Trustees are critical to the success of any charity. The role is rewarding and enjoyable. Our trustees take ultimate responsibility for everything we do at Literacy Pirates. They use their expertise to steer us in the right direction.

The Board currently consists of 11 trustees and we are recruiting one or two more to support with fundraising and add digital expertise.

We are looking for people who want to use their skills and experience to help us achieve our mission, to make the world more equitable. We are looking for diverse voices to join as trustees so that we can push ourselves to make even more impact, for even more children.

What does a trustee do?

• Come prepared and enthusiastic to all trustee meetings.
• Commit to the organisation’s success and support at events and with campaigns.
• Safeguard the reputation of Literacy Pirates.
• Support the staff team with your expertise and advice.
• Ensure the charity complies with all its statutory duties.

Can you bring expertise in these areas?

We are looking for specific expertise to help build the teams knowledge and connections within the following areas:

Digital and Tech/IT - our ambition is to create an outstanding learning programme delivered online. We need expertise to help us navigate the opportunities that tech has to offer the educational space. We need guidance to find the best solutions and tailor them to suit our needs. We need introductions to help us find digital partnerships that will give us the resources to achieve a next level online programme.

Fundraising - over the next three years we want to double our annual income. We need an ambassador who can introduce us to new networks with business and charitable foundations. We need a advisor to help us build a strong business case that will attract even more donors.   

What we are looking for:

• A strong, visible passion for what we do
• Exhibit strong interpersonal and relationship building abilities
• Diverse experience in life, especially in ethnic and economic background, and religious beliefs.
• Experience and comfort with an ambassadorial role
• Demonstrate tact and diplomacy, with the ability to listen and engage effectively
• Ability to foster and promote a collaborative environment
• Personal gravitas for an organisation aiming to be a significant national organisation
• Strong personal networks and networking capabilities that can be utilised for the benefit of Literacy Pirates
• Ability to commit time to conduct the role effectively, including travel and attending events out of office hours.

“Becoming a trustee is a responsibility, and also a source of great joy. You will attend celebration events and get involved in many ways. You become an ambassador for the charity.”

The trustee role is voluntary, though we reimburse all out of pockets expenses.

You will be DBS checked.

Time commitment

Trustees meet four times a year at quarterly board meetings in Nov, Feb and June. Two online and one in person, usually 7-9pm on a weekday. The meetings are lively and interesting.
Between meetings trustees run our Advisory Committees which are expected to meet twice between Board meetings.
We can be flexible about meeting times to allow for your caring responsibilities.

A successful trustee spends, on average, about half a day per month doing trustee type things:

• Coming to meetings
• Coming to meetings with staff members
• Preparing for these meetings
• Going to visit our Ships and coming to events
• Coming to strategic planning events

Trustees volunteer for two years, after which they can be re-elected for a further term. There is also a six-month trustee probation period at the start. This gives you a chance to try out a couple of meetings and ensure that the role and time commitment works for you.

How to apply

The process is quite simple – tell us about yourself and we will invite you to interview. The best way to tell us about yourself is to send your CV and a cover letter, letting us know why you would be a great trustee for Literacy Pirates and you experience in one of the areas above.

The next stage is an interview with three of our current trustees. Interviews will be scheduled on a rolling basis, so apply when you are ready – but don’t leave it too late or the spot might be gone!

We’d be delighted to hear about how we can tailor the interview process to suit your needs.

Got questions and want to speak to someone?

Jude, Chief Executive or Nick, Chair welcome the chance to tell you more about what we are planning in the next few years and how we work.