A Bridgend-based charity is looking for skilled and experienced people to join its Board of Trustees and help support people who have been homeless.
Emmaus South Wales offers people who have been homeless or socially excluded a place to live for as long as it is needed, work experience in its social enterprises, funded training, and daily support.
The charity believes that this combination of support is vital in helping people to rebuild their lives. Trustees play a vital role, volunteering their time and working together to support and steer the direction of the organisation. Emmaus South Wales is encouraging trustee applications from anyone with a background in digital marketing, finance, or business, or those with links to the local Bridgend community and businesses.
Emmaus is also keen to encourage young people to get involved. Increasing its diversity is important to the charity in staying present and relevant and in return, Emmaus can provide young people with board experience as they are building their careers.
New trustees will be joining Emmaus at an exciting time as the charity embarks on expanding its social enterprise and developing its accommodation offer to provide smaller self-contained homes for people ready to move into independent living.
Julie Raikes joined Emmaus South Wales as a trustee in 2017 before becoming Chair in 2019, and said:
“It has always been on my mind that losing everything can happen to anyone. When we are in bad situations, it is so easy for it to spiral into something worse, whether it started with a relationship breakdown or losing a job. If someone becomes homeless, they need a sense of security. Emmaus gives people that security and the opportunity to rebuild their life and that’s what really appealed to me. As Chair, I’m pleased with the progress we have made to push our charity forward and new trustees adding to an already dynamic board will help us go even further.”
The role of a trustee can be both challenging and extremely rewarding, as Julie continues to explain:
“Coming in as a new trustee can be quite a daunting thing, but Emmaus South Wales is a welcoming community made up of a mixture of people including trustees, staff, volunteers and the people we support. We are not a board that meets every so often and then disappears until the next meeting; we like to support the team as much as we can. Anyone interested in applying would need to ensure they have enough time to dedicate to the role. The work that we all put into the board is well worth it and I take joy in hearing about the people who are benefiting from Emmaus. Their stories are what motivates me to want to be part of the board.”
Trustees currently meet each month by video, with some face-to-face meetings when possible and individual trustees may also get involved in other ways, as their time permits. The charity provides full induction training and offers reimbursements for travel expenses, should this be required.
For those interested in supporting Emmaus South Wales, but with limited time availability, are welcome to enquire about a specialist advisor role to the board.
To enquire about becoming a trustee, email [email protected]
