Girlguiding, the Largest Charity Dedicated to Girls and Young Women in the UK, Is Looking

Summary

Girlguiding, the largest charity dedicated to girls and young women in the UK, is looking to appoint three trustees to the Girlguiding Board. Applications are welcome from both members and non-members.

The roles are voluntary but the charity pays trustee expenses in line with its expenses policy.

There are normally four Board meetings a year, held in London, plus two strategy days. Trustees are also requested to join a Girlguiding subcommittee, involving up to four additional meetings a year.

Closing date: 20 February 2017.

Candidates to be informed if they have been shortlisted for interview: 2 March 2017

Interviews: 8and 9March 2017 in London.

Welcome

Thank you for your interest in becoming a trustee with Girlguiding, a fabulous movement of over 550,000 members across the UK. At local level an amazing 100,000 volunteers lead around 30,000 unit meetings each week. At national level we are led through the Girlguiding Board of Trustees who again offer their services on a voluntary basis. In addition to our incredible 100,000 volunteers, Girlguiding employs 240 staff and our annual turnover is £17 million.

The role of trustee offers varied and challenging opportunities for people who want to help shape the future of the charity. As a member of the board, you will be asked to make your ideas and influence count at board meetings and stakeholder events. You will also be invited to sit on one of our governance committees, contributing your skills and knowledge to develop the organisation in the areas of: Remuneration, Nominations and Governance, Audit and Risk, and Finance. As a new trustee, we will support you in the role through an induction and training programme.

Our trustees need to have a mix of many different skills and experiences in order to help set and monitor the direction of the organisation, and these are outlined later in this pack.

I hope that after reading the information contained within this pack you will feel inspired to put forward an expression of interest.

I very much look forward to hearing from you.

Valerie Le Vaillant

Chair of the Girlguiding Board of Trustees and Chief Guide

About Girlguiding

Girlguiding is the leading charity for girls and young women in the UK and the largest female-focused charity, with over half a million members. Our latest annual report can be accessed here

We are active in every part of the UK, delivering 30,000 guiding meetings a week that give girls and young women a space where they can be themselves, have fun, build brilliant friendships, gain valuable life skills and make a positive difference to their lives and their communities. Through these weekly meetings our girls and young women are exposed to fabulous age-appropriate opportunities.

Our youngest group, called Rainbows (girls aged five to seven; four to seven in Northern Ireland), follow a programme called the Rainbow Roundabout.They take part in lots of different fun activities such as exploring the wider world through interactive games and unique events.

Brownies are girls aged seven to ten who follow a programme called the Brownie Adventure.Being a Brownie opens up a world of exciting challenges and the opportunity to try new things such as camping adventures andonce-in-a-lifetime events like sleeping overnight in London Zoo and meeting the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street!

Guides are girls aged 10 to 14 who are given the chance to develop their individual skills and abilities, to explore their attitudes and develop their personal opinions, and to try out new challenges as part of a team. Guides can get involved in anything from adventure sports to performing arts, travel and taking part in social action projects. Guides also have anannualpop concert just for them called the BIG GIG!

The Senior Section offers young women aged 14 to 25 the opportunity to develop their skills and abilities through a flexible and inspiring programme.Our oldest youth membersare offered a huge variety of challenges, activities and opportunities for personal development, including overseas development projects, young leadership and advocacy.

About the Girlguiding Board of Trustees

There are 12 trustee positions which include:

• the Chief Guide, who is also Chair of the Board
• the Deputy Chief Guide
• the Treasurer
• nine trustees drawn from inside and outside Girlguiding membership.

Details of our current trustees can be found at

The board meets at least four times a year, including two overnight residentials. In addition to the board, there are four governance committees. Trustees will be asked to join one of these. The Audit and Risk Committee, Finance Committee and Nominations and Governance Committee each meet four times a year and the Remuneration Committee meets three times a year.

Governance committee Chairs are drawn from trustee board members according to the skills and experience required. Committees are composed of both trustees and non-trustees.

Trustees serve up to a three-year term of office, with a possible second term subject to a review of performance and a consideration of the balance of skills and expertise needed on the Board at that time. All trustees are appointed based on a person specification and a skills matrix for the board which reflects the needs of good governance in general and Girlguiding in particular. Trustees are unpaid but all reasonable travel and out-of-pocket expenses are paid. All trustees will have a thorough induction as well as ongoing support, training and development in the role.

Responsibilities of trustees

The Girlguiding Board of Trustees has overall legal responsibility for the direction and control of Girlguiding, and is collectively accountable for compliance with relevant legislative and regulatory requirements. The trustee position therefore carries legal duties and responsibilities. It is a voluntary role, which should be undertaken because you are committed to furthering the purposes of Girlguiding and have the skills, experience and personal qualities needed for the strategic management of our complex organisation.

The Chair and trustees have overall responsibility for the policy and strategic direction of Girlguiding. The day-to-day operations are conducted by Girlguiding staff and volunteers under the overall leadership of the trustees. To serve as a trustee you must be over the age of 18 and not disqualified because of bankruptcy, unspent criminal convictions for offences of deception or dishonesty, or a legal order for removal/disqualification as a trustee or company director. It is a criminal offence to act as a trustee while disqualified. As a trustee you must act at all times in the interests of Girlguiding.

Girlguiding Board Terms of Reference

Purpose

To direct Girlguiding.

To be trustees of Girlguiding.

Functions

1. To establish the Vision and Mission of Girlguiding; and what it means for the organisation at every level, and to ensure the organisation lives up to this purpose.

1. To establish and maintain the values of the organisation.

1. To set strategic direction, approve strategic plans and policies, agree the organisation’s key areas of priority, and ensure it has the capacity to deliver these.

1. To define organisational goals, set targets and evaluate performance against agreed targets.

1. To provide insight, sound judgement and constructive challenge to the CEO and Executive Directors.

1. To provide representation of the widest interests and stakeholders of the organisation; to manage conflicting interests, but to act on behalf of the whole organisation.

1. To ensure financial viability of the organisation, ensure proper investment of funds in accordance with Girlguiding’s stated objectives and approve long-term financial strategy and the annual income and expenditure budgets.

1. To appoint, support, provide direction to and manage the performance of the Chief Executive.

1. To ensure there is a framework for effective and open two-way communication between Chief Commissioners and the Board of Trustees.

1. To agree terms of reference for governance committees and working groups.

1. To ensure that Girlguiding works within WAGGGS membership requirements.

1. To ensure that the organisation functions within the legal, charitable and financial requirements of a charity, meets regulatory requirements and strives to achieve best practice.

1. To set strategic and organisational risk appetite and policy, review the risk register and ensure mitigating actions are in place.

1. To use any specific skills, knowledge and experience to help the Board of Trustees reach sound decisions (this will include the scrutiny of proposals, leading and initiating discussions, providing advice or guidance on new initiatives and utilising any specialist expertise and experience).

1. To regularly review the governance of the organisation, including the performance of the Board of Trustees, governance committees and the people who serve on them.

Meetings

1. To be chaired by the Chief Guide unless she appoints the Deputy Chief Guide to act as Chair in her place or appoints a Vice Chair to take the Chair in her absence.
2. To have 12 members including the Chief Guide and Deputy Chief Guide. At least 20% of trustees must be external to Girlguiding membership.
3. To have members other than the Chief Guide and Deputy Chief Guide appointed for terms of up to three years, and for a maximum of two terms, with interim mutual review.
4. To have as a quorum two-thirds of voting members and to accept decisions based on half of voting members present, with the Chair having a casting vote if necessary
5. To meet a minimum of four times a year, plus attend at least one strategy away day a year
6. To input into discussions and make decisions in between meetings by teleconference, videoconference and email as required.
7. Meetings to be attended by CEO and Directors. Further members of the Senior Management Team to attend as required by the agenda.

Girlguiding Board of Trustees Person Specification

This is to be read in conjunction with ‘The terms of reference of the Girlguiding Board of Trustees’ on page 7 within which all trustees will need to operate and contribute. (It is to be noted that some roles, such as the Chair of Trustees and Treasurer, may have additional responsibilities.)

The Board as a whole needs to include a range of expertise. Board members should complement each other in terms of their skills and experience, so that they collectively set the strategy, drive performance and hold the organisation to account, ensuring propriety, efficiency, effectiveness, management of risk and excellent service to members, within the framework set by the Royal Charter, and in accordance with legislation. Trustees must be able to demonstrate the Essential Criteria below.

Essential Criteria

A commitment to the aims and objectives of Girlguiding, and a proactive interest and enthusiasm in shaping and advising on the future of Girlguiding.
Relevant external skills and experience drawn from a professional or community background outside guiding (see skills matrix below).
A willingness to devote time and effort in both preparing for, and attending, trustee and other relevant meetings, and a readiness to work in evenings and at weekends as required (estimated total around 20 equivalent days per year).
Good independent judgement and the ability to constructively challenge ideas
An ability to support and encourage the executive team and their staff in their roles, whilst constructively challenging their advice and decisions, and act as a critical friend as required.
Proven ability to work creatively and strategically in a board setting.
An understanding and acceptance of legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of trusteeship and the roles of boards, including the need to provide value for money and goodstewardship for Girlguiding’s charitable funds.
The ability to represent Girlguiding internally and externally, and topromote positive and constructive relationships with members and Girlguiding’s broad range of stakeholders.
An ability to work effectively as a member of a team while contributing an independent perspective.
An ability to objectively discuss issues coming before the board in ways that focus on building consensus and finding practical solutions.
A commitment to Nolan’s seven principles of public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.
Strong communication skills and the ability to analyse and interpret information.
An ability to discharge non-executive responsibilities (such as audit, governance and risk management skills) whether through charitable/voluntary or business experience.
Be at least 18 years of age.

Skills Matrix

The list below details the skills that are needed on the Girlguiding Trustee Board. While Girlguiding does not expect each individual trustee to offer all of these skills it is important that skills are balanced across the board and that the board as a body can offer advanced skills in each area listed.

Charity sector (outside Girlguiding)
Commercial /Trading for profit
Financial acumen
Strategic Planning
Experience in non-guiding education/youth work
Risk Management
Safeguarding
Fundraising/income generation
HR
PR/Marketing/Comms
Governance/Chairing/Board Experience
Organisational development
Monitoring/evaluation
IT/CRM/Digital
Volunteer leadership and support/Experience membership organisation

Candidate Profile

Girlguiding is seeking to complement the skill set of existing trustees and, in this recruitment round, successful candidates must be able to demonstrate sound knowledge and experience of strategic management and governancein one or more of the following areas:

Digital transformation: including organisational change management through digital transformation.

Developing and implementing quality frameworks and learning and development: including Quality Assurance and/or Learning and Development strategies and/or People strategies.

Membership development: including membership growth strategies, membership servicing strategies and using data to understand trends.

Previous board experience: Girlguiding has a strong commitment to youth participation, inclusion and diversity. Applications are particularly welcome from candidates who will bring additional diversity to the board, and from young candidates who can ensure that the voice of youth is present in all Girlguiding decision making.All successful candidates will need to be able to demonstrate that they can work at a strategic level as a non-executive, and have previous experience as a board committee member, trustee or non-executive director.

How to apply

In order to express your interest in a role on the Girlguiding Board of Trustees, please complete the application form below together with the skills matrix, giving examples of your experience or level of expertise in the right hand column.

Please email your completed form to by midnight on 20 February 2017, along with a personal statement explaining why you wish to become a Girlguiding trustee and why you think you should be appointed. Please ensure that you address each part of the person specification on page 9in your statement and detail your background in relation to the points highlighted in the section entitled Candidate Profileon page 10.

Your personal statement should give evidence of the strength and depth of your ability to meet all of theessential criteria for this role. Please provide specific examples to demonstrate how you meet each of the essential criteria (max two pages please).

The candidates who, from the information provided, meetallthe essential criteria at the highest level will be invited for interview. It is therefore important that your statement gives full but concise information relevant to the essential criteria.

Application to become a Girlguiding Trustee
Name
Address
Email address
Telephone number

I confirm that I am aged 18 or over and that I am not prevented from serving as a charity trustee by reason of bankruptcy, unspent criminal convictions for offences of deception or dishonesty, or a legal order for removal/disqualification as a trustee or company director.

I am a member of Girlguiding and my membership number is

I am not a member of Girlguiding

If I am not successful in being appointed as a Girlguiding trustee on this occasion I would be interested in being considered for a non trustee position on one of the Girlguiding Governance committees.

I have written a personal statement as detailed above and am emailing it with this form to

Referees

Please provide details of two referees who should be able to evidence your ability to work strategically at Board level and your specialist knowledge in relation to one of the specific criteria listed under the Candidate Profile section on page 10. Girlguiding will take up references for relevant candidates following the interview stage.

Name Name / Name
Address / Address
Organisation / Organisation:
Position in organisation / Position in organisation
Relationship to you / Relationship to you
Tel / Tel
Email / Email

Skills Matrix

Please complete the skills matrix on the next page using the following guidance:

1: Professional qualification or three years plus senior level experiencein an executive role or a voluntary role at national level

2: Some experience and knowledge obtained either through a qualification, volunteering or employment

Blank: No experience or knowledge.

Area of knowledge/experience / 1: Detailed knowledge
2: Some knowledge / Please give examples of your experience or knowledge
Charity sector (outside Girlguiding)
Commercial /Trading for profit
Financial acumen
Strategic Planning
Experience in non-guiding education/youth work
Risk Management
Safeguarding
Fundraising/income generation
HR
PR/Marketing/Comms
Governance/Chairing/Board Experience
Organisational development
Monitoring/evaluation
IT/CRM/Digital
Volunteer leadership and support/Membership Organisation Experience

Girlguiding helps girls and young women to reach their potential, whatever their ability or background

This principle is applied across our organisation and we are committed to promoting equality and diversity through our recruitment processes. We value the differences that a diverse trustee board can bring to our charity.