Trustee Secretary

What will you be doing?

As Trustee Secretary at Reach Out for Mental Health, you’ll play an important role in helping shape the future direction of a growing grassroots suicide prevention charity supporting adults across Essex.

Reach Out for Mental Health is entering an exciting period of growth and development. Alongside our core counselling, peer support and befriending services, we are expanding new projects focused on sustainability, partnerships and widening access to suicide prevention support.

With growth comes the need for strong organisation and governance, and this role will help ensure the Board continues to operate effectively during this next stage of development.

You’ll support the coordination of board meetings, agendas, minutes and governance processes, helping trustees and the leadership team stay organised and connected. You’ll also help maintain key records and support good communication across the Board.

We’re particularly interested in people with administration, operations, governance or project coordination experience, especially those who enjoy creating structure and helping organisations run smoothly behind the scenes.

Our Board works closely with the senior leadership team and we pride ourselves on being collaborative, down-to-earth and genuinely passionate about the work we do. There may also be opportunities to contribute ideas and support wider areas of the charity depending on your interests and experience.

Most importantly, this role offers the chance to use your skills to help shape compassionate, human-centred suicide prevention support for people who may otherwise struggle to access help.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for someone who is organised, reliable and genuinely passionate about making a difference to people experiencing suicidal thoughts and complex mental health challenges.

As a grassroots charity, relationships and trust are incredibly important to us. We are therefore looking for a Trustee Secretary who not only brings practical skills, but who also shares our values of compassion, accessibility and human-centred support.

The ideal person will be someone who enjoys creating structure and helping things run smoothly behind the scenes. They do not need to have previous trustee experience, although some understanding of governance, administration or committee work would be helpful.

The most important qualities for this role are:

• Good organisational skills
• Reliability and attention to detail
• Strong written communication
• The ability to handle confidential information appropriately
• A collaborative and supportive approach
• A willingness to contribute positively to discussions and decision-making

We would particularly welcome people with experience in:

• Administration or secretarial work
• Governance or compliance
• Operations or project coordination
• Charity or public sector organisations
• HR, legal or business support functions

Experience coordinating meetings, preparing agendas or taking minutes would also be very valuable.

As Reach Out for Mental Health continues to grow, we are looking for trustees who are comfortable supporting an organisation through development and change. Over the next few years, the Board will be involved in important conversations around sustainability, partnerships, service development and strengthening the charity’s long-term impact across Essex.

For this reason, we are especially interested in individuals who can bring not only practical skills, but also confidence, ideas and a willingness to contribute to the wider future of the organisation.

We are a charity that is known for being human, approachable and willing to challenge traditional ways of working in mental health support. We therefore value people who are open-minded, emotionally intelligent and able to balance professionalism with compassion.

While lived experience is not essential for this role, we warmly welcome applications from people with lived experience of mental health challenges, suicidal thoughts, caring responsibilities or navigating support systems. We believe this insight can bring enormous value to the Board and help keep our services grounded in the realities people face.

We are also committed to improving diversity within our Board and strongly encourage applications from people from underrepresented communities and backgrounds.

Most importantly, we are looking for someone who wants to be part of a charity that is ambitious, values-led and committed to creating meaningful change for people who may otherwise struggle to access support.

What difference will you make?

As Trustee Secretary at Reach Out for Mental Health, your support will help strengthen the foundations of a growing suicide prevention charity at a crucial stage in its development.

Reach Out for Mental Health was created following the loss of a colleague to suicide and exists to provide compassionate, accessible support for adults experiencing suicidal thoughts. Over the last few years, the charity has grown significantly, supporting thousands of people through free counselling, peer support groups and befriending services across Essex. We are now entering a new phase of growth focused on sustainability, service development and strengthening our long-term impact.

As the organisation grows, effective governance and strong organisational structure become increasingly important. This role will help ensure the Board operates smoothly, remains organised and can continue making informed strategic decisions that support both the charity and the people who rely on our services.

The Trustee Secretary will play a key role in helping coordinate meetings, maintain clear communication across the Board and support good governance processes. By helping keep trustees and senior leadership connected and organised, the role will directly contribute to the charity’s ability to grow safely, sustainably and effectively.

Over the next few years, the Board is likely to be involved in important decisions around service development, partnerships, sustainability and new income-generating projects designed to help protect and expand our frontline support. We hope the Trustee Secretary will feel actively involved in helping shape that future.

Our Board works closely with the senior leadership team and values collaboration, openness and innovation. Trustees are encouraged to contribute ideas, share expertise and help strengthen the charity beyond formal board meetings where appropriate.

Most importantly, this role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful difference to adults experiencing suicidal thoughts, many of whom may otherwise struggle to access support. By helping strengthen the organisation behind the scenes, the Trustee Secretary will play an important part in ensuring more people can access compassionate, human-centred support when they need it most.

Before you apply

We would love applicants to send a short covering letter alongside their CV, LinkedIn profile or portfolio, explaining:

• Why they are interested in joining the Board of Reach Out for Mental Health
• What skills, experience or perspectives they feel they could bring to the role
• What interests them about our mission and future direction

We are particularly interested in hearing from people who are passionate about compassionate, accessible mental health support and who feel aligned with our human-centred values.

Applications will be reviewed as they are received and informal interviews/conversations will take place on a rolling basis, so we encourage early applications. Interviews are likely to take place online initially, with the opportunity for an informal in-person meeting where appropriate.

Our recruitment process is designed to feel open, welcoming and conversational rather than overly formal. We want applicants to have the opportunity to learn more about the charity, ask questions and explore whether the role feels like the right fit for both sides.

We aim to respond to all applicants as promptly as possible.