Trustee

Wonderseekers is on a clear and important mission, to create a more equitable world where all children can treasure science and are equipped and empowered to improve lives and protect and heal our planet. Enabling every child to engage with science, especially in these challenging times, is pivotally important. The Covid-19 pandemic demonstrated the importance of science for all. The response was diverse, collective and world-wide; everybody needed to play a part, big or small. We are 100% committed to Wonderseekers’ mission to ensure that irrespective of any barrier every child can play their part and use Science in their everyday lives to the benefit of all.

We have just released our new strategy which you can read about below and we have exciting plans for the future to widen our reach and help support even more young people. You could be the right person to help us.

Our Board of trustees is made up of a range of skilled and experienced individuals with a diverse range of backgrounds. In this open recruitment opportunity, we are looking for trustees to help strengthen our dynamic Board, steer the future of our work, and bring a new voice. In particular, we are looking for candidates who are able to demonstrate specific knowledge and experience in at least one of the following areas:

· Biodiversity and sustainability

· Charity fundraising

· Change leadership and management

· Charity law and governance

· Cultural heritage

· Equality, diversity and inclusion and HR

· Financial management and risk

· Land Management

· Lived experiences such as within equality, diversity and inclusion

· Marketing / media / PR / audience knowledge

· Strategic planning

We are offering you a unique and rewarding experience. You will have a key impact on our Charity’s mission, oversee our strategic vision, influence future projects and help manage risk. You will bring your experience and knowledge in one of the key skills areas to advise the senior leadership team and set the future direction of our Charity. There are many positive benefits of volunteering as a trustee and we are confident you will find the experience with Wonderseekers incredibly rewarding and fulfilling. Please do get in touch - especially if you haven’t been a trustee of a Charity before as any necessary training will be provided and you will find the Board and senior management team a friendly and supportive group.

If you are unsure whether to apply then please do arrange an informal and friendly chat with either our Chair, Deputy Chair or CEO by contacting Carol Smith. We would be delighted to talk to you more about the role.

About the Charity

Wonderseekers, the Charity behind Winchester Science Centre, has been sparking children’s curiosity in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) since it was founded in 1986.

We believe that through science, children can choose to live healthier, more sustainable lives and contribute to a better world for all.

They can:

• discover the wonder of science and make sense of the world around them and their place within it,
• use science methodology as a framework for critical thinking and problem solving,
• develop their self-confidence and resilience through practical experience and experimentation.

However, inequality of access to science for young children means that many miss out.

Our new strategy demonstrates our ambition to build on our Charity’s long heritage, develop our experience in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, continue our focus on all disciplines of science and take on an environmental agenda in response to climate change.

We remove social, cultural and intellectual barriers so that all children can be inspired by and engage in science, with a particular focus on children whose lives are impacted by disability or impairment and social and economic deprivation.

We specialise in communicating science to children through ‘WOW!’ experiences that are fun, inclusive, immersive, interactive and accessible. We reach out to children in innovative ways through our Science Centre, in schools, communities and online, and love to work collaboratively with children, industry and academic partners, charities and individuals to have the greatest impact.

Find out more about our Charity's strategy, governance and achievements over the past year by downloading our latest annual report.

What we’re looking for

In addition to being able to demonstrate skills, experience and knowledge in one of the areas identified above, in order to carry out your responsibilities as a trustee, you should:

· be committed to the purpose, objects and values of the Charity

· be constructive about other trustees’ opinions in discussions (and in response to staff members’ contributions at meetings)

· be able to act reasonably and responsibly when undertaking such duties and performing tasks

· be able to maintain confidentiality on sensitive and confidential information

· be supportive of the values (and ethics) of the Charity

· understand the importance and purpose of meetings, and be committed to preparing for them adequately and attending them regularly

· be able to analyse information and, when necessary, challenge constructively

· be able to make collective decisions and stand by them

Trustee arrangements

Wonderseekers is governed by a Board of up to 12 trustees who hold collective responsibility for the charity’s strategic direction and governance. The position on the Board is voluntary. Once elected, Trustees can serve a maximum of 3 terms of 3 years.

Currently, Board meetings take place once per quarter, usually in January, April, July and November. Meetings are held on a mixture of days and evenings, with plenty of prior notice and consideration to individual availability given where possible. You will be expected to attend at least four board meetings per year. We also hold an annual strategy day usually in September.

In addition you will also sit on at least one committee. Committees generally meet up to four times per year. Meetings are between one and three hours and a hybrid option is usually available.

Additional time for reviewing papers and building relationships with the senior management team as required should also be factored in. There may also be opportunities to attend special events.

You may find it useful to look at the guidance on Trustees from the Charity Commission: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-essentialtrustee-what-you-need-to-know-cc3

We are committed to investing in our trustees and therefore trustee training is available. In addition we have an expenses policy to enable trustees to claim back travel expenses.

How to apply

If you are interested in joining us, please contact Carol Smith with your CV and cover letter summarising your motivation for joining the Board of Trustees and what you would be able to bring to the role.

If you would like to discuss any reasonable adjustments to this application process please do not hesitate to get in touch.

If you would like to arrange an informal conversation prior to submitting an application, please contact us using the details above. We will organise interviews on a rolling basis.

The panel will include existing Trustees, and candidates will also have the opportunity to meet the CEO and some staff. There will be an induction session for the successful new Trustee. We look forward to hearing from you.