Trustee

About the board and Trustee role 

Trustees are volunteers who oversee the strategic direction of the charity and ensure its compliance with regulators and the law. They are also ambassadors for the charity; and they provide the staff team, which does the day-to-day work, with both scrutiny and support. 

The full board meets quarterly. Two meetings focus on ‘business’ – approving budgets and policies, making key decisions, etc. The other two are more discursive, covering strategic issues. 

We have four sub-committees: Finance Audit Investment & Risk, Impact & Income Development, Research & Policy, and Governance & People. Trustees are generally invited to sit on at least one sub-committee, which gives them more detailed insight into the charity’s work in that area. A number of trustees choose to sit on multiple sub-committees (there is no upper limit) and trustees are also welcome to attend any sub-committee, for example as a one-off, to see what happens or if they have an interest in a particular agenda item. Sub-committees also meet quarterly. 

And there is usually one strategy day a year. 

We currently have ten trustees on our board, with skills and experience in charity leadership and governance, addictions psychiatry, academic research, public affairs, policing, and marketing. We are looking to a recruit a further two trustees. 

What we can offer 

1. Our board of trustees, and our charity as a whole, is warm and welcoming. 
2. Everyone is entitled to have their views heard and we work hard to be inclusive of everyone. 
3. We are well organised and professionally run. 
4. We are a dynamic and fast-paced organisation, with a huge range of interesting work happening. 
5. You will have opportunities for personal development and to attend a range of interesting events in your role as a trustee. 
6. Finally, and most importantly, we are laser-focused on making as much difference as possible to end alcohol harm.

Trustees’ Role Description and Person Specification 

Being a Trustee of Alcohol Change UK 

Our Board of Trustees has overall responsibility for the UK’s leading charity in the field of alcohol harm. We are a registered charity (No. 1140287) and a company limited by guarantee (No. 07462605). Our trustees are also members of the charity and directors of the company. Governance is in accordance with both charity and company law. This role description uses the term ‘trustee’ to refer to all three roles (trustee, member, director). 

As well as overseeing proper governance, the Board is responsible for strategic decision-making, upholding the reputation of the charity and ensuring that it delivers on its charitable object to reduce alcohol harm. As a trustee you will share this collective responsibility and bring your personal skills, experience and connections to bear.  

This is an exciting time for the charity as we are in the first year of our newly approved five-year strategy from Apr 2024 to Mar 2029. Our new trustees will play a key role in helping us deliver on this strategy. 

The Duties and Responsibilities of Trustees 

Governing Documents 

Our primary governing document is the Memorandum and Articles of Association which sets out the formal duties and responsibilities of the trustees, directors and members. It is complemented by our Scheme of Delegation. We have also adopted the Code of Good Governance, and remain compliant with the rules of the Charity Commissioners and Companies House. 

General Duties and Responsibilities 

The following are general duties, based on documentation from the Charity Commission and Companies House: 

1. To act in the interests of the charity’s objects – that is, its cause and its beneficiaries. 
2. To act reasonably and prudently in all matters. 
3. To avoid personal views and prejudices affecting your decision-making. 
4. To protect – and actively promote – the property, interests and reputation of the charity. 
5. To set the strategic direction, provide strategic oversight, and make critical decisions. 
6. To always make decisions collectively as a board and in particular to actively support all board decisions (that are made in accordance with the charity’s constitution) regardless of your personal position on such decisions. 
7. To understand how the charity works, including being fully aware of the charity’s general risks and its financial position. 
8. To ensure compliance with all statutory requirements as set out by Companies House and the Charity Commission and by other relevant statutory bodies and legislation. 
9. To challenge and support the CEO and, through them, the broader staff team. 

Additional Duties and Responsibilities 

The following additional duties and responsibilities have been adopted by Alcohol Change UK: 

1. To abide by Alcohol Change UK’s policies, such as those on equal opportunities, health and safety, safeguarding, code of conduct, conflicts of interest, GDPR, etc. 
2. To endeavour to achieve at least 75% attendance at Board meetings. In accordance with the governing documents, trustees missing three consecutive board meetings without reasonable cause will normally be asked to step down. 
3. To undertake training as required and to participate in an annual development appraisal. 
4. To join at least one of the charity’s four sub-committees. 
5. To represent Alcohol Change UK at events and to act as a positive ambassador for Alcohol Change UK amongst its key audiences. 
6. To understand and respect the boundary between governance and the operational matters that are delegated to the staff team. 
7. To respond to Alcohol Change UK correspondence in a timely manner. 

Extra Duties of the Treasurer 

1. Chairing the Finance Audit Investment and Risk sub-committee. 
2. Advising the CEO and board on financial strategy and risk. 
3. Supporting the CEO and finance staff on financial matters, for example by advising the staff team on the production of budgets, management accounts and other financial information to ensure they are as useful to the board as possible. 
4. Providing substantive input to the Trustees’ Annual Report & Accounts. 
5. Having a direct line of communication with the auditors.