SOEC Ltd is a charity and social enterprise offering inspirational outdoor learning experiences to young people and community groups across its 3 residential outdoor learning centres in Scotland.

The successful candidate will join the organisation’s Head Office staff team in West Linton and work closely with the Chief Executive to meet SOEC’s strategic objectives.

Experience of charity and social enterprise finance as well as SAGE 50 is required.

Full job description.

St Andrews Botanic Garden Trust is looking to recruit two trustees to join its Board of Directors at a time of significant organisational transformation and change.

We are looking for capable, organised and experienced individuals with a strong professional background who share our enthusiasm for plants and their habitats, and our broader commitment to education and sustainability. New trustees will be joining a collegial Board of Directors dedicated to supporting the Garden as it navigates new opportunities in a challenging and ever-changing environment.

Our mission of botanical conservation and education has seen us take transformational steps in a short period of time, including development of the Garden’s habitats, investment in building projects, growth in the team, establishment of national and regional partnerships, and publication of research that establishes the botanic garden’s expertise in urban ecology.

These steps have been critical to establishing strong foundations, and our focus now is to consolidate this progress by preparing for ambitious capital investment and in turn, growth in turnover and expansion of our charitable activities. The success of these next steps will depend on governance and strategic plans that connect our mission and opportunities with society’s most pressing environmental and social challenges.

ABOUT EAST LOTHIAN COMMUNITY RAIL PARTNERSHIP

Community Rail Partnerships (CRP) were first established in England in the 1990s as a formal mechanism to reinvigorate local and rural railways. CRP status provides a framework for community involvement in strategic planning, development and operation of a specific railway line.

Since 2014, the East Lothian Community Rail Partnership has been pulling together a wide range of local organisations with an interest in communities and sustainable transport, to fix the link between railway stations, town centres and the surrounding areas, and realise an integrated transport network accessible to all. We work with four train operators (ScotRail, LNER, TransPennine Express, and Cross Country), Transport Scotland, East Lothian Council, the Regional Transport Partnership (SEStran), local businesses and community groups towards the following aims:

• Supporting the local economy by promoting rail use and rail facilities
• Actively promoting the use of rail and other public and low carbon-emitting transport
• Supporting safety, security and access initiatives relating to railway use
• Working with ‘station adopters’ (individuals and groups) to provide a more pleasant environment within the station areas.

ABOUT THE VACANCY

Harry Barker has been chairing East Lothian CRP since its inception in 2014 and is now preparing to pass on the reins of a well-established and respected organisation. In addition the time is right to expand the Board and also appoint a vice chair. Examples of projects completed to date include:

• restored the murals at Prestonpans Station (best community project 2023)
• improved signage to stations
• provided information boards for display in stations promoting local attractions and historical information
• supported many local events in the North Berwick and Dunbar areas
• producing a line guide and leaflets to encourage tourism
• working with bus operators to improve integration between bus and rail

Projects have always been dependent on external funding which to date has not proved problematical, and, as such, the incoming Chair will have the flexibility to pursue their own agenda. The CRP is financially sound and new ways of operating are being explored by The Community Rail Network and the new Chair will be well placed to provide input to these.

East Lothian CRP has no paid staff, and projects are led by volunteers under direction from the Board, and therefore the amount of work involved can vary but can be expected to be around 10 hours per month for the Chair.

DUTIES OF THE CHAIR

Responsibilities include:

• Ensuring that the CRP is run in accordance with the constitution
• Guiding and encouraging projects that will be undertaken from time to time
• Ensuring that the Action Plan is kept up to date
• Chairing four meetings per year, including the AGM (normally held in November)
• Producing an annual report for the AGM
• Ensuring that the activities of the CRP are within the guidelines produced by the Train Operating Companies in all respects particularly including safely

BENEFITS

You will receive a ‘staff’ rail pass from ScotRail permitting free rail travel throughout Scotland when travelling on ScotRail trains.

Reasonable expenses will be paid if required to travel on other rail services and/or stay overnight.

REQUIREMENTS

The successful applicant will be expected to support public transport in general, with a keen interest in integration between modes such as buses, active travel and rail.

A willingness of Board members to attend committees and conferences is essential (expenses will be covered) and these will give valuable access to professional railway staff and management on the front line, where your views can be heard. These include:

• the local ‘Rail Forum’ involving MSPs, Councillors and Train Operating Companies - twice a year, usually virtually
• in-person or virtual annual conferences of the four local Train Operating Companies (ScotRail, Cross Country Trains, TransPennine Express, and LNER) which may be held anywhere in the UK
• An annual event in Scotland sponsored by Modern Railways magazine which is attended by many high profile railway managers and senior representation from Transport Scotland
• Virtual attendance (via Zoom) at the national Community Rail Network meetings
• In-person Community Rail Networks Awards ceremony, if the CRP is short listed for an Award – this year’s was in Swansea over three days
• Six Community Area Partnership ‘On the Move’ groups consider local transport in East Lothian – CRP representation on one or more of these groups is important for a full appreciation of issues surrounding each station. Each On the Move Group meets every two months

A knowledge of railways and their workings is desirable but not essential.

Living in East Lothian and using the county’s rail services from time to time would be advantageous.

You will be expected to liaise with the station adoption groups from time to time. They have a separate relationship with ScotRail.

You will be expected to be pro-active in instructing the website to be kept up to date via the CRP’s appointed webmaster, and in responding to public enquiries which come via the website. You will not be required to answer complaints from the travelling public but direct these to ScotRail for attention.

From time to time it may be necessary to communicate with the local Press (East Lothian Courier and occasionally Edinburgh Evening News).

MECOPP is Scotland’s leading Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) carers’ organisation providing a variety of care and support services to carers and cared for people from BME and those with one or more protected characteristics.

Purpose of Job

To provide an administrative and support service for the organisation.

Main Duties:

• Provide administrative, and minute-taking support to the Board and senior management team (SMT); and any other advisory groups and meetings as required, including co-ordination of MECOPP team meetings
• General reception duties including welcoming visitors, managing room bookings, monitoring the info email inbox and answering the main telephone line. Informing users, professionals and members of the public, via telephone calls and personal callers to the office, of MECOPP’s work and give appropriate and up-to-date information
• Collation and creation of social media content as required
• Office management duties including photocopying, mail outs, creating and maintaining office recording systems, databases and files, purchasing stationery and office supplies with responsibility for health & safety matters and liaison with the NP office management team .
• Provide administrative and practical support in the organisation of MECOPP training events, workshops and meetings, including the creation of display material
• To undertake other duties as may reasonably be required by the post