Food bank volunteer roles in edinburgh

West Lothian Foodbank are seeking to recruit trustees with an interest in helping others, who are willing to uphold the food bank’s values, and who can bring life experience to the board of trustees.

Trustees have collective responsibility for the governance of the organisation and for all decisions made by the board. They set the strategic direction for the charity, ensuring alignment to its values, and are responsible for setting organisational policy, defining goals, agreeing the financial plan, evaluating performance, and ensuring that strong relationships are maintained between the trustees, staff, volunteers, and users of the charity’s services.

Key tasks

• to approve, support and guide the charity’s purpose, vision, strategy, goals and objectives to manage the charity’s resources responsibly, including ensuring the charity’s assets are used only to carry out its purpose, avoid undue risk and not over-commit the charity
• to ensure the effective and efficient administration of the charity, responding to changes in the local community as appropriate to ensure that key risks are identified, monitored and controlled appropriately
• to ensure appropriate financial plans are in place, budgets are monitored, and progress is evaluated
• to review and approve financial statements
• to help promote the organisation to key stakeholders and beneficiaries
• to ensure the charity has appropriate procedures to comply with current legislation and good practice, including employment, health and safety, equity, diversity and inclusion, safeguarding, and GDPR compliance/data protection.
• to prepare for and regularly attend and participate in board and subcommittee meetings and any trustee away days.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for people who want to help their local community and work towards the eradication of food poverty whilst supporting the food bank to continue to provide emergency food to people who find themselves in crisis. Our ideal candidates would demonstrate:

• a strong and visible passion and commitment to the charity, its strategic objectives and cause.
• the ability to identify with our mission to end poverty.
• compassion and empathy in your day-to-day interactions with food bank staff, volunteers and service users.
• a willingness to devote the necessary time and effort towards being a trustee
• good, independent judgement and strategic vision
• a proven track record of sound judgement and effective decision making
• impartiality, fairness and the ability to respect confidences, coupled with an ability to work effectively as a member of a team
• understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of trusteeship
• commitment to promoting equality and diversity

 Whatever your background, we want to make sure you are supported and empowered and enjoy your time volunteering with us. We know that having volunteers from a diverse range of backgrounds, with varying experiences, can help to make what we do as effective as possible. As such, we welcome all applicants regardless of age, religion or beliefs, disability, ethnic background, gender reassignment, sex, or sexual orientation. We also encourage those with lived experience of poverty to apply.

What difference will you make?

By leading on fundraising and grants matters for the food bank, you are part of providing a vital holistic support function in your local community, ensuring a dignified experience to anyone visiting or anyone who comes into contact with West Lothian Foodbank.