Paragon Music is an inclusive arts company inspiring people to create and perform their own music and dance. We are passionate about using music and the arts to raise people’s aspirations, self-image, teamwork, communication and learning. We believe that music and the arts have the power to transform lives when guided by two key principles - Equality and Inclusion.

Paragon’s vision is a more equal and inclusive society where people flourish individually and together through music and dance.

About the role

Paragon is seeking skilled and motivated individuals to join our Board of Directors. We are recruiting people who possess strategic vision, good independent judgement but above all, people who share our values of equity and inclusion.

We welcome applications from those with lived experience of disability including mental health conditions. We also welcome applications from those protected under the 2010 Equalities Act due to age, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. Those with care experience, caring responsibilities and on low incomes are encouraged to apply and we will accept applications in any format and meet any interview expenses.

We welcome applicants with experience in any discipline or industry, either paid or voluntary. At the moment we are particularly keen to recruit people with skills and experience in any of the following areas:

· People & Wellbeing (HR)

· Accountancy

· IT - Technology & Science

· Fundraising

· Marketing

· Sustainability

Previous experience in a similar position would be welcome, although not required as training opportunities and a full induction will be offered.

The Board meets 4 times per year for 2-3 hours on weekdays, usually in the evenings. Reasonable expenses will be reimbursed and training and ongoing support will be provided, the role is non-remunerated.

We are seeking 2 people to join our Board in 2024 to work alongside our existing board trustees in supporting The Work Room in its mission to empower artists in making thoughtful and pioneering dance for diverse contexts at home and internationally.

We’d love to hear from you if you share our values and are:

• Keen to generously share your experience and skills to support our work with independent dance artists;
• Committed to working inclusively to ensure our work is accessible and relevant;
• Interested in experimentation and new ideas as we respond to current and future challenges.

You don’t need to have previous experience of being on a board and for many of our existing trustees, this has been their first experience in such a role. The Trustees work collectively and you will be provided a full induction to help you understand the role and responsibilities of being a charity trustee.

We also want to make sure our board is made up of a diverse range of intersectional identities and experiences. The Work Room recognises systemic exclusion within the arts sector and we are striving to put equity and inclusion at the heart of our work. We are working towards an Anti-Racism practice and we want the board to reflect the diversity of our membership.

The Work Room operates a co-chairing approach in which two members are responsible for effectively facilitating and steering the board and governance processes. We are specifically seeking one new trustee who will take on the role of Co-Chair.

About Us

Tiny Changes is Scotland’s first national young people’s mental health charity. We run projects with young leaders that help young minds feel better. The charity was set up in memory of artist and Frightened Rabbit frontman Scott Hutchison. Through his music and art Scott made tiny changes that had a big impact on people from all walks of life.

We believe that Scotland’s young people deserve great mental health, and we believe in their insight and innovation to make this possible. We exist to nurture the talent of young people to find solutions that work for them.

Over the next two years we'll support young people to co-design and lead Tiny Changes projects, while learning as much as we can about our impact. Our two goals are to invest £1 million in young people’s mental health and to support 10,000 children and young people.

The Tiny Changes team is growing all the time. We currently have 6 Trustees and we’re now recruiting for new trustees to join our Board. The Tiny Changes Team is made up of 3 employees and 2 consultants, creative partners and volunteer Wavemakers. You can read more about our team over on our blog.

Our Mission and Strategic Pillars

1. Investment in youth-led innovation: Young people’s wisdom, experiences and insights are our greatest assets. We create the conditions for young people to effect positive change in their communities, by listening to their ideas and investing our time and resources into making them a reality.
2. Learning from our impact: We are a young charity, with big ambitions, and we are still learning. We inspire lasting change through a deep understanding of the impact of our work. We gather insights from our successes and our mistakes, always asking young people what we could and should do better. We use these insights to challenge ourselves and others to improve the wellbeing of all young people.
3. Creating and nurturing communities for action: We believe in the power of community, and create and actively build supportive, inclusive and welcoming communities, led by and for young people. The roots of our community come from the music, art and life of Scott Hutchison and the support of the people who knew and were inspired by him, and our message of connection spans beyond this.
4. Investing in our future: As a charity committed to improving mental wellbeing we actively ensure that our team is well trained, supported, and that they have the resources they need to achieve our ambitions. We do this by being strategic in how we generate and administer all of our resources. We seek out opportunities to fundraise with people and organisations whose values are aligned to ours, so that we can maximise our collective ambitions for young people.

Our Values

1. Hopeful - We want to create a new narrative around mental health. Positive stories of support and invaluable lived experience that can give comfort to those who need it most. There is a fine line between the light and the dark and sharing a message of hope can be empowering for our community.
2. Brave - We are willing to take risks in supporting forward-thinking and creative ideas. We are committed, we demand and we are determined to make change. We are not afraid to stand up for our community and fight for real change. We will stand side by side and prove that better is possible.
3. Honest - We don't have all the answers, but we are optimistic, determined and ready to learn. We will be open and transparent with our journey, adapting to our communities needs and celebrating progress over perfection.
4. Kind - We care. We listen. We ask. We encourage and support anyone to raise their voice. We learn from each other, teach each other and forgive each other. Compassion, empathy and understanding are all key to reducing stigma and starting important conversations.

About The Role

At Tiny Changes, we’re preparing to strengthen our Board with new voluntary trustee appointments, one of the trustees will ideally become our Secretary. As part of the Board of trustees, you will be responsible for the overall control and governance of the organisation. This is an exciting leadership opportunity to join a dynamic organisation and make sure the charity maximises its impact.

Trustees are able to serve for a maximum of 3 terms (a term is 3 years). There are currently 4 Trustee Board meetings a year in different locations in Scotland, and conversations in between on emails. There are other options for Trustees to attend Tiny Changes events or projects throughout each year. You can find more information on the Job Description linked below.

About you

Tiny Changes aims to have an effective and efficient board with the appropriate balance of skills, knowledge, qualities and experience that will support the current and future needs of the organisation and wider society. The Tiny Changes board aims to have a mix of people with hard and soft skills as well as specific experience and knowledge to support the charity's vision and strategic objectives.

You don’t have to have any previous experience as a trustee or in governance, what we are looking for is clear motivation and willingness to learn about governance as well as an interest in mental health and young people in Scotland.

We’re looking for Trustees who:

• Share our values
• Are committed to and share our vision and strategic plan
• Have knowledge of and interest in mental health issues affecting children and young people in Scotland
• Bring a different perspective to the work of the trustees and leadership team
• Are qualities driven and self-reflective

We are interested in hearing from people with a range of experience and skills, please read the job description and person specification for more information.

We particularly welcome applications from the following groups who are currently underrepresented on our team:

• Young people under 30
• Young people with experience of mental health issues
• Disabled people
• Neurodiverse people
• People with experience of caring roles
• Care experienced people
• People from minority ethnic communities
• Asylum seekers or refugees
• People who identify as any gender that’s not cisgender
• People who identify as LGBTQIA+
• People from gypsy traveller communities
• People from a wide range of religious and cultural backgrounds