Trustees

Organisation: Cumbria CVS

Salary Details: Voluntary role

Closing date for applications: 31 Dec 2025

Could you help us make a real difference across Cumbria?

Cumbria CVS offers help, advice, training and support to the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector (VCFSE) throughout Cumbria, offering support to 2,500+ organisations.

We aim to make a real difference across the county in pursuit of our mission to increase Impact, Influence, and Investment in and from Cumbria CVS and the Third Sector.

Be a crucial part of this by volunteering as a trustee and joining our board. This is a diverse and exciting opportunity to shape the organisation and support the third sector of Cumbria.

What is a Trustee?

The role of trustee is vital for holding the organisation to account and ensuring public confidence, for determining the overall direction of the organisation, and providing leadership.

This is achieved through attending meetings and working with our dedicated staff team to assist in the design and delivery of our core services.

Why be a Trustee?

While there is a commitment to volunteer your time, there is so much to gain from being a trustee.

Being a trustee is rewarding – and a great opportunity for professional development. You can gain experience of strategy and leadership, of being a non-executive director, and other key skills including:

  • Influencing and negotiation
  • Managing risk
  • Teamwork
  • Time management
  • Communication
  • Handling difficult conversations
  • Decision making

You will be part of a supportive trustee board, sharing your ideas on future CVS projects, and using your knowledge to support change and innovation. You can share your skills to strengthen others, and developing skills that you may not yet have had the opportunity to explore.

We will support you with our team of dedicated staff and offer you a training and development package to assist you on your journey with us.

Could you be a Cumbria CVS Trustee?

Trustees are the backbone of any charity, setting the organisation’s overall direction, and making sure it’s well run.

We’ve already got a strong (and friendly!) Trustee Board, which includes people with a wide range of professional skills. We’d be keen to hear from anyone interested in joining us, but we’re particularly interested in recruiting people:

  • Who have hands on experience (as a volunteer or staff member) in a small local voluntary or community sector organisation, and who can help to keep us focussed on the needs of those local organisations
  • Who live and/or work in the west or south of Cumbria (as many of our current trustees come from the north Cumbria area)

Click here to view a Trustee Role Description and Person Specification

 

What’s the commitment?

Each year, our trustees are expected to attend:

  • 4 half-day Trustee Board meetings (usually in person)
  • 4 short committee meetings (either HR or Finance – often online)
  • Our AGM

You might find your employer has an employee volunteering policy that will allow you time off work to attend these meetings.

 

What’s the next step?

If you’re interested in becoming a Cumbria CVS Trustee, please get in touch with Carolyn Otley, our Chief Executive, for an initial chat – Carolyno@cumbriacvs.org.uk

And if you’re not interested yourself, can you think of anyone else who might be – perhaps you’ve got a member of staff who’s keen to build their skills and their CV?

You can find the Charity Commission information on what’s involved in being a trustee here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/charity-trustee-whats-involved

If you are interested in applying, Click here to download an application form