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Becoming a Trustee - Frequently Asked Questions
How do I become a Trustee?
There are two main ways of becoming a Trustee - you are either elected by the Association's membership, or co-opted by the Board itself.Prospective Trustees stand for election each spring. Members vote on candidates during early autumn and those receiving the greatest number of votes fill the available vacancies on the Board.
The newly elected and co-opted Trustees are welcomed at the AGM in the autumn.
Do I have to be a member of the Association?
As a Trustee, you are required to be a full member of the Association. You can then vote in elections and AGM resolutions. Your membership needs to be renewed annually at a small cost. Do I have to be a member of a Branch?
The Association has almost 100 Branches and Groups. It is not a requirement for Trustees to be involved with a local Branch or Group, however, some Trustees have held, or continue to hold, a position on their local Branch Committee. How long would I serve as a Trustee?
Elected Trustees normally serve for three years. They can serve a consecutive second term, after which time they must stand down for at least one year. Co-opted members of the board serve for two years. There is no limit to the number of terms they serve if invited by the Board to continue. How often does the Board meet?
Trustees come together as a Board and make decisions five times a year. There is also one weekend-long residential meeting each year. These meetings are usually held near Northampton, but from time to time are held in other parts of the country. It is important that Trustees attend all of these.The Board delegates some specialist tasks to smaller Board committees that meet between two and four times a year.
What are the meetings like?
The Board of Trustee meetings usually last around four hours with suitable breaks. An agenda, minutes and information papers are sent to each Trustee about a week before each meeting. What training and development opportunities are there?
All newly-elected Trustees attend an Introduction Day that takes place each autumn. The Association also provides Trustees with training and support appropriate to their role and skills. There are also opportunities to update your knowledge and skills by attending the Association's Spring Conferences, AGM, regional meetings and conferences.
What about expenses and insurance?
These are available to all Association volunteers when acting on behalf of the Association, and undertaking their agreed role. The Association has comprehensive employer's and public liability insurance cover, including liability insurance cover for the role of Trustee.
