The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow is a worldwide community of inspiring health professionals working together to advance the profession and improve patient care. As the UK’s only multidisciplinary Royal College, we play an active role in influencing and shaping healthcare policy.

Our community is made up of 15,000+ outstanding members, supported by more than 100 College staff and volunteer lay advisors. College staff work with clinicians, who give their time freely to the work of the College, to provide an innovative and inspiring programme of activity across the organisation.

We are a global and inclusive College with members working across medicine, surgery, dental surgery, travel medicine and podiatric medicine.

The Hope Foundation

Established in 2017, the Hope Foundation supports the principles of volunteerism and philanthropy shown by the Fellows and Members of College since its formation in 1599.

Our aim is to make a positive difference to the health of people living in challenging circumstances where access to quality healthcare is, for whatever reason, limited. We support projects that tackle barriers to healthcare with innovation and compassion, whilst demonstrating sustainability. We also have a particular interest in receiving applications for projects which will support medical training in Malawi.

We know that innovation, small changes and shared learning can make a huge difference in the provision of healthcare. The Hope Foundation enables the collective power of our community to make a real difference to health-related projects locally, nationally and internationally. We fulfil our purpose through fundraising, grant-making and disseminating learning from our funded projects to our membership.

The College is looking to recruit three new members to the Hope Foundation Board

We are looking for:

• a lay advisory member (non-clinical)
• two members drawn from the College community (clinical)

In addition to the Board chair and Fellows and Members, the Board includes external advisors from global surgery and academic sectors.

The role of the Hope Board is to:

• Oversee strategic planning and development of policies relating to the Foundation, its grant process and monitor the outcomes of the projects supported.
• Manage funds raised and ensure a sustainable income stream for the Foundation.
• Advise on and be involved in the development of the events, endeavours and initiatives in fund raising for Hope.
• Liaise with other committees and the College Council and trustees as appropriate.

Lay Advisory Member

The role of the Lay Advisor is to provide non-medical input and perspective into the discussions and decision-making of the Hope Board to support the charitable purposes of College.

Lay Advisors contribute to the openness, diversity and transparency of College affairs. Lay Advisors are not patients or public representatives.

The main responsibilities of the volunteer Lay Advisor are to:

• Provide lay representation on the Hope Board.
• Provide, as requested by the College’s committees and representatives, individual and collective lay input on matters relating to the work of the College and primarily in line with Hope Foundation’s key aims and objectives.
• Comment on and/or respond to appropriate papers, policy documents and activities from a lay perspective.
• Contribute to discussion and debate within College, both directly and indirectly on matters which are of interest to the Hope Foundation and the wider general public.
• Respond to relevant requests from the Executive Board or College Council asking for comment.

Lay Advisor Person Specification

• Experience of working in, or advising, charitable sector organisations, with a focus on overseas funding.
• Knowledge of best practice relating income generation or fundraising in a charitable organisation
• Excellent communication skills. Able to work effectively with people in groups and in formal meetings.
• Ability to challenge, constructively, the views and assumptions of others.
• Able to maintain confidentiality appropriate to the circumstances.
• Willingness and/or experience to participate in and provide input to a wide range of public policy and health related consultations.
• Able to attend Hope Board meetings – 3-4 per annum. Meeting are hybrid and normally run from 5.30pm until 7pm.

Eligibility Criteria

• Lay Advisors must not be qualified in either medicine, dentistry, nursing, podiatry or travel medicine
• The current or immediate past employment of a Lay Advisor must not give rise to any potential conflicts of interest.

College Fellows and Members as Board members

In addition to the specifications for the Lay Advisor, College Fellows and Members should have knowledge of the Council and committee structure of College, the Global Medical and Surgery initiatives and no conflicting interests.

Remuneration

• All positions are voluntary, however, expenses incurred in carrying out the role will be reimbursed in line with the College Travel and Expenses policy.

To apply for a vacancy, please send an updated CV, covering letter and Equal Opportunities Monitoring form to hope@rcpsg.ac.uk

If you have any questions or would like to discuss the position informally, please get in touch with Linda Irvine, Deputy CEO and Director of Membership and Engagement.

The closing date for these positions is 5pm on Friday 15 September 2023.

A Charity Registered in Scotland: Charity Registration Number SC000847