Become a trustee
Join the board and steer the future of the Community Garden
Being a trustee
We are very small and pretty new as a charity — in brief, we the board of trustees look after the charity which raises funds for and plans for the future of Manor Park’s beautiful local garden, on behalf of all the people and communities here.
Trustees are volunteers with a specific role: making sure that the charity is run in the best interests of the garden and local people.
We are looking for local people to join us as a trustee.
What would you do as a trustee?
You would commit to attending board meetings - currently these take place every other month on a Thursday evening in the garden when the weather permits or in the library if not. These are usually 6.15-7.45pm, but we can adjust this if needed to suit the current group of trustees.
At board meetings you would discuss the garden’s high level plans and strategy, with the aim of coming to agreement with fellow trustees. A lot of this is behind the scenes sorts of decisions — deciding what funding to apply for, deciding what to focus our energy on for the next season, planning the recruitment of trustees and volunteers, and looking after the garden’s finances
Ideally, you would take responsibility for a piece of work — for example, you could take the lead on organising the recruitment of new trustees, or on liaising with the council about our lease. We would ask that you attend some events at the garden and encourage your local friends and contacts to enjoy the garden. We all try to support each other and to support the wonderful group of volunteers who care for the garden.
You wouldn’t need to do any gardening yourself (unless of course you want to) — this is not part of the trustee role.
What do you get from being a trustee?
We can’t describe it better than the Young Trustee Movement who say:
“Being a trustee enables you to support organisations that you believe are doing important work. You’re able to be part of the amazing work they’re doing and contribute to it.
As a trustee you’ll be dedicating your skills, knowledge, time and energy into making sure the charity and the way it’s governed are suitable and fit for purpose.
You’ll also be able to develop your skills, build your CV and learn from others. Taking on a trustee role, and being aware and motivated by the potential impact on your career is not a bad thing!
The brilliant thing about being a trustee is that you're able to give and gain at the same time.”
Email us at e12garden@gmail.com if you’d like to talk to us about applying, or simply fill in this form and send to the email address above.
