The role can be based in Edinburgh, Glasgow or undertaken remotely.

To help govern and lead us we are recruiting a trustee who will succeed the position of honorary treasurer. Working alongside the current trustee before their planned departure there will a period of crossover to ensure a smooth transition. Our volunteer trustees must share our values, believe in our purpose and be passionate about putting children first.

You must be able to demonstrate sound, independent judgement and have an ability to be strategic, open minded and to work collaboratively and collectively. You should have great interpersonal skills, have an ability to challenge constructively where required and be able to critically assess and analyse complex issues. Good listening and communication skills are essential.

The specific skills required for this role 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 will be required, and any experience of non-executive roles using your financial specialism in the charity sector would be a bonus.

We are especially keen to attract trustees with experience in digital technologies and specific knowledge of professional practice in health, social work, justice with experience of strategic service delivery for children in need of care and protection.

We are proud of the way we do things at Children 1st, we put relationships, rights, respect and compassion at the heart of everything we do, and we believe that with the best people delivering the best quality support, amazing transformation can take place. With this in mind we are actively recruiting those who have been historically excluded from governance roles and want to broaden our representation, inclusion and diversity so that we truly represent all of Scotland’s children. If you think you don’t fit the traditional profile of a board member but believe in our purpose and want to make a contribution to our work, please do get in touch. We will offer support and flexibility to ensure any barriers to your involvement are removed.

Are you looking for a new challenge and an opportunity to shape the next phase of Ark’s ambitious strategy ?

Ark’s mission to create the best possible customer outcomes through our highly skilled people, the provision of high quality affordable homes and excellent care will be achieved through creating inclusive communities where quality of housing and care enable people to thrive and live a good life.

Established in 1977 Ark provides 450 tenancies, and supports over 400 people through our dedicated and highly skilled workforce of 700+ staff. We operate in 12 Local Authority areas in the North and East of Scotland, and we also have services in The Western Isles.

The Ark Group is made up of three companies:

1. Ark is a registered charity and registered social landlord (RSL) that provides housing and care and is the parent company within the group structure.

2. Ark Services Limited is a private company limited by guarantee and a wholly owned subsidiary of Ark.

3. Ark Commercial Investment Limited (ACIL) is a private limited share company and wholly owned subsidiary of Ark.

Although a housing association, the majority of Ark’s activity relates to the provision of care and support for people with long term and enduring conditions such as learning disability, mental health issues, dementia and autism. Our aim is to ensure that those who use our services receive the very best support from Ark to enable them to live a good life. For further information see Ark’s website: arkha.org.uk.

We currently have vacancies for Non Executive Board members on both the main board as well as the subsidiary board, at a very exciting time for Ark. We are entering year 2 of our Corporate Strategy and have set an ambitious set of aims to develop and grow the business with a robust set of performance targets. As a new Board Member you will play a key part in developing and enabling the delivery of the business plan for the next 5-10 years and improving the governance framework to effectively monitor performance. This will be clearly focussed upon delivery of high quality Housing and Care & Support services.

Ark Group Board

We are seeking 2-3 recruits to fill non-exec positions on Ark’s parent Board: Ark Housing Association.

This Board meets 6-7 times per year in a hybrid approach and will require some attendance face to face. We welcome applications from people with experience in Care & Support or Housing/Asset and understanding of governance in an RSL would be an advantage, however not essential.

Ark Subsidiary Board

We are seeking to strengthen our governance by appointing non executive directors to our Subsidiary Board and separate from the Ark Group Board to ensure independence. This Board will be made up of 5 or 6 individuals and chaired by an exisitng board member from Ark Group. Your role will be to serve both subsidiary companies with meetings being held consecutively, 4 times per year. This board meets on a remote basis and will be the perfect opportunity for people seeking their first Board role, with the opportunity for exposure to two very different businesses; one a commercial/private company and one a registered Charity. We will provide you with a full induction and an opportunity to be mentored by an experienced Board member and we do not expect you to have any previous board experience. Overall, we are looking for dynamic, forward-thinking and enthusiastic people from a variety of backgrounds to contribute to Ark’s emerging future.

Paths for All, the leading voice for the promotion of physical activity and walking in Scotland, is seeking an exceptional leader to steer the charity through an exciting journey of change.

Our new Chair will see Paths for All establish an infrastructure supporting fundraising and income generation to help support walking programmes across Scotland as we deliver our ambitious ‘Step It Up’ strategy.

As Scotland’s national walking charity our mission is to encourage the people of Scotland to be physically active through walking. We know that walking (whether on foot or with a wheelchair or mobility aid) makes a valuable contribution to our physical, mental and social health. This is why we champion national walking programmes in schools, workplaces and communities and work in partnership to increase levels of physical activity, by helping to create inclusive, safe and attractive environments for walking.

The Chair will work with the trustees and senior management team to spearhead this mission, upholding Paths for All’s values and supporting the delivery of the strategy and new programmes that put walking at the heart of our communities across Scotland. They will ensure effective governance for the organisation, working closely with the Chief Executive Officer and other trustees to build relationships and collaborate to ensure success.

The ideal candidate will have the following key experience:

• A strong and visible passion and commitment to our mission to support the people of Scotland to be physically active through walking.
• Experience as a trustee, ideally as a Chair.
• Experience of fundraising or income generation.
• The ability to demonstrate strategic leadership and strong inter-personal and relationship building skills.
• Experience leading organisations through periods of development and change.
• Ability to apply principles of good charity governance.
• Understanding of the third sector.
• Understanding and connections into the Scottish Government.
• Eligible to be a Director at Companies House

About the Board

Paths for All board meet on a quarterly basis held in-person and take place at the Barracks conference centre within an accessible building in a central location in Stirling. The venue is close to the railway station and has parking nearby.

Our Quarterly Board meetings generally take place from 10am to 1pm, including lunch. In addition to the quarterly board meetings and AGM, we have a staffing and finance subgroup and an outcomes subgroup, both of which are led by the Chair and which meet online as and when required. In total, the Chair role requires an average time commitment of around 1-2 days per month, to allow for regular meetings with the Chief Executive Officer and attendance at relevant events in addition to Board meetings.

About us

Paths for All pathsforall.org.uk is one of Scotland’s leading charities. We believe everyone should have the opportunity to be active every day. With your support, we can make sure we create a happier, healthier, and greener Scotland. Our office is located in Kintail House, Forthside Way, Stirling, FK81QZ a short walk from Stirling train station.

We work in partnership with national organisations who share our vision of Scotland being a walking nation.

The Relationships Scotland Network is the largest provider of family and relationship support in the country. We offer relationship counselling, family mediation and child contact centres through a network of 21 member services across Scotland, which provide face-to-face support to around 18,000 people each year.

We are looking for two new Trustees to help build upon the strong existing skills within our current Board. In particular we are looking for people with the following:

To help build upon the strong existing skills within our current board. In particular we are looking for people with the following:

• Knowledge of the challenges facing children and families today

• Scottish Government, Local Authority or other public sector experience

• Traditional and Social Media/IT skills

The trustee role would include four board meetings a year (currently two in person, and two online), along with the potential to take on some additional responsibilities as required.

We want our Board to reflect the diversity of the modern communities we work with, and value the benefits of having different experience and points of view on our Board. We particularly welcome applications from people living with a disability or long-term health condition, LGBTQ+ people, younger people and those from ethnic minority communities