Trustee, Board of Trustees - Volunteer

We are one of the largest charities in Coventry, helping more than 14,000 people each year with issues including debt, housing, and welfare benefits. Last year, CCA helped secure nearly £8 million in financial gains for people in Coventry who did not know what support was available to them. Behind that figure are thousands of individual stories — families who kept their homes, people who understood their rights for the first time, individuals who found a way forward when they had run out of options. Trustees do not deliver those outcomes directly, but without strong, engaged governance, none of it is possible. A well‑run board means a well‑run organisation. A well‑run organisation means more people helped, more effectively.

If you want to contribute at a level where your judgement and expertise genuinely shape how one of Coventry's most important charities operates — not just advise from the sidelines, but hold real responsibility for its future — this is that opportunity.

The challenge we face: The cost‑of‑living crisis has deepened inequality across Coventry, and those who were already struggling are falling further behind. Rising energy costs, an increasingly complex welfare system, a difficult housing market, and the long tail of pandemic‑related financial hardship mean our casework is more complex and the need for our services greater than ever. At the same time, the funding environment for charities remains tight and competitive. Our new trustees will be joining the board at a genuinely consequential moment — one where the decisions we make now will shape the organisation's capacity and impact for years to come.

What are we looking for? We are looking for trustees who bring genuine professional expertise, independent judgement, and a real commitment to the people of Coventry. You do not need previous board or trustee experience — what matters most is that you engage seriously with the role and are willing to learn.

Most important to us: We are actively seeking candidates with a background in one or more of the following areas, which reflect our current strategic priorities:

• Law — experience in legal practice or legal services, whether in employment, housing, welfare, consumer, or another relevant field. As an advice‑giving organisation operating in an increasingly complex regulatory environment, legal literacy at board level is invaluable. You will help us understand risk, interpret our obligations, and ensure we are serving clients within a sound legal framework.
• Research and Campaigns — experience in social research, policy analysis, public affairs, or advocacy. Citizens Advice is not just an advice service; it uses evidence from casework to influence policy and challenge the practices that create the problems our clients face. Trustees with this background help us make the most of our data and our voice.

Also valuable: Beyond these priority areas, we welcome applications from people with experience in financial management, human resources, digital and technology, communications, or health and social care. A broad board is a stronger board.

The kind of person we are looking for:

• Able to think strategically and see beyond the immediate to the longer‑term implications of decisions.
• Confident enough to challenge, and wise enough to know when to support.
• Comfortable working with financial information, even if finance is not their primary background.
• Committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion — not just as a principle, but in practice.
• Reliable, prepared, and willing to engage between meetings when needed.

Lived Experience: We particularly welcome applications from people with direct experience of accessing advice services, navigating the welfare system, or facing the kinds of challenges our clients face — housing insecurity, debt, low income, or barriers to accessing support. This perspective is genuinely valuable at board level and helps keep our governance grounded in the reality of the people we serve. We are also actively encouraging applications from people who are currently underrepresented in charity governance more broadly — including disabled people, people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities, LGBT+ and non‑binary people, and younger adults who may not yet have considered a trustee role.

Hybrid: What will you be doing? Our Board of Trustees provides the strategic leadership and governance oversight that keeps Coventry Citizens Advice (CCA) accountable, financially sound, and focused on the people we exist to serve. Trustees work collectively to set direction, monitor performance, and ensure we remain true to our mission — particularly as demand on our services continues to grow. We are a board of committed individuals drawn from a range of professional backgrounds, and we are now looking to strengthen our collective capacity with new voices and expertise. We are particularly keen to recruit trustees with experience in law, fundraising, or research and campaigns — areas where we have identified specific strategic need as we develop our work and look to the future.

What We Need From You: We need trustees who engage fully — who read the papers, come prepared, and are willing to challenge constructively as well as support. Board meetings are held in the evenings, and the full time commitment is around five to seven hours per month. Depending on your background, you may also be invited to join a subcommittee or take on a specific area of board‑level focus — for example, supporting financial oversight, contributing to a governance review, or helping develop our approach to income diversification and fundraising strategy. We will discuss this with you as part of the onboarding process.