Volunteer Volunteer Management Board Member Board Member - for practical action on climate change, sustainable living and the environment.

What will you be doing?

This is a unique opportunity for experienced, skilled or enthusiastic people to join our board and play a leading role in taking our action on climate change and sustainability to the next stage. We’re looking for people that can actively help with our ambitious projects and plans or our organisational development.  You will be a key member of a newly enlarged team, steering and developing and the Eco Centre, helping it to realise its ambition of a Sustainability Centre for the South West, and developing its innovative outreach work to benefit many more people and communities. Enabling a step up in our impact on climate change and environment protection. As a hands-on board member, you will have an active role in at least one aspect of our governance tasks, day-to-day operations, or programme development and delivery. The challenges for the Eco Centre are to:

Build capacity so that it can achieve its main aim of creating a multi-functional sustainability centre of sufficient scale and scope to be a regional visitor attraction and events/exhibition space. Our vision is for an eco centre that offers a range of facilities and services for the public, schools, businesses and professionals, as well as a base, inspiration and income generator for outreach and other initiatives. Scale up our outreach work and develop our approach to empowering individuals and communities to live and work sustainably Develop a programme of sustainability events, not only for the direct benefits they bring, but also as part of a strategy to raise our profile, increase membership, build reputation, and so develop the partnerships and resources needed for the “Centre” itself and our programmes.

More about the Eco Centre The Eco Centre is a charitable community benefit society based in the South West. We are not a campaigning organisation, our aim is to enable people and communities to live and work more sustainably through practical action, both individual and collective. We want to make it easier for people and organisations reduce carbon emissions and live or operate more sustainably. In the long-term we also want to provide support for businesses to be operate more sustainably. We have one part time employee at present and are recruiting for a new part-time Outreach Worker. Monthly board meetings are online and we use Office 365/MS Teams to share documents and keep in touch.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for people who can bring their experience and skills to a largely new board team to guide the Eco Centre through the next three years of growth & development. It’s essential that you have the time, enthusiasm and commitment to contribute to the running of organisation and its development, or, its projects and programmes, in a leadership or supportive role, and on a regular basis. Due to the overlap in the roles, successful candidates would be able to shape the roles accordingly. For these positions, we're looking for people with:

Volunteer Management – Experience of volunteer recruitment & management and support systems. Experience of working with volunteers at levels including at the neighbourhood level, working with deprived or marginalised communities would be an advantage. Or

Community Outreach - Ability to manage and assist community outreach workers and local volunteers. Experience of community development or engagement (preferably including with deprived or excluded communities). The ability to develop local partnerships and programmes.

As elements of these roles require some work in our current pilot project areas, being within easy travelling distance of Taunton and Bridgwater would be an advantage. All board applicants should have the ability to think strategically and make a positive contribution to developing our operations and planning, and achieving the Eco Centre’s objectives. Environmental/Sustainability qualifications or experience are not a prerequisite, on the whole, we’re looking for more generic skills and experience, as well as a commitment to taking action on climate change/sustainability. Ideally you should live or work in the South West. For exceptional candidates there are a limited number of places for people from elsewhere in the UK. The board mainly operates remotely, but we will expect most board members to occasionally contribute to events in the South West, or help with outreach projects - currently focused on Somerset (Taunton and Bridgwater). What’s Essential:

That you can commit to at least 6-8 hours per month. The ability to use your experience and knowledge to make considered judgements Able to work as part of a team Have the appropriate skills or experience and/or lived experience in deprived communities or from an under-represented community/group

What difference will you make?

You will play a crucial role in developing and growing the Eco Centre, enabling it to achieve its aims of supporting action on climate change, environmental sustainability and climate resilience, making the sustainability centre a reality, and building on that and our project work to widen and scale up our operations and environmental benefits