Innovative food charity seeking three new trustees to join Board

What will you be doing?

Through our Rose Vouchers for Fruit & Veg Project, we’ve created an innovative response to tackle the problem of food poverty and unhealthy diets. We started this work in 2014 with a small pilot supporting 45 families in the London Borough of Hackney. Since then, we’ve helped over 10,000 families across eight areas in the UK – five London Boroughs, Liverpool, Barnsley and Glasgow. In 2022 we also launched the UK’s first large scale trials of fruit & vegetables on prescription – in partnership with community health organisations and social prescribers. This was an innovation previously championed by Henry Dimbleby in his National Food Strategy and garnered the Charity a huge amount of attention at a national level.

The concept is simple and effective. Working with local organisations that support young families (Children’s Centres, nurseries, refugee and migrant organisations), we distribute vouchers to over 3,000 families every week. The vouchers can be redeemed for fresh fruit & veg from local markets, independent greengrocers, convenience stores and even a mobile fruit & veg bus! Through this innovative and original approach, the project helps ensure families can access a healthy diet and supports the vibrancy and sustainability of local independent food economies.

We're looking for trustees who have the knowledge, skills, and passion to take a successful concept and turn it into a national movement for the improvement of the UK's food system.

There are a number of skills that we are looking to strengthen on our Board, so you might be able to support us if you have one of the following skills:

• Direct experience of the communities we work with and the challenges they face in accessing a healthy diet.
• An understanding of fundraising and a track record of leveraging networks, or support for fundraising campaigns.
• Experienced in financial management from either a charity or commercial perspective.
• Someone with senior charity experience.

Please make it clear in your application which area you believe you can best support through your skills.

What are we looking for?

• Direct experience of the communities we work with and the challenges they face in accessing a healthy diet.
• An understanding of fundraising and a track record of leveraging networks, or support for fundraising campaigns.
• Experienced in financial management from either a charity or commercial perspective.
• Someone with senior charity experience.

Please make it clear in your application which area you believe you can best support through your skills. Please note, all Trustees will be expected to support the fundraising efforts of the Charity however, this can take many forms – professional experience, access to networks, or a commitment to community fundraising. Please address in your application how you think you will best be able to support the work of the Charity in this respect.

What difference will you make?

Our trustees tell us that they feel they can make a real difference through their involvement and applying their skills to support and develop our work.

Our trustees play a vital role in making sure that Alexandra Rose Charity (ARC) achieves its core purpose. They oversee the overall management and administration of the Charity. They also ensure that ARC has a clear strategy and that our work and goals are in line with our vision. Just as importantly, they support and challenge the executive team to enable ARC to grow and thrive, and through this, achieve our mission to give families access to fresh fruit & vegetables in their communities.

We want to ensure that our Board better reflects the diversity of those who belong to the communities that we support, and so we particularly welcome interest and applications from Black, Asian and ethnic minorities, people with disabilities and LGBTQ+ people. We would also like to better reflect the geographic reach of our project work and would therefore be interested in applicants from Yorkshire, Northwest England, and Scotland.

This could be your first trustee role, or you could already have some experience as a trustee. We have a full trustee induction process, ongoing training, and a mentor to support you through your first year.

Please provide a cover letter outlining the skills, knowledge and lived experience you believe you could bring to bear as a trustee at Alexandra Rose Charity, plus your CV.

Informal interviews will take place online in the week beginning 10th July.

Final interviews will take place in person in the week beginning 17th July.

Additional information

You can download the following documents:

Before you apply

Please provide a cover letter outlining the skills, knowledge and lived experience you believe you could bring to bear as a trustee at Alexandra Rose Charity, plus your CV.

Informal interviews will take place online in the week beginning 10th July.

Final interviews will take place in person in the week beginning 17th July.