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).

Join Our Board of Trustees: Shape the Future with Us!

Are you passionate about empowering women, girls and non-binary people to learn to cycle? Do you want to make a meaningful difference in your community and beyond?

We’re seeking committed and dynamic individuals to join the Board of Trustees at Women on Wheels.

About Women on Wheels

Women on Wheels is a women, girls and non-binary people cycling charity based in the heart of Govanhill, Glasgow. We encourage and support women, girls and non-binary people to learn how to cycle more confidently and safely. We strive to make cycling more accessible and inclusive to all women, girls and non-binary people, particularly those overcoming barriers such as lack of confidence, limited access to resources relating to cycling and safety concerns. We cater to all abilities and provide a variety of different skill-set sessions for both women and families. We are dedicated to supporting

all women to learn to cycle, and as we grow, we’re looking for leaders who share our vision and want to help guide our organisation toward a brighter future.

Women on Wheels Mission:

Our mission is to empower and enable women, families and non-binary people to overcome their barriers to take up cycling - for transport, to improve their physical and mental health, and most importantly, for the pure joy of it!

What is a Board of Trustees?

A Board of Trustees is a group of individuals entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing the management, policies, and strategic direction of an organisation, often a nonprofit, educational institution, or charitable foundation. The board ensures that the organisation operates in accordance with its mission, adheres to legal and ethical standards, manages financial resources responsibly, and fulfils its objectives. Trustees are typically volunteers and act as the governing authority, providing leadership and accountability for the organisation's long-term success.

Board of Trustee Key Responsibilities:

As a Trustee, you will:

• Provide direction and guidance for the organisation's goals and overall management.
• Shape the organisation’s direction and help achieve its mission.
• Ensure the organisation is financially sustainable and is following appropriate legislation.
• Bring your insights, skills, and networks to support our goals.
• Act as an ambassador for the organisation, promoting our values and work to a wider audience.

Benefits of being a Board Member of Women on Wheels

• By serving on the board of WOW, you directly contribute to empowering women, girls, and non-binary people through cycling, health, and environmental advocacy.
• WOW’s mission likely focuses on promoting gender inclusivity and equality in sports, transportation, or health, allowing you to make a tangible difference in these areas.
• Board membership is a strong addition to your professional profile, showing a commitment to leadership, civic responsibility, and community service.

Who We Are Looking For

We welcome applicants from a range of backgrounds and industries. Ideal candidates will have:

• A passion for empowering women into cycling.
• Expertise in finance or HR (though this is not essential).
• Leadership experience and strong decision-making skills.
• The ability to commit time to attend quarterly board meetings and occasional sub-committees.
• The desire to work collaboratively with other board members and staff to achieve long-term goals.

No previous board experience is required, but we are looking for people with commitment to our mission, leadership qualities and strategic thinking. We encourage applications from diverse backgrounds, as we believe a variety of perspectives strengthens our work.

Commitment

• Meetings: 2 hour meeting every 6 weeks - usually online.
• Responsibilities: Board members may need to carry out tasks and report back to the Board, which could require an additional 2 hours of volunteer time each month.

This is a voluntary position, though expenses will be reimbursed.

Do you share our vision of creating a better world and our passion for providing long-term solutions to the world’s biggest challenges? If so, and you have the values, experience and passion you could play a crucial role in one of our governance positions that could help shape the future and build the resilience and reach of SCIAF.

About SCIAF

SCIAF is the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund - the official relief and development agency of the Catholic Church in Scotland. Around the world, SCIAF works with people of all faiths and none. We believe all God’s children are our sisters and brothers, and that everyone must be treated with dignity. We work in partnership with local and church organisations, supporting communities across the world to bring about lasting change. We are inspired by the Gospel to tackle the causes of poverty and injustice.

OUR POSITIONS

Chair of the Finance, Risk, Audit and Compliance Committee

The Finance, Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee plays a key role in the oversight and monitoring of the work of SCIAF and thus strengthens its accountability. The Chair of this committee serves on our Board of Directors.

The specific skills required for this position are accountancy, and specifically experience in any or all of financial reporting, management accounting delivery or oversight, auditing or general financial management. Fulfilling an existing role or a recent past role in any of these domains is required, and any experience of using your financial specialism in the charity sector would be particularly beneficial.

Trustee position (with International Development Experience)

One of the newly appointed trustees will provide knowledge and experience of international development on our Board of Directors. This trustee position will also serve on our Integral Human Development Committee, that plays a key role overseeing and advising on our international development and emergency work. In doing so, they will contribute to the quality and effectiveness of what SCIAF does and they will increase our accountability to our partners, the communities we serve, our supporters and our donors.

Extensive international development experience is required for this position, ideally combined with senior management experience of running a development organisation

Trustee position

We require trustees who can bring a range of skills and expertise to our Board of Directors and who possess strategic vision and good independent judgement. We are particularly keen to identify a skilled individual with experience in the one or more following areas:

• Legal
• advocacy
• Sustainability/ climate change
• Investment/finance
• HR and change management
• Property
• External communications
• IT/cybercrime
• Fundraising
• Safeguarding
• Marketing

As a Trustee, you will play a crucial role in guiding SCIAF through new challenges and leveraging new opportunities.

Integral Human Development – Committee Member

We are currently looking to appoint a new Committee Member for our Integral Human Development Committee. This Committee plays a crucial role at SCIAF by monitoring and guiding our international development and emergency work. The ideal candidate will have:

• extensive development experience, ideally with international cooperation
• understanding of the Catholic Church and its role in emergency response and development
• understanding of Catholic Social Teaching and integral human development
• a partner's understanding and perspective of development needs and appropriate practices in one of SCIAF’s priority countries.

Time commitment

• The term of office for each of our governance positions is 3 years which is renewable, normally only once.
• Both our Board of Directors and various committees meet 4 times per year. In addition to this, Trustees and Committee Members are sometimes requested to attend other SCIAF meetings to offer their advice and support.

Safeguarding/Code of Conduct

SCIAF undertakes to ensure that all staff, volunteers and relevant others, whose work might involve contact with children and vulnerable adults, will have completed additional recruitment procedures and in addition have obtained a satisfactory PVG Check from Disclosure Scotland.

All staff and volunteers are expected to adhere to SCIAF’s Safeguarding Policy and a Code of Conduct which specifies the attitudes and behaviours that all staff and volunteers are expected to maintain.

Treasurer Wanted

Ricefield Arts & Cultural Centre is a registered charity and social enterprise for the exploration and promotion of Chinese culture and has an excellent reputation for delivering original and inspiring creative experiences, cultural events and workshops to community groups, public institutions and arts audiences around Scotland.

We are currently looking to appoint a Treasurer to join our small Board. The Treasurer will be responsible for managing all financial matters on behalf of our organisation and will be responsible for ensuring that the organisation has robust financial processes to ensure it meets its legal and constitutional requirements. It will also be the responsibility of the Treasurer to report the financial position at the board meetings. While we encourage and welcome applicants of all backgrounds, we are keen to hear from candidates that have experience of charity financial management or are chartered in a suitable accountancy field.

All Trustees are required to attend monthly board meetings, either at our office located in the heart of Glasgow city centre or via Zoom. In addition, we ask Trustees to attend our annual board development day, important meetings with stakeholders and some events and projects, where possible. As Ricefield Arts is a social enterprise, the role also involves serving as our Board of Directors.

Please note that this is a voluntary role, however, travel expenses incurred in carrying out board duties will be fully reimbursed.

Please check our website for more information.