Volunteer Trustees sought by charity working alongside young disabled musicians

What will you be doing?

This academic year, we are providing accessible musical progression opportunities to over 600 of the most marginalised young musicians in the UK. We do this through our award-winning programmes, including Open Orchestras (the largest network of inclusive ensembles in the UK) and the National Open Youth Orchestra (the world’s first disabled-led national youth ensemble). Over the next 5 years, in partnership with some of the UK’s leading arts and cultural organisations, we have plans to increase the scale and geographic range of our programmes. ​As a trustee, you will use your skills, experience, and insight to ensure the charity is run in a way that is responsible, effective and meets its legal and statutory requirements. You will help ensure that we deliver on what we say we will do, and use the money we raise as effectively as possible. You will also work with our wonderful staff team to set the future direction of the charity. ​

What are we looking for?

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the heart of who we are. We take our responsibility to acknowledge, challenge and dismantle barriers within music and our organisation extremely seriously. We know that a key part of this is having a Board that reflects the diversity of the young people we work alongside. To that end, we are only accepting applications from disabled and neurodivergent people at this time. We recognise that systems of privilege, structural disadvantage and barriers to participation often intersect with one another, and so we welcome applications from disabled and neurodivergent people who are also members of other structurally disadvantaged groups. This may include people from the Global Majority, LGBTQIA+ people, and/or people from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. We are keen to hear from people with experience in the following areas:

Marketing, including campaigning, digital marketing, and education. Business development, including social enterprise, software, and environmental sustainability. Operations and management, including HR, legal, and safeguarding. Finance, including financial management, budgeting, compliance and risk management Fundraising, including corporate partnerships and individual donors.

What difference will you make?

Young disabled people unfortunately are for the most part excluded from ensemble music making, in schools and music groups - so not many play, become music professionals, orchestral players, composers. Since 2007, our award-winning programmes have created new opportunities for them to be musicians, making their own music, not just listening to the music of others. You can support us to continue this vital work.