Trustee

About Somerset Community Foundation

Somerset Community Foundation (SCF) helps passionate people in Somerset change the world on their doorstep by funding local charities and inspiring local giving and philanthropy.

We provide rewarding and impactful ways for donors to give to the people, places and causes they care most about in Somerset. Working with individuals, businesses and public sector partners, we are the largest independent funder of local communities in our county.

Since we were founded in 2002, we’ve awarded over £30 million in funding, to thousands of local charities and social enterprises, and hundreds of individuals, building stronger communities and changing thousands of people’s lives across Somerset.

We are also building a significant endowment as a long-term asset to sustain our support long into the future.

We’ve grown significantly in the past six years and our next strategy, to be launched in early summer 2025, will set out ambitious plans for the next 10 years to increase our impact and influence and build a Foundation that will benefit our communities for generations to come.  

SCF is part of a network of 47 Community Foundations operating throughout the UK. Together we are one of the largest funders of communities across the nation.

Our Values

We’re here for everyone – We embed diverse perspectives throughout everything we do and welcome and value the uniqueness in everyone.

We drive equity – We work to better understand the needs, challenges, dreams and aspirations of historically underfunded communities* and take positive action to redress the balance.

We act with integrity – We’re transparent about how and why we do things and always do the best we can.

We lead with kindness – We’re supportive, compassionate and respectful to each other and everyone we serve.

We strive to be better – We seek and reflect on feedback and insight, foster collaboration and share our learnings to get better results.

The opportunity 

We’re building our Board of Trustees to provide us with the skills and expertise we need to sustain the highest standards of governance, while reflecting the diversity and expertise of the communities we work with.

As a Trustee you’ll:

• have strong links with Somerset
• support and promote the Foundation’s mission
• be able to give the time commitment to carry out the role effectively.

You’ll share our passion for Somerset and have the range of skills and experience needed to support the delivery of our mission.

Due to the forthcoming retirement of a number of trustees, we are recruiting up to 3 new trustees. We are committed to increasing the diversity of our Board to better reflect the communities we serve and are particularly looking for people who bring the following skills and experience:

• investment management, including ‘ESG’ and ethical considerations
• digital skills and/or experience leading digital transformation in organisations
• working with or for local voluntary sector organisations
• insights into communities closest to Hinkley Point C (HPC)
• organisational leadership, management and governance
• we welcome applications from members of diverse communities or backgrounds, including young people, and those who bring lived experience or knowledge of activities undertaken in the programmes we fund.

Your commitment to the Foundation

Our Board of Trustees has an essential role in ensuring the success of the Foundation, and are responsible for ensuring that:

• the Foundation carries out our charitable purposes and complies with our legal and regulatory obligations
• the Foundation’s resources are applied responsibly
• the Foundation is accountable for its actions.

To find out more, the Charity Commission’s "The Essential Trustee" is a helpful guide.

As a Trustee you’ll attend 4 Board meetings a year, unless unavoidably prevented. Three of the meetings are usually no longer than 3 hours, and one is usually a full day. You’ll need to also allow time to prepare for these meetings in advance. We try to vary meetings around different venues in Somerset and make use of online and hybrid meetings to maximise attendance. Meetings are typically in the afternoons, but we will consider changes to this from 2026 onwards to ensure we can be as inclusive as possible. 

In addition, most trustees will sit on at least one sub-committees such as the HPC Community Fund Awards Panel or our Finance & Governance Committee. Most of our sub-committees meet 4 times a year. While we prefer trustees to attend meetings in person, we do make provision for people to occasionally attend online.

Many of our Trustees also provide guidance and advice to SCF staff from time-to-time. However, as a trustee you are not responsible for the day-to-day running of the Foundation. That responsibility is delegated to the Chief Executive and their team.

As a rough guide, and depending on your role, you may need to commit typically 2 days a month to prepare for and attend meetings, and support the Foundation. Trustees are appointed for up to 3 terms of 3 years.

While a Trustee is a voluntary position, reasonable expenses will be covered by the Foundation. This may include travel expenses or the costs of childcare or other caring responsibilities to enable you to attend SCF meetings.

Our commitment to you

We’re looking for people who may be considering taking their first step in a Trustee role or may have been involved with trusteeships previously. Our staff and existing Trustees will provide opportunities to grow and learn as part of the role. As a member of our board, we’ll provide:

• a thorough induction and ongoing opportunities to grow and learn through the role
• opportunities to shape the direction of the charity
• meet and spend time with people from a variety of different backgrounds
• see the impact our funding makes in the hands of local organisations
• expenses to cover items such as travel and childcare to enable you to fulfil your role.

How to Apply

If you are interested in this role please express your interest via the join button and we will send further details of how to apply.

Closing date: Midday on Monday 28 April 2025

Interviews (preferably to be held in person with location TBC): weeks beginning 5 and 12 May 2025

Appointment (at SCF’s Annual General Meeting): 10 October 2025

If you need any support applying, or to make this process more accessible, please do not hesitate to contact us.