Relationships Scotland Orkney (RSO) is a local charity which supports adults, young people and children across Orkney through relationship difficulties and associated mental health challenges. Its services include counselling for individuals and couples, family mediation, child contact, one-to-one support and alcohol/drug support and counselling.
In response to local needs, this work has expanded in recent years, supporting hundreds of people in the community each year. One client described this as "a valuable service that has helped me through the hardest times of my life".
They currently have a Board of 8 and are looking to attract additional Board members to provide oversight of their work, set the strategic direction for the organisation and ensure good governance of the charity, including ensuring appropriate use of charitable funds. Board members usually serve initially for 3 years with the potential to serve for a further 3 years. All trustees are elected/re-elected annually at the AGM.
Current Board members have said:
- they benefited from RSO's services and wanted to give back;
- they see RSO's services as essential to the community and want to support the organisation to be able to continue offering these services;
- they learn a lot: about what the organisation does and what is involved in running a local charity; about needs in the community and the services which can support local people; as well as the gaps in services; they have also learned skills e.g. related to strategic planning, finance, safeguarding.
If you are interested in supporting the charity's work by becoming a trustee, you can get in touch for an informal chat by emailing enquiries@rsorkney.org.uk with the reference 'trustee vacancy'
Experience required
A Role Description is provided to interested applicants and also a Skills Matrix which prospective Board members complete to identify the skills mix on the Board. This identifies skills/knowledge/experience in the following areas: governance, children & families, relationships/mental health, knowledge, marketing, volunteering.
Travel details
Kirkwall - meetings are arranged in person and online; there are a number of people who attend online.
Training details
Training is role-dependent. For Board members, this involves:
- an organisation induction;
- a meeting with the Chair and Service Director to discuss the Board's role and how it functions (new Board members are shown previous Board papers for discussion at this meeting and to give an idea of the papers they will receive);
- a finance induction meeting so Board members understand how the organisation is financed, where funding comes from and how it is spent;
- meetings with the Service Director/other staff if Board members would like more detailed briefing on different areas of work (e.g. Counselling, Family Mediation, Child Contact)
- a Board development session (approximately one every couple of years) to forge stronger relationships between Board members, usually focused around a specific issue related to organisational development.
- Additional training sessions for Board members may also be run e.g. on Safeguarding.
Frequency & commitment
Board Members are required to attend 4 x 2 hour meetings per year plus an AGM.
Volunteers (aged 12-25) taking part in this opportunity are eligible to claim Saltire Awards hours for their activity. Find out more
