Charity Trustee – AWDRNE

What will you be doing?

AWDRNE is a small but growing charity with two current trustees, and we now need an additional trustee to help strengthen our governance, support decision-making and guide the charity through its next stage of development. As we expand our First Aid training, community safety work and emergency response support, we need someone who can offer steady oversight, thoughtful advice and positive challenge where needed.

The new trustee will help shape our direction, support good governance, and ensure AWDRNE continues to operate safely, responsibly and in line with charity best practice. They will work with the board to review policies, contribute to planning, support fundraising aims, and help us prepare for future growth, including updating our constitution and applying for grants.

This trustee will play an important role in helping us build a stable and effective board. There are opportunities to take on specific areas of interest – such as finance, governance, safeguarding, community partnerships or volunteer development – depending on the person’s strengths and motivation. There is also scope to help establish sub-groups or task-based working groups as the charity grows.

Above all, we are looking for someone who cares about helping communities stay safe, understands the value of accessible First Aid training, and wants to be part of a friendly, community-focused organisation at an exciting point in its development. Your involvement will directly influence AWDRNE’s impact and future.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for someone who can bring experience, confidence and steady guidance to a small but growing charity. Our current trustees are committed and enthusiastic, but we are all new to charity governance, so we would really value someone who has previous trustee experience or a strong understanding of charity leadership and good governance.

The ideal trustee will be someone who can help us develop our board, strengthen our policies and support AWDRNE as we grow our First Aid training and community safety work across the North East. Experience in one or more of the following areas would be especially helpful:

• Governance or charity leadership – to help us build a strong, confident and effective board.
• Safeguarding, data protection or organisational policy – to support essential compliance and best practice.
• Finance or budgeting – to assist with oversight and help us prepare for future funding opportunities.
• Strategic planning or operations management – to help us make good decisions about growth and development.
• Volunteer management or community work – to guide our volunteers and support community partnerships.

We are also looking for someone who is supportive, reliable, and willing to work collaboratively with a friendly, community-focused team. Kindness, clarity, good communication and a willingness to share knowledge are qualities we value highly.

Above all, we hope to find someone who believes in AWDRNE’s mission and can help us build the strong, confident governance needed for our next stage of development.

What difference will you make?

A new trustee will make a significant difference to AWDRNE at a crucial time in our development. With only two current trustees, adding another trustee will give us the stability and capacity we need to strengthen our governance, meet Charity Commission requirements and ensure the long-term future of the charity.

Your involvement will directly help us continue delivering free and low-cost First Aid Awareness training for families, young people and community groups across the North East. By supporting our planning, oversight and decision-making, you will help us expand our work, reach more people and develop new partnerships with libraries, community centres and local organisations.

A trustee will also enable us to apply for grants and funding, something we cannot do without a complete board. This will help us grow our training offer, improve our resources, support more volunteers and increase our community safety presence at local events.

Your insight and guidance will help AWDRNE operate confidently, make good decisions and continue supporting vulnerable people during severe weather and periods of community need.

By joining the board, you will help shape a small charity with a big community focus at an exciting moment in its journey. Your contribution will have a lasting impact on local families and the communities we serve.

Additional information

You can download the following documents:

Before you apply

We’re really looking forward to hearing from you.
All applications will come through the Reach Volunteering platform. When you apply, please include a short message outlining:

• why you’re interested in becoming a trustee of AWDRNE
• any relevant experience (trustee, governance, community work, or leadership)
• what strengths you feel you could bring to our small and growing charity

What happens next
We review all applications as they come in. If your experience looks like a good match, we’ll invite you to an informal chat (usually over Zoom or by phone) to get to know each other. This is a friendly conversation—not a formal interview—and gives you the chance to ask any questions about our work and what being a trustee involves.

If both sides feel it’s a good fit, we will then arrange a more detailed follow-up discussion about responsibilities, expectations, and onboarding.

Timeline
We aim to acknowledge applications within 7 days and arrange conversations shortly after.

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and experiences.