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The Society is always interested in hearing from people who are interested in our work and who have the skills, knowekdge and expereince which could enable them to help contrinue to the good goverenance of the Society by becoming a Trustee.

The following information is to help you decide if you are eligible and want to apply for this roll.

Organisational Structure and Trustee Meetings

There are between 10 and 17 Trustees with, as far as possible, a balance between Trustees living or working in the East and West of Scotland.  Trustees are appointed to serve for an initial term of 3 to 4 years, with the opportunity to be re-appointed, up to a maximum tenure of 12 years.  They are not remunerated, but travel expenses are reimbursed.

The General Committee meets 4 times each year (currently on Friday mornings), usually alternately at venues in Edinburgh and Glasgow but with the option to attend virtually if needed (or if required by the COVID-19 pandemnic restrictions).  One of these meetings is also the Annual General Meeting.  The Society also has two sub-committees which meet periodically and which focus on over sight of (a) the management of our investments and (b) our policies and procedures for making grants to beneficiaries.  

Trustee Person Specification

Essential Criteria:

• Commitment to the work of the organisation.
• Good communication skills and the ability to work as part of a group to further the Society’s work.
• Able to exercise independent judgement and take reasonable care, skill and diligence in their role on the Committee.
• Willing to give the time to attend Committee meetings (at least 75% of meetings) and undertake preparatory work.

Desirable Criteria:

• Previous experience on a Board of Trustees, or an understanding of the charitable sector.
• Competent computer user and able to communicate regularly by email.

Additionally, all Trustees must meet the “Fit and Proper Persons” criteria for being a Charity Trustee. You can find guidance on the duties of Trustees on the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator’s website.

Current Trustee Vacancies

While we are always open to expressions of interest to join the Society as a Trustee, we are currently particularly interested to hear from individuals with experience and expertise in:

• Accountancy and/or charity finance
• Medical skills and/or knowledge or experience of:
• the health of older people
• mental health issues
• the challenges faced by disabled people
• Experience or knowledge of the issues around poverty

However, we would also be interested to hear from individuals with other relevant skills who would be interested in contributing to the future work and direction of the Society.

RSSWS’s support is open to women from all backgrounds, faiths and communities.  We would like to welcome new Trustees from similarly diverse backgrounds and who are representative and reflective of the communities we serve.  We are also interested to hear from individuals based in the the West or North of Scotland.

For more information please see here.  Please also feel free to contact the Chief Executive on 0131 229 2308 for an informal dicussion if you are interest in the role.

Recruitment process

To apply please send your CV and a covering letter explaining why you would like to be involved and what skills and experience you have to offer. Please also provide details of TWO referees.  Please send your application by email to the Chief Executive at ceo@rssws.org.

The closing date for the current round of applications is 18th October 2021.  Short-listed candidates will be asked to meet a Selection Panel for interview by Zoom on during late October or early November and recommendations made thereafter to the General Committee. References will only be taken up following the interview.

Data Protection

All information provided in your application, or from your referees, will be used to process your application and to monitor the recruitment process in accordance with the GDPR.  Personal information on unsuccessful applicants will be held for up to 6 months and thereafter destroyed unless permission has been given for records being retained for possible future opportunities.