Join Our Board: Chair and Trustee Opportunities with Live Borders

At Live Borders, the leisure and culture body serving the Scottish Borders, we are delighted to be seeking a new Chair and Trustees to help shape the future of our dynamic organisation.

We keep ourselves busy: Live Borders manages more than 60 venues, in addition to providing a range of programmes, to deliver our goals of encouraging cultural engagement, sports participation, and physical activity. We are proud to reach over 1 million sports- and 300,000 culture- participants annually. And as a registered charity, we reinvest every penny into creating healthier, happier, and stronger communities. This is an opportunity to become part of a forward-thinking organisation that improves lives every day across the Scottish Borders.

As a member of our Board of Trustees, you will play a vital role in our governance and strategic direction, helping to guide Live Borders through an exciting period of recovery and growth. The role offers a chance to give back to the region, influence its future, and work collaboratively with others who share your passion for community impact.

Whether you are an experienced board member or considering your first non-executive role, we welcome your unique perspective and expertise.

We are particularly interested in individuals with experience in the following areas:

• Governance
• Leadership
• Finance
• Legal
• Marketing

However, more than technical skills, we value enthusiasm, commitment to our mission, and the ability to work well as part of a team. We are seeking one individual to take on the role of Chair, leading our Board of Trustees – for this role, prior Chair or Vice-Chair experience would be highly useful, as would exposure to public sector non-executive boards and committees.

Trustee involvement will include attending board and committee meetings up to two days per quarter, as well as contributing outside of these meetings to support the organisation’s goals. The time commitment demanded of the Chair is expected to be similar although may at times exceed. These roles are undertaken on a voluntary basis, though reasonable expenses will be reimbursed.

By joining Live Borders, you will have the chance to help govern a charity that is the largest provider of culture, sports, and leisure services in the Scottish Borders. You will work with a committed team, helping to shape the organisation’s future and ensuring it continues to deliver exceptional services for local communities. The Board continues to serve as an excellent platform for professional and personal growth for its members.

Join our Board as Treasurer and contribute your expertise

Are you a finance professional looking to promote children’s right to play and contribute to their wellbeing? We are currently seeking a skilled individual to act as the Treasurer on our Board of Trustees. If you possess financial expertise and our organisation’s mission resonates with you, we invite you to apply for this important role.

About Play Scotland

Play Scotland is the lead organisation for the development and promotion of children and young people’s play in Scotland. We work strategically to implement the child’s right to play so that all children can reach their full potential and be able to confidently inhabit an inclusive public realm, as well as help shape child friendly communities.

The work of Play Scotland is underpinned by the UN convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 31, which states: “State parties recognise the right of every child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts.”

For more about Play Scotland see playscotland.org

Why Become Our Treasurer?

As Treasurer, you will play a crucial role in overseeing our finances, ensuring financial health, and supporting our mission to be the national:

• expert in play for parents, providers, the play workforce and policy makers
• custodian and voice for children and the play sector
• leader and campaigner for the importance of quality, accessible free play
• expert in developing and delivering strategic planning for play and play sufficiency assessments

This voluntary role offers the chance to use your expertise without requiring a significant time commitment.

Key Responsibilities:

• High-level Financial Oversight: Review financial reports and ensure the organisation’s financial stability.
• Board Communication: Keep the board informed about financial matters and reassure them of the organisation’s financial health.
• Budget Oversight: Provide occasional oversight and adjustments to budget models as needed.
• Being an approved person for the checking of expenses and invoices by email (one Board member needs to approve expenses and payments per month)

What We’re Looking For:

• Experienced Professional: Ideally with a career background as a Financial Director or Financial Controller.
• Qualified Accountant or working towards a relevant qualification.
• Confident Communicator: Able to inspire confidence, provide reassurance and communicate financial matters clearly.
• Familiarity with Charity Finance: Understanding of charity finance issues and governance, software experience (eg Xero) would be helpful.

What’s in It for You?

• Make an Impact: Your financial expertise will contribute to our success, allowing us to continue to improve the play opportunities for children and young people.
• Gain Valuable Experience: Further your skills in financial management, budgeting, and presenting finances to both informed and uninformed audiences.

Commitment

• 6 weekly meetings (approx.), usually taking place on zoom, 2 annual in person meetings, including the AGM. All meetings are arranged in advance to suit diaries.
• Email approval of expenditure monthly (one Board member needs to approve expenses and payments per month)

The Super Power Agency is a creative charity who support children and young people to write their story.

We are looking for a Treasurer to join our Board of Directors to help us with our ambitious plans for the future.

This is an unpaid position with a time commitment of four in person board meetings a year (in the evenings 5-7pm) and monthly meetings with the MD (can be online)

Who are we?

The Super Power Agency works with Scotland’s most disadvantaged and under-resourced young people to increase writing skills. Our creative writing workshops make learning fun, and our writing mentors instil confidence. We encourage pupils to put pen to paper, build their writing skills and express themselves .

Founded in 2016, the SPA has worked with more than 5,000 young people. The organisation follows a tried and tested model started in America, 826 National, which has since been adopted by more than 50 organisations worldwide.

We have worked with more than 50 primary and high schools in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dunfermline, Musselburgh, Peebles, and Clackmannanshire. We also work with community organisations and have conducted our programmes at the Borders Book Festival, Edinburgh International Book Festival and the National Library of Scotland.

Who are you?

The Board supports the work of the Super Power Agency and provides mission-based leadership and strategic governance. While day-to-day operations are led by the Managing Director, the Board-MD relationship is a partnership, and the appropriate involvement of the Board is both critical and expected.

We currently have 11 board members who bring a breadth of experience and expertise, and are looking for a Treasurer with experience in financial management, accounting or similar. You will work closely with the MD and accountant to ensure the financial health and sustainability of the organisation.

Alongside the MD you will:

• Help maintain financial records
• Help prepare quarterly management accounts
• Ensure compliance with financial regulations
• Provide financial advice to the MD and board
• Monitor budgets and cashflow

This is an extraordinary opportunity for an individual who is passionate about the Super Power Agency’s mission. No previous board experience is required.

Big Hearts Community Trust is welcoming applications to join the charity’s Board of Trustees in 2025.

There are two Trustee positions:

• One to be filled by an experienced finance professional or accountant ideally with some charity knowledge
• The other to be filled by an individual who has an interest or experience in charity governance and may be interested in being a future Chair for Big Hearts.

This is a fantastic opportunity for two individuals to join the Board of Heart of Midlothian FC’s official charity and play a part in supporting local communities through the power of the beautiful game.

Big Hearts is an award-winning charity changing lives through football since 2015. With projects including Memories, Kinship Care, Welcome Through Football and School’s Out, we are considered one of the leading football charities in Scotland and recognised for the high standard of our free support services around mental health, equality and social connections. The charity currently runs over 15 projects and employs a core team of 17 staff.

Key-information

• Big Hearts Trustees are appointed for an initial term of 3 years.
• These non-Executive roles are non-paid positions.
• All Trustees are expected to uphold and represent Big Hearts’ purpose, vision, values and mission in a personal and professional capacity.
• Being a Heart of Midlothian FC supporter is desired, but not essential.