Play a key role in driving forward the University’s mission and strategy
What will you be doing?
The members of the Board of Governors work together to oversee the activities of the University, ensure its long-term future, approve its strategy, and safeguard its good name and reputation.
We are seeking a new governor with experience, skills or knowledge of one or more of the following areas:
- Community and region in Northampton, Northamptonshire and/or the surrounding areas
- Finance
- IT
You will work as part of a strong and supportive team of your fellow governors and staff. In return you will build your own professional experience, profile and impact. This may include building new skills which will boost your professional expertise.
The University of Northampton is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and to providing an inclusive environment for staff, students, governors and our stakeholders. We believe strongly that having Board members from a wide range of personal and professional backgrounds ensures the diversity of thought and rigour of debate which characterises a high-performing Board. Applications from women, those with global ethnic majority backgrounds, with declared disabilities, and LBGT+ candidates are warmly received.
In recruiting to the Board, we seek a broad and diverse range of previous professional and personal skills and experiences. Appointments take account of the personal and professional skills and experience of applicants in the context of the overall composition of the Board.
The role is voluntary with reasonable expenses reimbursed.
What are we looking for?
The essential skills are:
- Either a track record of achievement in a career, or other experience or expertise which would enable you to contribute to the Board
- Experience of creating and implementing strategy in a complex environment with multiple stakeholders
- Experience, skills or knowledge of one or more of the following:
- Community and region in Northampton, Northamptonshire and/or the surrounding areas
- Finance
- IT
- Ability to work in a collaborative manner, reaching consensus, debating constructively and accepting collective responsibility
- Ability to assimilate complex information and use this to offer constructive challenge
- Demonstrable experience of good practice in equality, diversity and inclusion and the ability to challenge around these issues
- Excellent communication skills (the ability to participate in constructive debate, express a point of view in an articulate manner and demonstrate critical listening skills)
- Ability to commit sufficient time to the role
- Prepared to represent the University in a positive way to internal and external stakeholders
- Fulfils the criteria for independence
The desirable skills are:
- Experience of governance through working on a board or committee
- Awareness of the operational issues of managing an organisation (including for example leadership, risk management, monitoring performance, business development, customer experience and customer relationship management, marketing, public relations or communications, human resources, law, project management)
What difference will you make?
As a member of the Board, you can help the University engage with, reflect and respond to the needs of our student, staff and stakeholder communities. You will be part of an organisation which has social impact as its purpose. The University is an economic engine and a force for social change for the county, the region, and the UK. Our latest Economic Impact Report showed that for every £1 spent running the University, £4 is returned to the economy – a 300% return on investment.
As the Board sets the strategy, our governors are at the forefront of the development of the University and the trustees and stewards of its long-term future.
The University relies on its governors to give oversight and to be a critical friend.
Before you apply
Please apply through Reach. Please submit a CV and a cover letter. Your cover letter should outline your suitability for the role with particular reference to the person specification which you will find in the role description.
The closing date for applications is 30 May. Interviews will take place on 13 June 2025 in person in Northampton.
If you have any questions about the role or making an application you are very welcome to contact Miriam Lakin via Reach.
Non Charity Employer
More than 1000
Our ultimate purpose is social impact.
Thank you!
Becoming a Trustee
Thank you for your interest in becoming a Trustee with Citizens Advice Cheshire West. This information pack should provide you with useful and important information about our organization and what it means to be one of our Trustees.
Citizens Advice Cheshire West Aims
- To ensure the right advice for everyone, ensuring people do not suffer because they do not understand their rights and responsibilities, or because they are unable to express their needs effectively.
- To improve the policies and practices that affect people’s lives by campaigning about issues that affect our clients and influencing decision-makers locally and nationally.
Our vision
- To be THE go-to charity for advice & support in Cheshire West
Our mission
- We advise, support and empower people to improve their lives
- We are accessible and known to all for the best, impartial advice
- We influence policy for a more equal and inclusive society
Our values
- We care about what we do and the people we work with
- We champion justice, fairness and equality
- We adapt to keep pace with a changing world
What skills/experience do you need to have?
You don’t need any specific qualifications or skills but you’ll need to:
- Understand and accept the responsibilities and liabilities of being a trustee.
- Be non-judgmental and respect views, values and cultures that are different from your own.
- Have good listening, verbal and written communication skills.
- Be able to exercise good independent judgement.
- Have good numeracy skills to understand accounts with the support of the Treasurer.
- Be willing to learn about and follow the Citizens Advice aims, principles and policies, including confidentiality and data protection.
- Be willing to undertake training for your role.
What’s in it for you?
- Make a positive impact for local people by ensuring Citizens Advice Cheshire West is sustainable and able to meet the needs of the community.
- Build relationships with staff, volunteers and other trustees.
- Build on your governance, leadership and strategy skills.
- Increase your employability.
And we’ll reimburse expenses too.
Citizens Advice Service
The Citizens Advice service is made up of national Citizens Advice and a network of around 290 local Citizens Advice members.
The Citizens Advice service is based on four principles:
- Independent - We will always act in the interests of our clients, without influence from outside bodies
- Impartial - We don’t judge our clients or make assumptions about them. Our service is open to everyone and we treat everyone equally.
- Confidential - We won’t pass anything on what a client tells us, or even the fact they have visited, without permission.
- Free - No client has to pay for any part of the service we provide.
We help resolve people’s problems by accessing a large electronic information system to ensure our clients are given accurate, up-to-date information on their rights and responsibilities. We also aim to change policies and practices that affect our clients, and we call this Research and Campaigns.
What does Citizens Advice Cheshire West do?
Citizens Advice Cheshire West provides general and specialist legal help to everyone in the Cheshire West area.
We give advice to help people overcome the problems they face, in areas such as benefits, debt, employment, housing, relationships and immigration.
We use our knowledge about our clients’ problems to identify trends and campaign to improve the policies and practices that affect people's lives.
We have specialist services including money advice, welfare rights, and energy advice, Help to Claim and Pension Wise service.
Our local service has over 100 trained volunteers and paid staff. We deal with over 15,000 clients each year, via face to face interviews, over the telephone and through email & webchat.
Our aim is to provide “impartial advice to everyone on their rights and responsibilities”, irrespective of who they are and what background they are from. We encourage all staff and volunteers to welcome diversity, to respect the individuality of each person and value their contributions.
Everyone that uses or needs our service needs to know that we are free, impartial, confidential and independent. We want people to feel comfortable using our service, know that they can get advice when they need it and receive a good service that meets their needs.
What does a trustee have to do?
- Complete an induction.
- Gain and maintain an awareness of how Citizens Advice Cheshire West operates.
- Read papers for Board meetings and attend 7 meetings per year.
- Be willing to work on projects with other trustees and/or paid staff.
- Attend 1 Trustee Development Day per year.
- Take an active discussion during board meetings and work with other trustees to:
- set policy and strategy direction, set targets and evaluate the performance of Citizens Advice Cheshire West;
- Make a positive impact for local people by ensuring Citizens Advice Cheshire West is sustainable and able to meet the needs of the community;
- Build relationships with staff, volunteers and other trustees;
- seek the views of all sections of the community and monitor how well the service meets the needs of the local community;
- ensure that the service plans for the recruitment and turnover of staff and volunteers; and
- review its own work and how effectively it operates including action for improvement.
- monitor the financial position ensuring that it operates within its means and objectives, ensuring that there are clear lines of accountability for day to day financial management;
- ensure that all the finances and supporting financial control systems are in order including that full financial records are kept for all transactions, that money is only spent for the purpose given, and that proper financial controls are in place to safeguard the organisation’s resources;
How much time do you need to give?
- There are at least 5 two-hour Trustee Board meetings per year, usually held between 5pm and 7pm.
- 1 day per year to attend a Trustee Board Development Day.
- Trustees may be asked to attend additional meetings from time to time, including during office hours.
Valuing inclusion
Our volunteers come from a range of backgrounds and we particularly welcome applications from disabled people, people with physical or mental health conditions, LGBT+ and non-binary people, and people from Black Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities.
If you are interested in becoming a trustee and would like to discuss flexibility and how we can support you, please contact us.
Contact details
If you would like to discuss the role further please contact Nicki Berg, Head of People:
To apply
To apply, please download and complete our application form on our website.
This role is advertised as part of TPP's Free Giving Back Services. This volunteer advertisement copy has been supplied to TPP and applicants apply direct to the organisation. Please contact the organisation directly if you have any questions about this volunteer role.
Thank you!
The Sheila McKechnie Foundation (SMK) was set up in June 2005 in memory of legendary campaigner, Sheila McKechnie.Campaigning is vital to a healthy society. We help campaigners to thrive. In a free and hopeful society, people need to know they have the power to make a difference: that they are able to envisage change and can push for that change to happen. For nearly two decades, we have helped all sorts of individuals, causes and charities to find their power as changemakers – as campaigners. We support, connect and champion these campaigners, equipping them to go after the social change they seek.
The Chair will hold the Board and staff team to account for SMK’s mission and vision, provide inclusive leadership to the Board and ensure that Board members fulfil their duties and responsibilities for the effective governance of SMK. The Chair will line manage and support the Chief Executive and ensure that the Board functions as a unit and works closely with the Chief Executive and staff team to achieve agreed objectives. They may also be asked to act as an ambassador and a public face of SMK in partnership with the Chief Executive and the Board.
For further information, see our website and the recruitment pack.
