05.08.20

Be a Compass Trustee

Ahead of delivering our biggest festival programme yet in 2021, we are seeking to diversify the governance of our charity and invite in new voices from a wider range of backgrounds in order to help shape our future. 

We are committed to Leeds and to making extraordinary art projects accessible and available to everyone. Compass has grown steadily over the last 9 years and we want to expand the board to include some additional skills and perspectives. 

As a registered arts charity Compass has a board of trustees to guide and help us make good decisions; offering advice, expertise and support to the staff who are employed to run Compass on a day to day basis, as well as ensuring the financial and legal requirements of running a company and charity are all met.

We are keen to invite people who may not have considered serving on a board before but who have a lot to offer because of where they live, who they work with, their life experiences and their own personal and professional skills.  

We are especially keen to increase the diversity of the Compass Board of Trustees to be more representative of the artists and communities we work with. The Covid-19 emergency has thrown into even starker perspective the prevailing inequalities in our society and it’s more important than ever that our board reflects the city we live and work in.

We would particularly welcome interest from:

• Artists.  
• People who work in community development or are active in their own community.
• People with financial skills e.g. experience in creating/implementing efficient financial systems.
• Marketing knowledge e.g. experience in PR, communications, copy writing and digital marketing.
• Legal experience e.g. background in contract or charity law.
• Some people with previous experience of serving on a board, although that is not essential.

You don’t need to have all these, of course!

We are looking for engaged, active people who can attend 4 meetings a year, be advocates for Compass, attend our events and are willing to take on the responsibilities of becoming a charity trustee. We are looking to work with people who feel they can challenge us and the way we do the work we do. 

What does a Trustee do? 

The responsibility of a board of trustees is to advise and oversee an organisation. A board of trustees are responsible for the general management and administration of a charity. Trustees typically work together behind the scenes, developing strategies to ensure the charity is meeting its objectives. 

Diverse skill sets are important for a board of trustees, as different members bring their own perspectives. This could be anything from specific skills like finance or marketing, to knowledge of communities or experience being an artist. 

ACCESS 

Compass has a small access budget and where possible individuals’ requirements will be accommodated, please include these in your application or get in touch to discuss your requirements in more detail. 

BSL interpretation, closed captioning and image descriptions for online group discussions can be provided. 

For unwaged or freelance trustees, our intention is to pay for travel/accommodation expenses and to pay honorarium (to be agreed) for certain trustee activities. 

APPLY

We’re not planning a formal and lengthy interview process and simply invite application by email with a short explanation of who you are, why you would like to join our board of trustees and what you think you could bring in terms of perspective, experience and skills. 

To apply, email our Co-Director, Annie Lloyd on [email protected] with the subject ‘Compass Board’. 

If you have any questions or you’d like to speak to us about before making an expression of interest, also feel free to email. If the written form is a barrier to you applying and you would prefer to apply with a video, please do. 

CLOSING DATE: 31 August 2020.