TVS's mission is to improve opportunities and life chances for children in rural primary schools. We are looking for several trustees to bring energy, enthusiasm and innovation to our board and help to build new partnerships.
Tyume Valley Schools is a UK charity working to improve the quality of education and the life chances of children and young people in the impoverished Tyume Valley, South Africa, We were formed over twenty years ago by a group of UK educationalists, inspired by the anti- apartheid struggle, and since that time have positively impacted the lives of many children and young people through our various programmes.
We are now looking to strengthen, update and diversify our Trustee group with the aim of adding skills in areas which have become more important to us, deepen our connection to the communities we serve, and ultimately to hand over our work to a new group of people who we hope will be feel inspired to make a difference to the children and young people of the Tyume Valley.
We are looking for several new Trustees and/or volunteers, in both the UK and South Africa and would welcome interest from a wide range of people, including (but certainly not limited to) those with fundraising, marketing and communication (including social media), and educational backgrounds.
Previous Board or Trustee experience is not necessary, and we welcome applications from all ages and backgrounds. We particularly welcome applications from women, people of colour, people with connections to the Eastern Cape, and under forties as we are looking to diversify our Board. Our current chair will be retiring in 2025 and it is hoped that one of the new trustees will then take over this role.
Trustees would be volunteers, so these are unpaid roles, however TVS will reimburse necessary expenses. The work will largely be carried out online, but Trustees would be expected to come to quarterly meetings, usually in the London area where possible, and we also encourage trustees to visit the project in South Africa. The time requirement may differ, depending on the role, what’s going on at the time, etc, but current Trustees devote on average 5 hours a week to TVS.
We are looking for several new trustees with a variety of skills who can work together to make our charity the efficient and successful organisation that it needs to be so that we can fulfil our mission. If you have experience of using social media which can help us to build up our supporter base or networking skills that will help us to find new partners you are urgently needed! The environment for charities is a challenging one. You need to be resilient and adaptable, able to work with others and on your own but you will be supported in this and not left to sink or swim.
We are recruiting a number of trustees who we hope will bring new skills to the board and together form a nucleus to take the charity forward for future years. As part of the board you will have the opportunity to make a difference to the lives of the children in the Tyume Valley who live in what is acknowledged to be one of the most unequal societies in the world, which is still blighted by the legacy of apartheid. As a trustee, you will be able to use your skills to help the strategic progression of the charity and enable it to continue for another 20 years.
Please apply through Reach in the first instance. If you are selected you will be asked to provide a cover letter detailing why you are interested in this role and your relevant experience. You may then be asked to attend an informal Zoom interview with the Chair and/or another Trustee.
