Govan HELP has exciting development plans for the future, and we are looking to recruit new trustees to our Board, strengthening governance to help lead the organisation through the next phase of our development.

About Govan HELP

Govan Home and Education Link Project (Govan HELP) is a local Family Support charity based in the heart of the community in the Govan area of Glasgow. Our services aim to support children and families from the local area to overcome problems, build resilience and confidence, and achieve overall improvements in the quality of family life.

We offer five different services at Govan HELP, these being: Family Support, Play Therapy, Training and Volunteering, Adult Counselling and our most recent development, The Govan Pantry, which has evolved from a food bank project set up in response to the pandemic. We have close links with schools, social work and health colleagues in the local area and work collaboratively with organisations to achieve stronger outcomes for children and families. In addition, we work with a wide range of third sector partner agencies to build a more holistic package of support for families, tailored to their individual needs.

We know that the kinds of issues our families face can be wide ranging and include things like physical and mental health conditions, drug and alcohol addiction, housing and debt issues, domestic abuse, and trauma. These issues are further compounded by the impacts of poverty and deprivation which is widespread in the communities of Greater Govan. Our services aim to alleviate many of the symptoms of poverty and deprivation, and we take a holistic approach to resolving the issues that families are struggling to cope with to ensure we can support families to achieve positive social, economic, and educational outcomes. Our services are often a lifeline for families who are facing complex and difficult circumstances and aim to respond to needs within the local community by developing local solutions that are aligned closely with needs.

More information on our services is available as govanhelp.org

Why become a Trustee at Govan HELP?

Trustees have an important role at Govan HELP. They share responsibility for governing us as a charity, setting our strategic aims and directing how we’re run on a day-to-day basis. Trustees’ activities also include vetting and administering funding applications and representing us at events. The ultimate goal of Trustees is to ensure that everything we do maximises the benefit for our service users — that is, families in Govan.

We are a registered charity, so Trustees must ensure we comply with current charity laws and guidelines as set out by the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR). You may find it helpful to look at OSCR’s guidance for charity trustees.

Are you eligible?

We aim to have a Board that is representative of our diverse stakeholder base and anyone can apply who believes they will add value to the charity. The role of a Trustee demands commitment, but it’s also stimulating and very rewarding!

This year, we are looking to recruit new Trustees to join the Board at Govan HELP.

In particular, we are looking for nominees with the following knowledge and experience:

• Finance
• Governance
• Fundraising
• Counselling, clinical, and/or support services
• Venue management
• Volunteering
• Charity experience
• Early years and/or education

While we welcome applications from all parts of society, we are particularly interested in receiving applications from candidates from black and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds, and those local to the Govan area