Future Trustee Programme

Back Up is looking for up to three people with spinal cord injury to join our Future Trustee Programme: a year-long opportunity designed to help you build the skills, confidence and experience to become a charity trustee in the future.

You do not need previous board experience. What matters most is that you care about Back Up’s work, want to learn more about charity governance, and are interested in using your voice and lived experience to help shape the future of support for people affected by spinal cord injury.

What does the programme involve?

The Future Trustee Programme gives you the chance to learn what trustees do, how charity boards work, and how decisions are made at Back Up. Over the course of the year, you will be supported to attend and observe board and committee meetings, take part in learning and development sessions, meet trustees and senior staff, and build your understanding of governance, strategy, finance, fundraising, services and risk.

What support and training will I receive?

You will receive a structured induction, ongoing support from a trustee mentor.  You will have opportunities to ask questions in a welcoming and supportive environment. We know that becoming a trustee can feel daunting, so the programme is designed to give you time, space and encouragement to learn without pressure.

By the end of the programme, we hope you will feel more confident about whether trusteeship is right for you and be better prepared to apply for trustee roles at Back Up or elsewhere in the future.

Remuneration and expenses

The Future Trustee Programme is voluntary and unpaid. Reasonable expenses, including travel costs, will be reimbursed.

Who should apply?

We would love to hear from people with spinal cord injury who are curious about trusteeship and want to help shape Back Up’s future. You may already be involved with Back Up, or you may be new to us. You may have professional, voluntary or personal experience that you want to bring to a board setting, or you may simply want to learn more before deciding whether trusteeship is for you.

We are particularly keen to support people who may not yet see themselves represented on charity boards, including younger people, people from ethnically diverse backgrounds, people with higher level injuries and other people whose voices are too often underrepresented in leadership and governance. If you are interested but unsure whether you are ready, we would still encourage you to apply.

How do I apply?

Our deadline for applications is midnight on Sunday 19 July. Please send your CV and a short covering letter of no more than two pages explaining why you are interested in the Future Trustee Programme to HR@backuptrust.org.uk. Please use the subject line Future Trustee Programme. We recommend reading the pack before you start your application.