Queen Margaret University Students’ Union (QMUSU) is a registered charity (SC012608) in Scotland. We operate independently from Queen Margaret University but work closely with the institution to enhance the student experience and represent the student voice.

As a small union we are proud of our impact and achievements, having scored in the top 3 in Scotland for NSS for consecutive years, having ranked 1st in Scotland in 23/24 for representing students’ academic interests. QMUSU is undergoing an exciting period of transformation as we strengthen our foundations and explore new ways to support our students effectively. A new strategic plan is in development, which will shape our future impact on campus and ensure we provide meaningful opportunities for our students.

To help us achieve this, we are opening recruitment for an External Trustee to join our board.

As a Trustee, we want you to bring your passion, expertise, and fresh ideas to help us grow as a Students’ Union. Your role will primarily involve providing strategic oversight, evaluating organisational performance, and challenging us to innovate. Your experience and insights will contribute to shaping the direction of QMUSU and ensuring we serve our students effectively.

You will be joining a diverse and dynamic Board, where different perspectives and experiences are valued. We believe that diversity leads to better decision-making and a more inclusive environment for our students.

Currently, our Trustee Board consists of:

• Three elected student officers
• Three appointed Student Trustees
• Four External Trustees (volunteers bringing external expertise)

The role of a Trustee is voluntary, with all reasonable expenses reimbursed. The commitment includes attending four in-person Trustee Board meetings annually (each lasting a few hours and participating in one of our sub-committees up to four times per year.

Make a difference to the lives of students – become an External Lay Director for ENSA

ENSA is an independent, registered charity that exists to enable students to make the most of their university experience. Our three Elected Officers serve as champions for students, ensuring they are properly represented and have access to sports and societies, advice and support, training and events.

We have a strong Board with existing expertise in the areas of human resources, governance and policy development. We’re now looking for a new Director who is enthusiastic and committed, who believes that a great university experience can be truly transformational for students. Could this be you?

We require someone with a strong finance background to serve as a Director, but it is not essential for the right candidate. We welcome applications from people from a broad range of professional backgrounds.

These are voluntary, unremunerated positions, though reasonable travel expenses will be paid. The Board meets four to six times a year, usually in the evening, with a mixture of in-person and virtual meetings.

It also has an additional committee, the Finance and Risk Committee, which meets online 2 to 3 times a year and you may be expected to attend that. Time commitment is approximately 6 hours a month, including preparing for meetings.

The Board of Directors has overall responsibility for ENSA’s governance, for upholding its values and aligning it to the Association’s charitable aims. It aspires constantly to improve standards of governance and good practice. It also sets the overall strategic direction for ENSA and evaluates progress towards objectives.

For more information about ENSA, see our websiteand our last Impact Report.

Job Purpose

Lead, implement and oversee a comprehensive donor stewardship framework that ensures all donors across all levels are appropriately thanked, recognised and receive high quality communications about their giving and its impact. Understand, monitor and co-ordinate work being delivered by colleagues across different teams to ensure the framework operates effectively. Provide guidance on donor relations policies, with a particular focus on talent scholarships, overseeing the tracking and recognition of high-value gifts, managing donor engagement activities, and collaborating with colleagues to produce, write, and sign off on impactful donor communications and content.

Who Cares? Scotland is Scotland’s only national independent membership organisation for Care Experienced people. Our mission is to secure a lifetime of equality, respect, and love for Care Experienced people in Scotland and we currently have over 3000 Care Experienced members.

At the heart of Who Cares? Scotland’s work are the rights of Care Experienced people, and the power of their voices to bring about positive change. We provide individual lifelong relationship-based independent advocacy and a broad range of imaginative participatory and engagement opportunities for Care Experienced people across Scotland. We work alongside Corporate Parents and communities to broaden understanding and create change. We work with policy makers, leaders, and elected representatives locally and nationally to shape law, policy, and practice, working together to build on the aspirations of The Promise and secure positive change.

This unique role offers the chance to create and facilitate opportunities and activities for Care Experienced people, leading on participation to ensure Care Experienced people can share their views and experiences, and helping to bring about positive change.

The post holder will utilise and create opportunities for participation and belonging activities with Care Experienced people, whilst supporting a range of events and other local or national activities. Core belonging and participation activities will involve fun connection activities; issue-based and focus groups; and forums, and events, both one-off and longer term in duration. The role will involve working closely with organizational partners and other services to create new opportunities or develop existing ones.

Responsible for maximizing the networks through which Care Experienced young people can connect, develop, and grow as individuals, you will use a range of communications channels to promote belonging and participation activities to Care Experienced children and young people. By developing accessible and applicable youth work tools and activities, you will build upon your experience working with children and young people to create attractive offers locally that encourage Care Experienced people to join our membership.

In your capacity as a Development Officer, you will work closely with Who Cares? Scotland Volunteer Manager to ensure we are providing the best support available to volunteers serving our young people. Through collaboration with our Participation & Membership Manager, as well as our fundraising team, you will identify and attract local funding and fundraising opportunities to enhance our local offering to Care Experienced people. In doing so, you will develop and maintain good working relationships with relevant regional organisations (e.g. Local Authority, Third Sector, Public Sector Corporate Parents) and gain experience in awareness-raising and promotion. Providing reports in relation to participation, belonging, and the impact of your work, you will bolster the evidence base to support fundraising and awareness- raising opportunities, as well as to influence local policy initiatives, such as The Promise. As an ambassador for Who Cares? Scotland, you will be joining Who Cares? Scotland at an exciting time, when the voice of those who are in or have experienced care is growing rapidly across Scotland – bringing with it insight, challenge, hope and change.

The right candidate for this post will be able to form positive, empathetic, understanding and compassionate relationships with children and young people and have good interpersonal skills, as well as experience in designing tailored group work programmes. You feel confident communicating, with a solution focussed attitude. As well as evidencing your work, you can prioritise and meet deadlines. You hold knowledge of the current structure, developments, policy, and practice in relation to children and young people experiencing care in Scotland. You are flexible, given the remit of the role, as some evening and weekend work will be necessary, along with a full driving licence and access to transport.

While we would welcome the knowledge gathered through relevant qualifications, we are just as interested in relevant work experience. We welcome and encourage applications from those with experience of care.

If this role sounds like the opportunity for you, we would love to hear from you.