The Otesha Project UK is looking for new Trustees!
Role type: Voluntary position
Application Deadline: March 15 2013
Start date: April 15 2013
We are looking for two dedicated new trustees to join our board. We welcome trustees from all walks of life. Our ideal trustees will already have some skills and experience they can use to support this small charity, but will also be looking to gain new skills through their involvement with Otesha.
More about Otesha
The Otesha Project UK is a youth-led charity that mobilises young people to adopt more sustainable lifestyles and become inspiring leaders on climate change, social justice and ethical consumption. Since 2007 we have worked with thousands of young people aged 11- 28 from a diversity of backgrounds across England, Wales and Scotland.
Through our cycle tours and other educational projects we train, support and network young leaders as they examine the impacts of their own lifestyles and educate thousands of others to do the same. We also run workshops on practical themes like ethical fashion, energy use, sustainable transportation and Fairtrade.
In 2010 we convened the East London Green Jobs Roundtable, from which was born the East London Green Jobs Alliance. Since then we have created programmes focused on ways to combat growing youth unemployment by helping young people find their way into world- changing careers and working to stimulate the green economy in East London.
We have a non-hierarchical staff structure and value everyone’s opinion equally. More information here.
What skills do I need?
Essential skills and commitment:
- To attend and actively participate in board meetings. These take place on a monthly basis in the evenings at our offices in Hackney, London E8.
- Be willing and able to take on tasks between board meetings, and communicate over email between meetings
- Desire to learn how a small, collaborative organisation works on all levels
- Willing to obtain a CRB check
- Willing to participate in occasional strategy planning activities
We would be particularly interested in speaking with people who fit into at least one of the specialist areas below:
- Active in East London communities as a resident, through work or through community groups
- Financial management experience, including forecasting
- Fundraising experience
More about being a trustee
Trustees have responsibility for directing the affairs of a charity, and ensuring that it is solvent, well-run, and meeting the needs for which it has been set up. As Otesha is a small charity, we also play a role in supporting staff in a more hands-on way, through mentoring or small projects of different kinds. In practice, this means that you will be working closely with staff and other trustees to take decisions and play an important role in managing and directing Otesha’s future.
Otesha trustees are asked to commit to a minimum of 2 years, and may serve as trustees for a maximum of 4 years.
Before applying, we suggest you familiarise yourself with the trustee information provided by the Charity Commission which can be accessed online here.
How to apply
Please send your CV and a short cover letter to explain why you’re interested in and suitable for the role to alice@otesha.org.uk
Please note: The Otesha Project UK is an equal opportunities organisation and encourages applications from underrepresented groups. We do not discriminate on the basis of ethnicity, place of origin, class, citizenship, system of belief, gender, sexual orientation, language, marital status, family status, physical and/or mental disability. However, all employees (and trustees) will be chosen on merit.
We are currently recruiting for Cycle Tour Members!
If you know someone who’s into bikes, summer adventure, food, social justice, learning new skills or all things green and low-impact, then what are you waiting for?
SADDLE UP AND CHANGE THE WORLD
We are currently creating teams for an epic adventure, cycling across the UK in summer 2013 – and we want YOU! Inspiring 1000s of young people at schools and festivals with Otesha’s world-changing workshops, you’ll spread the word on how everyone can make the world a greener, fairer place – in particular exploring how our food can be made more planet-friendly and people-friendly.
Find out the what, when, where, why, who and how – and apply here.
If you have any questions or suggestions about any of the Cycle Tour opportunities, please email cycletours@otesha.org.uk or call us on 020 3609 6763.
How we work: We are a tight-knit and fast-paced team, although we make time for training and skill-sharing opportunities whenever possible. We value everyone’s opinion equally and this is reflected in our decision-making processes. We also all muck in and share the necessary evils of administrative work, and we try to walk the talk and test out creative sustainable solutions in the office. At the moment we’re harvesting our carpark garden and designing new office energy-saving measures! If you think you’d thrive as a member of our team, then please keep checking here for opportunities.
Additional opportunities: If you’re looking for voluntary experience in environmental education, facilitation, office management, writing or fundraising, please do get in touch.
Please note: The Otesha Project is an equal opportunity organisation and we value the different expertise and diversity of our volunteers. We strive to make our programs as accessible as possible and will work with committed individuals to ensure participation. We do not discriminate on the basis of ethnicity, place of origin, class, citizenship, system of belief, gender, sexual orientation, language, marital status, family status, physical and/or mental disability. However, as a youth-led organisation we reserve some volunteer roles for young people only.