Chairperson

Seed of Hope CIC are looking for a unique person to lead us in our next chapter. The person we are looking for will need to have personal experience of mental health problems. Professional experience of working with people with mental health problems would be a bonus. They need to be able to work to and uphold our founding principles: Recovery-Seed of Hope CIC is a Recovery based organisation. Mental Health-Seed of Hope CIC is concerned with the mental health of participants. We are not convinced by the scientific evidence and through our own experience, of the existence of Mental Illness. This does not discount an individual's experience of psychological or emotional distress, or the negative impact of this on a person's life. Pay Equality- Seed of Hope CIC will value the contribution of all employees regardless of seniority in the organisation. Seed of Hope CIC will be a co-operative organisation, and as such will cap the maximum pay of any employee to two and a half times that of the lowest paid employee. Membership- Every participant will be offered the opportunity to contribute to the governance of the organisation as a Member as defined in these articles. Intrinsic Elements-The main activity of Seed of Hope CIC is Social and Therapeutic Horticulture. The main elements of which are shown through research to provide positive outcomes for the participants. These elements: Hope, Increased light levels, Physical activity, Being in nature, Working as part of a team towards a common goal, Nurturing plants and the living environment are not exclusive to Social and Therapeutic Horticulture. Seed of Hope CIC will also carry out activities that provide some or all of the intrinsic elements for participants. Diversity of Income-To maintain the independence of Seed of Hope CIC which may be compromised by a disproportionate reliance on any one stream of income. Income will be sought from all of the following sources-Grants, Trading Income, Payment by Participants, Fundraising Activity, Commissioned Activity. Participant Director- It is of paramount importance to Seed of Hope CIC to have a Participant Director on the Management Team. In order for them to carry out their role all reasonable adjustments will be made to the organisations arrangements for meetings of the Management Team and Overall Steering Group. Humour- Mental Health problems can be both life limiting and life threatening. There is much sadness and distress involved in the lives of those experiencing mental distress and of those who support them. Seed of Hope CIC will at all times work in a positive hopeful way and this includes the use of humour at all levels of our interactions. The intention of this is to raise spirits, reflect on the irony of situations, maintain and promote hope and mental well being. It is not intended to harass, belittle, distress, discriminate, bully or intimidate. Knowledge of Social Enterprise and the specific needs of this type of organisation would be helpful. Time and energy for quarterly meetings, monthly meetings with operational team and attendance at occasional events. Horticultural knowledge and/or experience of forest school would be handy.