Trustees to steer future development - Volunteer

Following recent retirements, the Trust is now seeking 4 new trustees to help guide the next stage of development at this conservation-led charity based at Cotswold Lakes, an area of 42 sq miles comprising some 180 lakes. A variety of roles are being considered with different skill sets.

The Trust does not receive any local or central government funding and therefore relies solely on its own income-generating capabilities. The Trust is overly reliant on income derived from Cotswold Country Park and Beach, a family fun-focused activity. To counterbalance this operation, we are endeavouring to develop other sources of sustainable income focusing on our prime location of Cleveland Lakes. We aim to make this an exemplar site which demonstrates how nature and leisure can successfully coexist to the benefit of both. Current plans include open water swimming, paddleboarding, rowing, canoeing, rough cycling, and triathlons.

Limited facilities are currently available including grant-funded welfare and boat storage units, but these need to be expanded in the future in order to attract a larger income-generating customer base. This venture is being managed by our development manager. New trustees who have an interest in any of these activities will bring much-needed experience to this important project. Recently, we have been successful in obtaining significant grant funding and the recent appointment of a fundraising manager to hopefully reap rewards in the future. There is more to do and therefore guidance from a Trustee with relevant experience will be very beneficial.

Oversight of our financial situation by a Trustee would be very useful as they can influence how the charity develops in a sustainable manner. The Trust utilises various social media channels but this needs to be exploited further to ensure that the important conservation work of the Trust reaches a wider audience. We are a financially small charity but with big ambitions and this message, including our significant achievements, needs to be better understood by a wider community.

Each Trustee, irrespective of their individual areas of expertise, will contribute as part of a team to manage the charity in a way that it can achieve its objectives.

What are we looking for?

Ideally, we are looking for candidates who live in or in close proximity to the general Cotswolds area who have a genuine appreciation of the natural landscape and the benefits that can be derived from both wildlife and people. They should possess the desire to help the team in a collaborative way and contribute in areas that are not directly within their core areas of expertise. Apart from the specific skills annotated above, it is important that candidates have a broad background and are willing to become involved in contributing to the success of the Trust. Time requirements for Trustees are quite limited, depending if they would like to join any of the committees, but if they wish to have a deeper involvement in certain areas that will be encouraged.

What will you be doing?

The current six trustees have a broad skill base but recognise the need to add further expertise to help steer the future development of this small but environmentally important charity. The full Board meets quarterly, usually via Teams, with monthly Finance Committee meetings. Other committees such as Governance, Nominations, Remuneration, and Audit meet periodically as and when necessity dictates.

We are looking to strengthen the Board by recruiting four Trustees with experience in a variety of disciplines including fundraising, finance, social media, marketing, conservation, commerce, or individuals with a wide general business background. Previous experience of operating in the charity sector would be an advantage but not essential. As a conservation-led charity, it would be expected that trustees have a desire to help develop an important part of the natural landscape at Cotswold Lakes for the benefit of wildlife and people.

The Trust employs a small but dedicated team of 12 staff, (9 FTE), who manage conservation and estates, nature recovery, fundraising, management accounts, sport and event development, and marketing. Trustees are expected to interact with the employed team and their trustee colleagues so that they can benefit fully from their role and are therefore able to contribute to the successful future of the Trust. Accordingly, strong interpersonal skills are important as we are very much a people organisation where interaction amongst the various disciplines is encouraged.