steadily and a constant challenge is having enough staff to properly support them in their project roles and with their individual needs.
Mutual Support
A relationship of mutual support between the charity and its volunteers and staff is key to BuDS’ success and ethos. While helping the charity, the charity also purposefully and effectively helps those within its community, by peer and organised means. This inclusive community is an area where the charity needs to grow and develop.
Practical Issues
The role of Vice-Chair – Media & Communications is anticipated to need an average time commitment of around 2-3 hours per week, more if the post-holder wishes to expand the role. Trustee meetings are currently held on Saturday mornings. Attending some key meetings and briefings during working hours, including the Comms team meeting, will be essential but these can be negotiated.
BuDS is committed to always remaining a hybrid organisation which works equally online and face to face. The role of Vice-Chair - Media & Communications can be done remotely but face-to-face meetings will become an increasingly important part of the role as and when it is safe to do so. BuDS’ new offices are most likely to be in the Aylesbury or mid-Bucks area and some travel to them will be necessary.
BuDS will of course provide full support to the Vice-Chair - Media & Communications if they are a disabled person.
Travel and subsistence expenses will be paid – additional costs should not be a barrier to taking up this role.
Person Specification
The Vice-Chair - Media & Communications should have the following experience, skills and attributes:
· A person of known integrity and good character
· A positive example of diversity and equality in their personal and professional life
· Ideally, is, and publicly identifies as, a disabled person within the meaning of the Equality Act 2010 with a proven enthusiasm for disability inclusion, equality and rights
· At least 3-5 years’ experience of media, communications, public relations or marketing work, as a professional, employee or Trustee
· Ideally, having or studying for a relevant qualification such as CIPR or CIM.
· Have the time and opportunity to undertake the minimum requirements of the role
How to Apply
The process is as follows:
· An informal chat by Teams with the current Chair and some of the Trustees will be arranged
· A formal application can then be made. This will include submitting a full CV, references, identity and other safeguarding material, and participating in an enhanced DBS check.
· There will be a structured interview chaired by an independent person with existing Trustees and volunteers
· Shortlisted candidates will be invited to observe Trustee and other meetings and to talk with Trustees, volunteers and staff over a three-month period.
· The preferred candidate will be formally chosen by the Trustee Board in September 2022
· The preferred candidate will be nominated by Trustees for election at the AGM in November 2022 and will take up their role at the end of that meeting.
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BuDS is an equal opportunity organisation and disabled people are particularly encouraged to apply for this role.
BuDS is committed to safeguarding all those with whom it works. This post will involve unsupervised work with potentially vulnerable adults and children, and/or their records, and so this post will be subject to an enhanced DBS check on appointment. This will be arranged and paid for by BuDS.
Job Types: Part-time, Volunteer
Part-time hours: 5 per week
Benefits:
- Work from home
Schedule:
- Monday to Friday
- Weekend availability
Experience:
- media, communications, public relations or marketing work: 3 years (required)
Work Location: Remote
Reference ID: ViceOps
