The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award – Perth and Kinross Association has just marked 30 very successful years. As we move ahead we are seeking enthusiastic, dynamic and motivated people to join our Board of Trustees.

Would you like to help us grow further and achieve our mission of helping to improve the lives of young people with additional support needs?

About us:

A registered SCIO, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award – Perth and Kinross Association (PKDofE) provides young people and families in the Perth and Kinross local authority region with unique opportunities to discover themselves and build the confidence and skills they need to realise their potential.

Since August 2018 we have embarked on a unique and ambitious programme of direct, close support work with young people called the Starfish Way. Thanks to the wonderful owners of Megginch Castle, near Errol, the young people we support can enjoy the space and tranquillity of the walled garden, orchard, and wilder spaces of the estate whilst working towards certificated Awards.

Together, the Starfish Way, Megginch Castle and our team of dedicated and compassionate staff offer a safe, therapeutic and beautifully nurturing learning environment where young people can feel secure, find hope, grow in confidence and ultimately thrive and achieve.

By the end of a season with us, the vast majority of young people achieve either a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, a John Muir Award, a First Aid certificate, a Saltire Award or a National Navigation Award. Often, more than one! Even just completing a section of an award can be a truly remarkable achievement which they may never have believed possible before, but which opens up a world of new possibilities and opportunities to them.

Our Board of Trustees:

At PKDofE, we have a wonderful team of hard working staff, a heart to make a difference, and a vision of how to do it. At the helm is a small but energetic Board of charity trustees who come from different backgrounds and bring a broad range of skills and experience to the organisation. The Board meets 4 times a year whilst also engaging with each other and staff digitally and in person on a regular basis.

Role and requirements:

We are seeking to grow our board and expand its skillset with enthusiastic, dynamic and motivated people who care deeply about helping young people to become the best they can be. As we move ahead and seek to deliver our new strategy, you will join at an exciting time.

We welcome interest from all career stages and backgrounds but we are particularly keen to recruit two individuals at this time with expertise in either Human Resources, Scottish charity governance or fundraising. Being a Duke of Edinburgh or John Muir Award holder is not a necessity, but an understanding and appreciation of the Award schemes is important.

Being located in the central belt of Scotland is preferred, however, not essential as digital attendance at meetings is available. The role is non-remunerated but reasonable expenses can be reimbursed with any training and induction provided.

Perth & Kinross Duke of Edinburgh Award is an inclusive charity and we welcome applications from people of all ages, and from all communities. No previous Trustee experience is needed.

Are you passionate about supporting young people facing barriers to their dreams and ambitions? Do you want to be part of a team committed to helping young people feel confident and hopeful about their future? Do you want to take a lead role in helping us expand and reach out to many more? Do you have the depth, and breadth of experience we need? We are looking for a Senior Manager to lead our expansion. Are you interested?

This year is our 30th Anniversary. We are a charity with an excellent reputation, based in two special locations. Our Office is situated within the beautiful grounds of the Gannochy Trust and much of our outdoor work is experienced within the unique environment of Megginch Castle Estate. Perthshire provides a wealth of amazing places for our varied work.

We have a small team of 4 highly dedicated staff, soon to increase, and we are committed to helping young people overcome whatever barriers they face and to help them believe in themselves, have ambitions, and fulfil their potential.

Our face to face work is increasing all the time as the impact of our work within “The Starfish Way” becomes more widely known. We are now at the point of significant expansion and are looking for a Senior Manager to lead the team and reach out to even greater numbers of young people. This new role is to help us move to that next milestone in our development and to ensure the sustainability and high quality of our work.

We seek someone who will share our vision, who will be passionate about the work we do, who is experienced, and who works towards the highest standards. Our Senior Manager needs to fit within the ethos of our team, be compassionate towards others, considerate, and get the job done. Good communication and positive and trusting working relationships are at the heart of the way we try to work.

This post is a full time post. The starting salary will be £32004 per annum. Pay reviews are normally held annually in March.

The post is guaranteed for 1 year though we expect funding to continue thereafter and seek continuity in this essential role.

The successful candidate(s), (it is open to job share), will be able to work from home for some of the time though we believe personal relationships are crucial, involving both face to face meetings with our staff, our Trustees, our stakeholders, and our young people. Consequently, the job cannot be undertaken virtually.

We look forward to hearing from you.