Our trustees play a vital role in making sure that Bath Welcomes Refugees achieves its core purpose. Bath Welcomes Refugees is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee.  This means that trustees are both company directors and charity trustees. The Board does not directly manage the charity’s day-to-day work, but provides oversight, shapes organisational strategy and supports our staff and volunteers. Because we are a small charity, we are more hands-on than most charity boards.

Board members have a collective responsibility. This means that trustees always act as a group and not as individuals.

The Trustee Board is supported by a staff team and Management Committee that is responsible for operational matters covering Practical support, Language provision, Resettlement and Befriending, Social activities, Fundraising, Benefits advice, Safeguarding and Communications.

Trustee Duties

Trustees have oversight of the overall strategy and direction of the charity. We act to ensure that the charity is meeting the needs of the people we work with, manages our budget and risk effectively, and acts in accordance with the law and our own governing document.

Even if a trustee has a specific role, all trustees remain jointly responsible for the charity.

General Trustee duties:

• Offer guidance and support on the organisation’s purpose, vision, goals, and activities to ensure that Bath Welcomes Refugees delivers its support in the best way possible.
• Scrutinise Bath Welcomes Refugees’ budgets, management accounts and financial statements, making sure that the organisation uses its resources to meet its charitable objectives and complies with the relevant regulatory requirements.
• Ensure that Bath Welcomes Refugees complies with its governing documents and the relevant law, as well as updating and reviewing its own policies and procedures.
• Approve operational strategies and policies and monitor and evaluate their implementation.
• Make sure that key risks are identified, monitored and controlled effectively.
• Act with care and skill in the best interests of Bath Welcomes Refugees.

Terms of appointment

Trustees are expected to serve for three years. A trustee may be re-elected for another term of office at an Annual General Meeting.

Trustees members are unpaid, but reasonable expenses (including travel to meetings) can be reimbursed.

You will be expected to:

• Attend an induction session for Bath Welcomes Refugees.
• Attend bi-monthly trustee meetings (2 hours plus prep/reading: ~3 hours). These are currently held in the evening and can be held either in person or remotely via Google Meet.
• Attend biannual meetings with the Management Committee (2 hours plus prep/reading: ~3 hours) which can be held either in person or remotely via Google Meet.
• Attend BWR’s Annual General Meeting which is held in person
• Ad hoc attendance at fundraising/promotional events.
• Provide other support to the charity according to your background and skills.

As a small charity, there will be times when trustees will need to be actively involved beyond Board meetings. This may involve developing or reviewing policies or grant applications, leading a small team to focus on a specific project, providing advice and guidance on new initiatives, representing the charity to external stakeholders, or other initiatives in which the trustee has special expertise.

What we are looking for

We are looking for people willing to bring energy, enthusiasm, and commitment to the role, and who will broaden the diversity of experience and thinking on our board.

You do not need previous Trustee experience; we will provide a full induction, training, and support.

Each trustee must have:

• Commitment to the rights and welfare of refugees and asylum seekers, and to Bath Welcomes Refugees’ vision, mission, and values, and a desire to use your skills and experience to make a difference.
• Ability to think creatively and strategically, exercise good, independent judgement and work effectively as a board member.
• Effective communication skills and willingness to participate actively in discussion.
• A strong personal commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.
• An understanding and acceptance of legal duties, responsibilities, and liabilities of being a Trustee, or a willingness to learn.

We are particularly looking for people with experience in the following:

• Lived experience as a refugee or asylum seeker
• Experience or knowledge of refugee resettlement and issues facing refugees and asylum seekers
• Experience of the UK charity sector, especially management and/or governance
• Fundraising
• Communications, public relations, and social media
• IT and digital systems