girls friendly society trustee candidate

pack 2020

Message from our Chair Dear candidate Thank you for expressing an interest in joining the Girls Friendly Society (GFS) Board. GFS is one of the oldest charities supporting girls and young women in the UK. Established in 1875, we support girls and young women across England and Wales. Research has shown that single-gender spaces like the ones we provide, are important for girls; they allow them to take more risks, express themselves and develop their self-confidence. In mixed gender settings, boys tend to dominate the space which reduced girls’ confidence. We believe that providing a safe space for girls and young women to challenge gender stereotypes from a young age, is the first step on the road to a more equal society. It is a great privilege to be appointed or elected as a trustee of an organisation with such a worthy cause and rich, inspiring history. One of the key objectives for the Board over the next few years will be to build on these foundations to develop a charity that helps girls and young women to meet the challenges they face today. We are currently finalising our new strategy that will guide is in delivering a sustainable future for the charity, providing fun and educational activities for our girls and young women for many years to come. These plans will be published shortly. In the meantime, you can find out more about what we do and our current Board members here: https://girlsfriendlysociety.org.uk/what-we-do/ We are seeking to recruit a new trustee to join the Board and help us drive forward and deliver our ambitious strategy during an exciting period of change. This new trustee will be an existing member of the organisation. We very much welcome interest from people from all backgrounds and experiences. However, to support our current strategic goals, we're particularly keen to hear from anyone with business or corporate experience, or a background in fundraising. GFS aims to be a nationwide movement for girls and young women, and I hope you can see a role for yourself in helping us to deliver that. If this sounds like the perfect opportunity, we'd love to hear from you. Iana Vidal Chair

About Girls Friendly Society GFS has been supporting girls and young women since 1875. Over the years, their needs have changed, and our organisation has changed to reflect them, but one thing has always remained the same; a desire to help all girls and young women fulfil their potential. Today, our staff of 15 and national network of more than 200 volunteers aim to build girls and young women up, through weekly girls-only groups that give them space to make friends and learn about themselves. We train inspiring volunteers to deliver a programme of fun activities that are designed to help girls and young women develop their confidence, emotional wellbeing and resilience. Our groups are…

Informal At GFS we provide an informal, unintimidating environment that is accessible to all girls and young women. While sessions do have an outline, they rely less on a standardised structure, and place emphasis on personal development over formal achievement

Non-competitive

At their heart, our activities are designed to develop self-esteem; the goals that GFS girls and young women achieve are personal and appropriate to them, and we discourage comparison of status and ability to others.

Girl-led

We aim to offer girls and young women the opportunity to contribute to planning and delivery of activities based on what they enjoy and the issues they feel are relevant to them. This is great for building confidence and helping girls see themselves as potential leaders.

Feminist

We are a proudly feminist organisation in that we support and advocate for women’s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes. We are committed to tackling exclusion and lack of access to opportunities due to gender inequality.

Further information about GFS can be found at www.girlsfriendlysociety.org.uk. About the role The statutory duties of a trustee are: • To ensure the organisation complies with its governing document (articles of

association) • To ensure that the organisation pursues its objectives as defined in its governing

document • To ensure the organisation applies its resources exclusively in pursuance of its

objectives - the charity must not spend money on activities which are not included in its own objectives

• To contribute actively to the Board of Trustees’ role in giving firm strategic direction to the organisation, setting overall policy, defining goals and setting targets and evaluating performance against agreed targets

• To safeguard the good name and values of the organisation • To ensure the effective and efficient administration of the organisation • To ensure the financial stability of the organisation • To protect and manage the property of the organisation and to ensure the proper

investment of the organisation’s funds • To appoint the Chief Executive and monitor their performance

In addition, with other trustees, to hold the charity “in trust” for current and future beneficiaries by: • Ensuring that the charity has a clear vision, mission and strategic direction and is

focused on achieving these • Being responsible for the performance of the charity and for its corporate behaviour;

ensuring that the charity complies with all legal and regulatory requirements • Acting as guardians of the charity’s assets, both tangible and intangible, taking all due

care over their security, deployment and proper application As well as the various statutory duties, any trustee should make full use of any specific skills, knowledge or experience to help the board make good decisions. The above list of duties is indicative only and not exhaustive. The Trustee will be expected to perform all such additional duties as are reasonably commensurate with the role. Person Specification This is an excellent opportunity for individuals who are passionate about our mission and who bring experience, skills, and expertise developed in a professional environment. We are seeking people who have an interest in the development of girls and young women, and an appreciation of the pressures currently facing children and young people. To be a trustee of an organisation is an exciting and fulfilling role and the most effective boards are ones which benefit from individuals from a diverse range of backgrounds, experiences and skill sets. The role of a trustee is to ensure that GFS fulfils its duty to its beneficiaries and delivers on our vision, mission and values. The Board of Trustees are jointly and severally responsible for the overall governance and strategic direction of the charity, its financial health, the probity of its activities and developing the organisation’s aims, objectives and goals in accordance with the governing document, legal and regulatory guidelines. All trustees, should also be aware of, and understand, their individual and collective responsibilities, and should not be overly reliant on one or more individual trustees in any particular aspect of the governance of the charity. Experience • Ideally some experience of serving on a committee or board in a charitable, public

sector or commercial organisation. • A proven track record of sound judgement and effective decision-making. • A history of impartiality, fairness and the ability to respect confidences. • A track record of commitment to promoting equality and diversity. Specific skills (these are skills currently underrepresented on our board) • Senior level experience in a business or corporate environment • Strategic planning • Governance and risk • Expertise in financial or business development. • Fundraising. Personal qualities • A commitment to the mission, vision and values of GFS • A willingness to devote the necessary time and effort to the role of Trustee • An ability to work effectively as a member of a team and willingness to be available to

staff for advice and enquiries on an ad hoc basis. • Integrity and a willingness to speak their mind • Good, independent judgement and strategic vision. • An ability to think creatively

• An understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of trusteeship

• An understanding of the respective roles of the Chair, Trustees and Chief Executive. • Commitment to Nolan’s seven principles of public life: selflessness, integrity,

objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership. Time commitment • GFS’s Board Members serve an initial three-year term, to be eligible for reappointment

for an additional term. • Four Board meetings per annum requiring travel to Central London and another city in

England or Wales, in March, June, September and December. Please note: the March meeting coincides with the GFS AGM and will usually require an overnight stay, for which GFS will cover the expenses.

• Sub-committees: GFS invites trustees to join the sub-committees of the Board – Investment and Finance & Audit – or propose the establishment of any new sub-committees or working groups as required based on any immediate needs and future strategic direction.

Additional information Any offer of this role is conditional upon receipt of two professional references. How to apply To apply for this role, please supply the following: • Supporting statement, explaining your interest in GFS and how you believe your skills

and experience match the requirements of the role • A completed Fit & Proper Persons Declaration • A copy of your CV, including details of two referees (who will not of course be

contacted without your prior knowledge or consent) These documents should be sent to ceo@girlsfriendlysociety.org.uk Timetable The closing date for applications is Friday 14 February 2020 Candidates are asked to also note the following dates: • Phone interviews with GFS: Monday 17 to Friday 28 February • GFS to confirm shortlist: Friday 28 February • Preferred candidates attend GFS AGM: Saturday 28 March in Birmingham Please advise us about any dates which are inconvenient.