The majority of us have either seen or experienced ageing. If you’ve ever cared for a loved one in later life, you will know that the journey isn’t always straightforward. It can involve travelling with them to appointments, encouraging them to get involved with more social activities, supporting them through illness and bereavement, and helping with everyday life admin. Age UK BPED are here to help and support over 55s, but also their families and caregivers because we understand how caring for a loved one can impact your work, social, and family life. We’re here at every stage of ageing – for the over 55s who are in work and very active, but want to do an exercise class to improve their health and meet new people; for the people who need a little bit of extra help with cleaning and gardening to remain independent in their own homes; to those who find technology overwhelming, but are still determined to master it!
But we can’t do all of this on our own – and that’s where you come in. We are looking for passionate Trustee volunteers who want to enable those in later life to live independently with dignity and choice.
About Us
We are an independent local charity and a brand partner of the national Age UK charity. We have operated since 1985 to support people aged 55+ in Bournemouth, Poole, and East Dorset.
Our mission is to care for and work with older people and their carers to improve their quality of life through the promotion of choice, opportunity, and independence.
We do that through a range of services including our:
- Day Services
- Health & Wellbeing services
- One to one support services, including Befriending
- Dementia services
- Information & Advice
- Retail
- Footcare services
- Benefit advice & form completion
We are committed to a continual review of our services to ensure that we are meeting the changing needs of those in later life and the area we serve. We value creative thinking and want our services to be responsive to those changing needs.
We are now looking for new Trustees to join us and help to shape our future. The Board of Trustees work with the Age UK BPED Chief Executive Officer to agree the strategic vision and mission, guiding the Charity towards achieving its goals.
What will you be doing?
We operate in a challenging environment. As with all charities working in adult social care, budgets have been tightened and we need to ensure that we continue to deliver high quality services in difficult times. It is an exciting time for the charity as we look to grow our Health & Wellbeing Services, as well as reopening our Day Services provision and further develop our Dementia Services.
As a Trustee, you will work in partnership with your fellow Trustees and the Chief Executive Officer to agree the long-term vision and strategic objectives of the charity, which will include how to effectively enhance our services and make best use of our assets and investments. Your role as Trustee is also to ensure that the Charity complies with the necessary charitable and company governance frameworks. You will need to be able to devote time to attend the Board meetings, which take place bimonthly from 6pm -8pm (usually on a Tuesday).
Who are we looking for?
We are looking for Trustees who have a strong empathy with our mission and values, are collegiate in approach and are comfortable working with others to develop a strategy that will deliver positive change, and ultimately will make Bournemouth, Poole, and East Dorset a great place to live in later life. We welcome applicants from any background and are committed to developing a diverse board of Trustees. Whilst we are particularly interested in applications from those with a background from the list below, we would also welcome applicants who can add real value to our charity.
- Legal/ Financial/HR
- Retail
This is a voluntary post (as with all Trustees), but all reasonable expenses will be reimbursed.
Benefits of being a Trustee
Being an effective Trustee is a challenging, rewarding, and fulfilling experience. You will have the opportunity to make a real difference to those in later life. You may also gain new skills, obtain board experience, and expand your network.
Interested persons are invited to ring 01202 530530 to discuss the position with the Chief Executive Officer. We would also be pleased to arrange visits to the Charity to meet with the Chair. For an application pack:
Call: 01202 530530
Email: sarah.lloyd@ageukbped.org.uk
Work Location: Remote