Become a Trustee for the Friends of Rowntree Park

To support the strategic leadership of The Friends of Rowntree Park, we are looking for new trustees.

Are you passionate about nature and about community, and have the time and energy to contribute to our work?

Rowntree Park is a much loved public green space at the heart of the community. Friends of Rowntree Park is the registered charity that helps care for, improve and champion the park for everyone who uses it. We are looking for new trustees to join our board and help shape the next chapter of the charity.

What do trustees do?

Trustees guide the overall direction of Friends of Rowntree Park. They focus on strategy, governance and long term sustainability rather than day to day delivery.

Together, trustees:

• Set the vision and priorities for the charity
• Ensure good governance and financial responsibility
• Support funding applications and project development
• Work in partnership with the council and other organisations
• Help ensure the park remains welcoming, inclusive and environmentally responsible

You do not need previous trustee experience. What matters most is a commitment to community, a belief in the power of volunteering to create positive change, and a desire to support the long term wellbeing of the park. In return, you will be joining a dedicated group of people who genuinely care about making a difference.

What does the Friends of Rowntree Park charity do?

The Friends became a charity in 2019. In recent years, we have greatly increased our membership and volunteer numbers, as well as the range and breadth of our activities.  The Friends help maintain and improve specific areas of the park with our gardening groups, and we run a range of community events and projects, as well as educational programmes.

Our volunteer programme has a particular focus on health and wellbeing.  We run Forest School sessions, a range of family and adult events, and also focus on creating a welcome park for teenage girls through the ‘Make Space York’ project and groups such as the ‘Wild Ones’.  We are creating new wildlife areas and habitats, enhancing our education programme and working with the local community. We local schools and with other community groups and organisations. 

We are also the main link between the community and the council. Council ‘managed’ parks have suffered from national and local funding cuts over the years and our charity manager meets regularly with our council links to discuss priorities and actions needed, feeding back the views of our members and volunteers.

Most of our work is voluntary but we have a paid part-time Charity Manager whose work includes managing the membership and volunteers, communication, event organisation, social media etc, and two other part-time workers (admin and gardening lead) plus some grant funded temporary roles for area leads. Further details of our work can be seen on our website. Our news and plans are communicated to our members and other stakeholders, via our monthly newsletters. 

Who we would love to hear from

We are keen to broaden the range of perspectives on our board. We particularly welcome interest from people who may not traditionally see themselves represented in charity governance. You might bring experience from community organising, education, environment, youth work, finance, communications, governance, local business, parenting, volunteering or simply being a regular park user. All experience is valuable.

We are looking for people who wants to help shape the future of the charity and who is passionate about nature and community. Being a trustee is a volunteer role, and you can make a huge difference to our small charity.

Friends of Rowntree Park is committed to improving the diversity of our trustee board. We believe representation matters and that leadership should better reflect the diverse communities who use and care about the park. We encourage applications from individuals with a disability, those from the LGBTQ community and individuals from ethnic minority backgrounds. Applications are open to anyone aged 18 or over.

Time commitment and flexibility

We are a relatively small charity and trustee contribution is a key part of how the organisation functions. The board meets formally 4 to 6 times a year, usually outside normal working hours. Additional meetings may sometimes be required if you join a sub group or oversee a particular strand of work.

Meetings normally take place in person at venues in the Southbank area, although trustees may join via Zoom if necessary. Trustees are also expected to attend the Friends’ public meetings, which take place twice a year, usually at 7pm at the Park Café.

Trustees are encouraged, though not required, to volunteer at Friends’ activities or projects. This can provide valuable insight into the nature and impact of our work.

We recognise that people balance work, caring responsibilities, health needs and other commitments. We aim to be flexible where possible and are open to discussing adjustments that would enable participation.

Payment and accessibility

Trustee roles in the charity sector are traditionally unpaid. We recognise that this long standing model can unintentionally favour people who already have financial flexibility, time and social capital. For an organisation committed to inclusion and equity, it is important to acknowledge that unpaid governance roles are not equally accessible to everyone.

This is an unpaid voluntary role. We understand that giving time without pay can be a barrier, particularly for people balancing work or caring responsibilities. We are committed to doing what we can to make trustee roles more accessible. Reasonable expenses will be covered in line with our expenses policy. This includes travel costs and, where appropriate, childcare, carer costs or other access related expenses required to enable participation. We are also open to discussing practical adjustments, including meeting formats, timings or access needs.

If you are interested but unsure whether the role could work for you, we strongly encourage you to get in touch for an informal conversation.

Support and culture

New trustees receive an induction and ongoing support. We aim to create a respectful and collaborative board culture where different viewpoints are welcomed and valued. Our goal is to ensure the leadership of Friends of Rowntree Park reflects the diverse communities who use and care about the park.

Why become a trustee

Being a trustee is a meaningful way to make a tangible difference in your local community. You may bring significant professional or lived experience and want to apply those skills in a purposeful, community focused setting. Equally, you may be looking to develop your experience in charity governance, strategic thinking and collaborative leadership.

Trustees often value the opportunity to broaden their perspective, strengthen decision making skills and work alongside committed volunteers and community partners. Above all, it is a chance to contribute to something that has lasting impact.

Interested?

To apply, please email a letter of no more than two sides of A4 by Tuesday 31st March.
In your letter, please include:

• Your interest in Friends of Rowntree Park
• The skills and experience you can bring to the board and the role
• Details of two character references
You may also include a CV if you have one.

Please send your application to hello@rowntreepark.org.uk

If you would like an informal chat about the role before applying, please email hello@rowntreepark.org.uk and we will be happy to arrange a conversation with another trustee.