We are recruiting a Trustee - Treasurer (Volunteer) to the Board of Hebridean Pursuits Outdoor Learning (HPOL)

Who we are

HPOL is an Oban based charity that provides real outdoor adventures for young people to help them grow and achieve more than they thought possible whatever their background. Established in 1991 (Roses Charitable Trust) we have a long and successful history of working with young people. HPOL is a registered SCIO - SC049755.

What do we do

We deliver residential courses, primarily in the West Coast of Scotland, for groups of young people from across the UK. We also deliver day and multi-day adventures for groups of young people primarily from our community in Argyll. We also provide Coasteering certification and technical training and guiding on a bespoke basis.

We have one full time Course Director that leads in all aspects of the design and delivery of our outdoor activities. In addition, we have a part-time (3/5s) Finance & Administration Lead that has overall responsibility for the operations supporting the delivery of our courses and the charity.

Our Board

We currently have 8 trustees which include a chair and a treasurer. Our trustees come from a variety of professional backgrounds and are based across the UK.

Our current treasurer has been a trustee and treasurer for 14 years and plans to retire from his post in September 2025 at our AGM.

Our organisation is small, and so our trustees are involved in the management of the charity bringing their expertise to bear as required.

Our Board meets 4 times a year - mostly in Oban.

The Role

We are seeking to appoint a new trustee treasurer - someone with financial management skills, a passion for the outdoors, and shared determination to improve the lives of young people regardless of their background. The role is on a volunteer basis with an expected time commitment of 1 to 2 days per month.

We are recruiting for a Volunteer Coordinator to join our Children & Families Mentoring programme. We support care experienced young people aged 8-14 years across Glasgow and North Lanarkshire, our mentoring programme enables young people to have time away from home where they can gain confidence, learn new skills and talk to a trusted adult.

The Volunteer Coordinator will have responsibility for recruitment, training and day to day supervision of volunteer mentors, the ongoing support of mentor and mentee matches and the provision of additional supports to mentee’s families as and when required. The post holder will also support the Service Manager with the ongoing promotion and development of the programme.

The role is mainly working in the community in the Glasgow area or working from home in agreement with the line manager. It is expected that you will be in the office at Dava Street, Govan from time to time for meetings. Right There is a charity working to prevent people becoming homeless and separated from their loved ones.

We’re here for children and adults who are living with the effects of poverty, addiction or broken relationships. Walking alongside people at home and in the community, we provide tailored support and form trusting relationships to help people feel happier, safer and more confident to live their lives.Rooted in communities across Scotland for 200 years, we’re there for people going through tough times. Our work won’t stop until everyone has an equal chance to create a safe and supportive place to call home.

Main duties and responsibilities include:

• Volunteer Management including recruitment, training and regular support and reflection with Volunteer Mentors. Ensuring Volunteers are supported to undertake their roles effectively
• Have a high standard of professional integrity with colleagues and other professionals.
• Confidently manage and coordinate positive, respectful and compassionate relationships between mentor and mentee, ensuring good boundaries setting. Providing additional support(s) to the mentee’s family, as and when required. Focussing on individual strengths and aspirations and ensuring person centred planning and unconditional positive regard is undertaken by yourself and volunteers.
• Building upon existing strong relationships with social work, education and virtual schools and strengthening these relationships.
• Have detailed knowledge of other relevant services and create and maintain good working relationships with external partners. Representing Right There positively to other agencies or services including Local Authority, Social Work, Housing Services and other relevant services.
• Liaise with referral sources, regarding new and existing Mentoring referrals.
• Ensuring accurate and factual record keeping at all times. Ensuring support plans for people we support are completed and updated in accordance with GDPR and confidentiality processes. Ensuring Risk Assessments are completed and updated for people we support.
• Ensuring the needs of the people we support are being met and signposting to relevant services where more support is required.
• Attend multi agency meetings as required and advocating on behalf of the people we support.
• Ensure that adequate safeguarding measures are in place for both mentors & mentees and participation in an On Call rota system as required.
• Contribute towards the design, delivery and evaluation of our programmes. Ensuring we are adopting a co-produced approach where possible.
• Contribute to the development and Coordination of a Support Group and Forum for Kinship Carers at Right There.

Full details can be found in the job & person specification on our website.

What we expect from you

Our values make us who we are and define our actions and behaviours every day. We’d expect the post-holder to uphold and represent our organisation in a way that reflects our values and person-centred way of working.

We’re looking for you to have gained experience of supporting young people and families with complex needs, and you will have knowledge of the issues facing young people who are care-experienced and/or on the edges of care. You will also have knowledge of current relevant legislation and policies relating to children and young people as well as a working knowledge of child protection procedures.

A full driving license and access to a car for work purposes is an essential requirement.

What you can expect from us

We value our staff as our greatest asset and will provide the following working conditions:

• The post holder will report to the Service Manager.
• Your normal working hours are an average of 35 per week. These hours are usually worked Monday to Friday, and flexibly between the hours of 9.00am to 5.00pm, with one-hour unpaid break. Variations to these hours must be agreed with your line manager. Flexibility is required to work some evening and weekends to reflect the needs of the people we support.
• Your usual place of work will be 15 Dava Street, Glasgow, G51 2JA.
• You are also required to work in the local community, and you will be paid travel expenses between your usual place of work and appointments undertaken in the course of your duties. Alternatively, you may choose to work remotely from your home address where appropriate. Working arrangements are in agreement with your line manager based on the needs of the service.
• Annual leave entitlement of 210 hours holiday (equivalent to 6 weeks) pro rata per year in the first year rising to 280 hours (equivalent to 8 weeks) pro rata per year in the second. This includes public holidays.
• You will be automatically enrolled into the People’s Pension in the month that you will complete 3-months of employment, provided you meet the auto-enrolment criteria.
• Life Insurance from day one
• Option to purchase and sell annual leave.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Ongoing learning and development
• Wellness programmes

This is an exciting time to join Venture Trust as we continue to develop, embed and grow our teams, and apply our developmental approach in communities, in greenspaces and across Scotland’s wilder places.

Venture Trust works with people experiencing complex life circumstances. Through our work, we provide the opportunity for people to recognise their confidence, motivation and core life skills that they need to make positive changes in their lives.

About this role

We have an exciting opportunity for a new Senior Outdoor Practitioner to join our team on a fixed-term period of 2 years (location negotiable).

You’ll be a caring, dynamic and driven person, dedicated to levelling the playing field and equipping people with the tools they need to thrive. You’ll be comfortable and confident working autonomously alongside people with complex lives.

As a Senior Outdoor Practitioner, you will:

• Be responsible for managing the safety of staff and participants in communities and the dynamic environment of the Scottish wilderness
• Design and deliver a bespoke programme of community and wilderness-based outdoor and environmental activities, to suit individual needs in a group environment
• Have a minimum of 3 valid and relevant qualifications, including a Summer ML certificate, RCI and Moderate Water Canoe Leader or equivalent plus a recognised valid First Aid Certificate
• Have a valid driving licence including D1+E
• Manage a skilled, experienced multi-disciplinary team to deliver person-centred expeditions in Scotland’s wild places, and meaningful outdoor activities in local communities, shaping each journey to meet the needs of participants
• Manage and lead teams to operate within outdoor safety management systems, aligning with industry standards
• Work in a person-centred, trauma-responsive manner, applying therapeutic skills and personal development knowledge

For the full job description of this role, please see below.

Working at Venture Trust

We offer a range of generous benefits including:

• a generous annual leave entitlement (28 days annual leave plus public holidays and 3 Christmas holidays)
• an employee benefits package
• flexible and hybrid working
• a joint contributory pension scheme