Trustee - Dragonfly Cancer Trust - Volunteer in Newcastle upon Tyne

Help shape moments that matter when time is short. As a trustee of Dragonfly Cancer Trust, you will guide a small, ambitious charity supporting young cancer patients and their families through their hardest days. Dragonfly Cancer Trust exists to make every moment matter for children and young people with life‑limiting cancer and their families across the UK. We support families at the hardest point in their lives, helping them to make memories, stay connected and feel less alone when time is painfully short.

We provide immediate financial gifts so that young people and their families can choose what matters most to them, from simple treats to special moments together that bring comfort, calmness and a sense of normality when everything else feels out of control. We offer a range of memory‑making services that wrap around the whole family when a child or young person is living with a life‑limiting cancer diagnosis. Our activity box consignments are sent out to hospitals and hospices throughout the year, reaching hundreds of young cancer patients on day units receiving treatment. Packed with creative materials and age‑appropriate activities, they provide a welcome distraction from invasive procedures and long appointments, giving young people something positive and absorbing to focus on while they are in clinical environments.

We are committed to growing our new sibling support programme, recognising that brothers and sisters are often deeply affected but can be overlooked. By expanding sibling‑focused activity resources and tailored support, we want to ensure they feel seen, included and able to express their feelings in their own way, both during treatment and after a bereavement. Alongside this, we provide personalised glass hearts and other carefully designed memory‑making items that families can hold on to. These thoughtful keepsakes offer a tangible symbol of love and connection, helping families to remember and talk about their child or young person in the months and years ahead.

Each year, many young people in our age group die from cancer, and countless families face long hospital stays, financial pressure and emotional exhaustion. As Dragonfly Cancer Trust grows from a small, family‑led initiative into a national charity, our trustees are crucial in shaping the next chapter, setting our strategic direction, ensuring strong and compassionate governance, and championing the resources and partnerships we need to reach more families. By joining our board, you will use your skills and experience to protect and grow a charity that brings light, calmness and meaning to families facing the darkest of times, so that more young lives—however short—are filled with memories, comfort and connection.

What are we looking for?

• Commitment to the vision and aims of Dragonfly Cancer Trust
• Willingness to meet the minimum time requirement
• Integrity
• Strategic vision
• Good, independent judgement
• Ability to think creatively
• Willingness to speak their mind
• Understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of trusteeship
• Ability to work effectively as a member of a team and take decisions for the good of Dragonfly Cancer Trust

Ideally, a trustee should also have one or more of the following:

• Understanding of the impact of cancer on young people’s lives either through personal or professional connections, or be willing to learn about this
• Prior experience/knowledge of committee/trustee work
• Knowledge of the type of work undertaken by Dragonfly Cancer Trust and/or fundraising for a small charity

A trustee is expected to use any specific skills, knowledge or experience they have to help the board of trustees reach sound decisions. This may involve:

• Promoting the interests of Dragonfly Cancer Trust at all opportunities
• Providing guidance on new initiatives
• Other issues in which the trustee has special expertise

Minimum time commitment:

Trustees are expected to attend all board meetings (by Zoom or in person, during or outside working hours) and to have read the board papers.

What will you be doing?

In your role as Trustee, you will help the governance of the charity by ensuring that we:

• Provide high‑quality services to meet the needs of young palliative cancer patients
• Grow the number of people we reach
• Remain financially sound
• Use our resources wisely
• Plan sensibly for the future

Our Board meetings are currently online via Zoom, four times per year, lasting approximately 1.5 hours. In addition to this, our annual general meeting is held in October. Optional informal catch‑ups with the CEO are encouraged to ensure continuity between meetings throughout the year.