Chair of the Board
- Management Board
- Unpaid
- On site: Melrose
- Closing 17th January 2026
- Advertised from 19th December 2025
- Voluntary position
Role
About Us
The Melrose Music Festival (to become the Borders Music Festival in 2026) celebrates creativity, collaboration, and community. Each September, we bring world-class artists and local talent together in Melrose and across the Borders — inspiring audiences and young people through music of the highest quality.
We are a Scottish charity Incorporated Organisation (SCIO). Our Vision statement (2024) sets out that we exist “to celebrate artistic excellence through exploration, collaboration, and community engagement, enriching lives across the Borders though music and the arts”.
Central therefore to what we offer are our three overall aims:
- To support projects that assist young people to come to music, especially those who might not have access to music and music tuition (for whatever reason);
- To promote the best of local talent: the Borders has a fantastic and diverse musical talent base of its own; and,
- To bring in musicians with a national and international reputation to perform world class music here in the Borders (preferably with some community engagement in doing so).
We are governed by a small Board which at present includes our Artistic Director Robert Marshall who oversees the artistic vision and delivery of the Festival. It is an emerging Festival with growing links and support - it was described as being in the top 10 music event destinations in Scotland for September 2025 in the Herald.
As we continue to grow and strengthen our charitable foundations, we are seeking a Chair of the Board to provide clear, compassionate leadership and help guide the Festival through its next stage of development.
The Role
The Chair leads the Board of Trustees, ensuring good governance, accountability and strategic direction for the Festival. Working closely with the Artistic Director/CEO and fellow Trustees, the Chair supports a culture that values artistic excellence, community participation, and sustainable growth.
You will:
• Provide strategic leadership, ensuring that the Festival’s activities reflect its charitable purposes and long-term vision.
• Support, guide, and challenge the Artistic Director and Festival team as a constructive partner.
• Lead the Board in setting and reviewing strategy, ensuring good financial stewardship and compliance with the requirements of OSCR.
• Champion good governance, inclusion and transparency in all aspects of our work.
• Act as an ambassador for the Festival — representing us to funders, partners, artists, and the wider community.
• Support Board recruitment and development, ensuring the organisation benefits from diverse perspectives and skills.
About You
We are looking for someone with strong leadership and governance experience who shares our
belief in the power of music and the arts to strengthen communities.
Essential qualities:
• Experience of leadership in the charity, cultural, or community sector.
• A good understanding of charity governance and the responsibilities of a Scottish charity trustee.
• Strategic thinker with integrity, good judgement, and the ability to foster collaboration.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the confidence to represent the Festival externally.
• Commitment to the Festival’s values of creativity, community, and excellence.
Desirable:
• Experience in the performing arts, festivals, education, or cultural development.
• Familiarity with fundraising, marketing, or public engagement.
• Connections/affinity with the Scottish Borders, and an understanding of the culture of a
sparsely populated rural area.
Time Commitment
• Approximately 6–8 meetings per year (mix of in-person and online), plus occasional events and strategic planning sessions.
• Regular liaison with the Artistic Director and fellow Trustees.
• The position is voluntary, with reasonable expenses reimbursed.
• Initial term: three years, renewable once by mutual agreement.
Why Join Us
This is a rewarding opportunity to shape a growing festival with real artistic ambition and community purpose. You will be joining a small, committed team of Trustees, working closely with an Artistic Director of vision and energy. Together, we are building a festival that celebrates creativity, inspires participation, and leaves a lasting impact across the Borders and beyond.
Your leadership will help ensure that this Festival continues to thrive — as a space where music
brings people together, strengthens our sense of place, and nurtures the next generation of musicians
and audiences.
Application notes
How to Apply
If you are interested in applying for this role, please submit a covering letter (no more than 1000 words) and a CV outlining relevant experience to Robert Marshall robertmarshall963@gmail.com by 17 January 2026.
Please include in your letter how you meet the essential criteria and why you are motivated to lead the organisation at this stage of its development.
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Join Our Board – Trustee Opportunities at Soundplay Projects
Soundplay Projects creates playful, creative and accessible experiences for children and young people through sound, music and technology. As we grow, we’re inviting new trustees to join our Board and help shape a future rooted in creativity, care and inclusion.
We’re looking for people who believe in shared leadership, thoughtful governance and the power of play. You don’t need previous trustee experience for all roles, just curiosity, care and a commitment to our mission.
Trustee Roles
Board Chair
Supporting the collective leadership of the Board, helping trustees work well together and ensuring Soundplay remains well-governed, strategic and values-led.
Treasurer / Finance Lead
Providing oversight and guidance on Soundplay’s financial health, sustainability and long-term planning, helping the Board understand and steward resources confidently.
HR & Safeguarding Trustee
Supporting strong people practices and safeguarding, ensuring Soundplay is a safe, fair and nurturing environment for staff, volunteers and young people.
Fundraising & Partnerships Trustee
Helping develop sustainable income through relationships, fundraising strategy and philanthropic support.
Marketing & Communications Trustee
Strengthening Soundplay’s voice, visibility and reach through thoughtful, inclusive and engaging communications.
Digital & Technology Trustee
Providing insight and oversight around digital systems, safety, infrastructure and innovation.
Trustee – Lived Experience / Community Voice
Bringing lived experience to the Board to ensure Soundplay’s decision-making remains grounded, accessible and representative of the communities we serve.
What it means to be a Soundplay Trustee
As a trustee, you will help guide Soundplay’s direction, support strategic thinking and contribute to a culture of care, creativity and collaboration. You will work alongside other trustees and the staff team to ensure the organisation remains ethical, sustainable and responsive to the people it serves.
We are particularly keen to hear from people who bring diverse perspectives, lived experience and voices underrepresented in governance spaces.
Support & Access
We are committed to making this experience welcoming and accessible. Support includes:
- Full induction and governance training
- Buddy trustee support
- Hybrid and accessible meeting options
- Expenses covered
sparqs is a charity funded by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), working with Scotland's university and college sectors. Our purpose is to ensure students are partners in shaping the quality of learning, making positive change to their own and others’ experience, however and wherever they learn. It aims to foster a culture of partnership between students and staff which enables the Scottish education sector to respond to challenges and realize its ambitions to provide the best possible experience for each and every student.
Volunteer Chair of Trustee Board
We are looking for a chair of Trustees who will lead our Board with integrity, insight and enthusiasm. This is an opportunity to guide a highly-regarded charity into its next exciting chapter.
As our new Chair you will have:
- Experience of being a strategic leader, including experience of working with a board either as a CEO/Director reporting to board, or as a board member/chair.
- Commitment and enthusiasm to the work of sparqs in terms of a student-led approach, role of student engagement in quality enhancement and value of partnership approaches.
- Ability to represent and promote the organisation publicly, acting as an ambassador and networker to further the attainment of organisational aims.
- Ability to influence, at a senior level, partner, and other stakeholder organisations particularly in the Scottish post-16 education sector.
- Commitment to the positive value of diversity, promoting equality and challenging discrimination and willingness to play an active role in creating an environment that promotes these values.
If you believe you have the experience and qualities we are seeking to contribute to this important organisation, we very much look forward to hearing from you. Working in a diverse sector and with diverse students, we are keen to receive applications from people of all backgrounds and with all different kinds of life experiences.
Join our Board of Management and Let Learning Flourish
City of Glasgow College is seeking to fill two non-executive vacancies on our Board. We are delighted to invite applications from people with a belief in the value of college education and a commitment to widening access, lifelong learning and the student experience.
The Board of Management particularly welcome members with experience in the following areas:
• People, Human Resources and Organisational Development
• ICT and Digital
• Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)
Who Are We?
We are Scotland’s largest professional and technological education and skills college – and the third largest in the UK. The College traces its roots back to 1850 and our core purpose is to “Let Learning Flourish”. Our commitment to excellence, innovation and inspiration is recognised in Scotland, across the UK and throughout the world.
Our multi-award-winning, state-of-the-art, twin-site campus in the heart of Glasgow offers outstanding resources and opportunities for students to gain essential skills and nationally and internationally recognised qualifications – from entry-level to degree-level study, as well as chartered professional qualifications. We've prepared over 100,000 graduates for the world of work.
Our Board
Our Board, as the College’s governing body, is responsible for setting our strategic direction, ensuring its effective management and delivering high-quality learning and outcomes. Board members serve on a voluntary basis, with reasonable expenses reimbursed, and spend approximately 10 working days throughout the year to fulfil the core duties and responsibilities of their roles. Meetings are hybrid, take place in the late afternoon/early evening and last approximately two hours.
Make A Difference and Let Learning Flourish
Whether you have served on a Board before or this is the first time you have considered it, this is a fantastic opportunity to contribute your skills and experience and share your ideas to shape the future of the College. Together as a Board, you will play a pivotal role in guiding our strategies and upholding good governance – ensuring we remain an inspirational place of learning, an excellent place to work, and an innovative and valued partner with industry.
We Value Diversity
The College is committed to ensuring it represents the diversity of the city and region the College serves. We, therefore, encourage applications from groups currently under-represented on the boards of Scotland’s public bodies, including women, disabled people, those of different cultural and social backgrounds and people under the age of 50.
Would you like to contribute to the vital supports in place for local families to thrive in Clackmannanshire? Home-Start Clackmannanshire are looking for vibrant, enthusiastic individuals, particularly those with knowledge/ skills relating to the Scottish Health system or Communications and Marketing, to join our board of trustees.
About us:
Home-Start offers guidance, friendship and practical support to families across Clackmannanshire who have at least one child under the age of twelve. We work with families to help them overcome issues impacting their lives, through a range of family support services. Our families are each unique, however common issues we support include: isolation and loneliness, mental health difficulties, bereavement, family breakdown, addiction, and physical ill-health. We’ve been supporting local families across Clackmannanshire since 1988. The Home-Start team (staff, volunteers and trustees) are committed to ensuring that children are given the best possible start in life as #childhoodcantwait.
The role of our trustees:
Charity trustees are responsible – and accountable - for the governance and strategy of their charity. They are responsible for making sure that their charity is administered effectively and can account for its activities and outcomes.
As a trustee on our board, you will contribute to:
1. Providing leadership and direction within the ethos of Home-Start.
2. Ensuring the scheme has a clear vision, mission and strategic direction.
3. Being responsible for the effective performance and management of the scheme.
4. Ensuring the scheme complies with legal and regulatory requirements, the objects of the scheme, the governing documents including the Home-Start Standards and Methods of Practice, the Home-Start Agreement and quality standards.
5. Securing and guarding the scheme’s assets and taking care of their security, deployment, and proper application.
6. Ensuring that the scheme’s governance is of the highest possible standard.
7. Undertaking an ambassadorial role for the scheme.
8. Appointing sub-committees and agreeing their terms of reference and membership.
Time Commitment:
Our board meets every 7-8 weeks, a hybrid approach where trustees can attend in-person meetings at our offices in Alloa or via Teams. Our offices are fully accessible.
As a trustee, you would also attend our Annual General Meeting (AGM) once a year.
Support:
Volunteers are the heart of Home-Start, and so in return for your time and commitment, you will be fully supported in role by our Chair. A full induction will be provided, and opportunities for both training and networking are also available.
All reasonable travel expenses will be reimbursed.
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