Join Our Board and Make a Difference at Edinburgh Students' Charities Appeal.

Are you passionate about empowering students, supporting charitable causes, and making a positive impact in our community? ESCA is seeking individuals to join our Board of Trustees and play a pivotal role in driving our mission forward.

About ESCA:

Our Legacy: With a history spanning over 155 years, ESCA is the link between students and charitable giving. We have a rich legacy of empowering students to fundraise for causes they care about.

Our Aim: ESCA's aim is to inspire, support, and enable students to organise innovative fundraising events that benefit both local and global charitable initiatives.

What We Do:

Empower Students: ESCA provides students with the resources, guidance, and support they need to create and manage their fundraising events. We believe in the power of young minds to drive positive change.

Fundraising Support: We offer grants, event planning assistance, technology resources, and mentorship to students, helping them turn their ideas into impactful fundraisers.

Community Engagement: ESCA fosters a sense of community among students, volunteers, and charitable organisations, strengthening our collective ability to make a difference.

Why Join ESCA:

Make a Difference: Your involvement with ESCA directly contributes to positive change in our community and supports charitable causes.

Networking Opportunities: Connect with a community of like-minded individuals who are passionate about philanthropy and community engagement.

Shape the Future: Use your expertise to guide ESCA’s strategic direction and help us evolve as we continue our legacy of student-led impact.

What to Expect as a Trustee:

Board Meetings: Our Board meets once per month in the evening, with the option of joining us virtually via a hybrid format and an expectation to attend two in-person meetings per year. We do not hold meetings during the summer months of May through August.

Communication Commitments: Alongside Board meetings, trustees will be expected to engage in occasional document reviews and correspondence, ensuring effective communication and preparation for upcoming meetings and ESCA activities.

Event Participation: Depending on your availability and interests, you may choose to participate in ESCA events, engaging with the community and supporting our initiatives.

Are you passionate about supporting young people – especially those who have experiences of care or need extra help to make the transition to adulthood, parenthood, employment and education?

Dean and Cauvin Young People’s Trust is one of Scotland’s oldest charities – working in Edinburgh since 1733. Today, we exist to be a place of hope for vulnerable and care experienced children, young people and families in Edinburgh and the Lothians and we do this via our interconnected services which include:

• 2 residential houses for young people aged 15-21 and young mums and babies

• Our Community and Transition team which delivers support to young people and families in the community

• Our Wellbeing Hub and outings, breaks and activities

• Room 4U our teenage fostering service.

We have been working hard in the last few years to redesign our services to best meet the recommendations of The Promise. We are now looking for new trustees to join us on the next stage of our development as we seek to deliver high-quality care and support with the voices of young people at the heart of all we do.

Join us

This is an incredible opportunity to make a difference with young people and build your skills alongside our other trustees. Our Board will always contain those with experience in key areas of work with young people including social work, education and fostering as well as finance and organisational governance. As a part of our origins, we also have representatives from:

• The Sheriff Principal of the Lothians and Borders

• The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh

• The Royal High School of Edinburgh

• The Presbytery of Edinburgh of the Church of Scotland

• The Councillors of the City of Edinburgh Council

• The Faculty of Advocates

Skills and experience

It is important that we continue to build and diversify our board to ensure we have a range of voices and experiences represented to help us reflect and understand the needs of young people in Edinburgh today.

We are recruiting for Trustees in the following areas:

• Leadership roles in children and families and child-protection focused services (i.e. social work, residential care, family support)

• Charitable / third sector – delivery and governance

• Fundraising and income generation

• Those with lived experiences of care/care-experienced

• Those from ethnically diverse and ethnic minority groups

• Young people aged 18-26

No previous board experience is necessary as full support and training will be provided.

What we do need is someone who is committed to our values and has an understanding of the current issues affecting young people, of high-quality practice approaches as well as the opportunities and challenges of the third sector.

The most important attributes of trustees joining us include:

• A willingness to ask questions

• A shared belief in our values, aims and objectives

• Energy to be an active and engaged trustee

• Desire to be a champion for young people and our organisation

Your responsibilities

Being a trustee requires a time commitment to the role. Duties/tasks include:

• Attend 4 board meetings a year (quarterly)

• Take part in our annual Development session with staff and/or trustees

There are additional opportunities to attend and contribute to our Finance sub-group and/or Care & Support sub-group. These meet 4 times per year (1-2 weeks before a Board meeting).

If this sounds like an opportunity you can bring your time, skills and passion to – we would love to hear from you.

The Ecology Centre is looking for a Chair to lead our community and environmental charity in collaboration with the Board of Trustees. We are looking for an individual to join our dedicated and expanding Board of Trustees to ensure effective strategic oversight and governance of the charity in line with our mission, vision and values. If you might be the right fit for our charity, we’d love to hear from you.

About Us:

The Ecology Centre’s vision is to connect people and nature for the sustainable wellbeing of both. We aim to provide a welcoming, safe and green space for communities to connect with each other and celebrate the joy of nature. We foster connections between people and the environment through environmental education for all and provide benefit to community, health and wellbeing.

What we are looking for:

We are looking for an individual who shares our values and who brings suitable commercial acumen and leadership skills to drive strategic growth and effective governance. As Chair of the Board of Trustees, you will play a critical role in designing and overseeing the strategic direction of our charity in collaboration with the Board of Trustees and General Manager. You will act as Chair to a close-knit, committed Board of Trustees, ensuring robust financial oversight, governance and innovation. We are looking for an individual who can help to bring our mission and vision to life and who can oversee the effective commercial management of the charity. Proven leadership experience within the charity sector is preferred but we are open to hearing from any individuals who can bring a proven track-record and understanding of leadership and financial management and who fits our values. Key responsibilities will include:

Providing strategic leadership to the charity in collaboration with the Board of Trustees

Guiding the short and long-term strategic development of the charity

Assuring and strengthening effective governance, including effective controls and monitoring of financial health, risk management and legal compliance

Building strong relationships with key stakeholders (in the community and beyond) to establish best practice sharing and an effective fundraising strategy

Managing a collaborative and inclusive culture at all levels of the charity and working closely with the Board of Trustees, General Manager and management team to ensure a thriving charity in line with our values.

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.