Trustees of the Churches Conservation Trust

Overview

Trustees play a vital role in the success of the Churches Conservation Trust. The Board of Trustees is ultimately accountable for the organisation and for ensuring that our charitable aims are met. The Board delegates authority within agreed limits to the Chief Executive and the Senior Management Team and provides oversight, monitoring, support and advocacy. The current board has a broad spectrum of skills and experience drawn from a diverse range of backgrounds.

In addition to ensuring overall good governance, trustees also contribute their expertise to the Trustees' Board and to the long-term vision and overall strategic direction of the organisation, as well as to major projects and specialist strategies. Trustees are also encouraged to attend special events across all the Trust's churches and to participate actively in the life of the CCT.

Post Introduction

The current board has a broad spectrum of skills and experience drawn from a diverse range of backgrounds. We would like to encourage applications from people of Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic heritage, and people with disabilities who are currently under-represented on the Board. We would also particularly welcome applications from people located in the Midlands or the North of England.

We are looking for people with experience in both senior executive and non-executive roles who can contribute their expertise to work with the CCT to achieve our ambitious strategy which is all about supporting and engaging communities. We are hoping to appoint three Trustees to the Board, and we are particularly interested to hear from candidates who have:

• significant experience in community engagement and development;
• a distinguished background in university education in relation to historic buildings; and/or
• a significant profile and networks in public life in order to promote the work of the Trust.

For further details about these trustee roles, please visit https://jobs.churchofengland.org/cct/

Peter Aiers (the Chief Executive) is willing to have an informal conversation with anyone who is interested. He can be contacted via email to chiefexecutive@thecct.org.uk. 

Main Responsibilities

Assure probity and integrity

As a Trustee, you are responsible for ensuring that the general conduct and propriety of the affairs of the Trust are satisfactory and in line with its obligations. In particular, Trustees must:

• Ensure that the Trust meets with its obligations under its governing document (the Mission and Pastoral Measure 2011 as amended 2018), Charity Law, Health and Safety law, the Funding Agreement and Framework Agreement from the DCMS and guidance from the Church Commissioners and all other relevant legislation and guidance.
• Ensure funds are applied for charitable purposes and that surpluses are invested as required by the Charities’ Commission.
• Approve the Risk Policy and annually review the Risk Register and implementation plans.
• Approve the internal audit programme.
• Approve schemes of delegation for financial authorisations and for non-financial decisions, such as recruitment.
• Maintain a register of members' interests.

These responsibilities cannot be delegated. Similarly, the Chief Executive as Accounting Officer has some defined personal responsibilities to the Department and to Parliament (through the Public Accounts Committee).

Set strategy

A Trustee's role is to keep an overview of the Trust’s activities and have an eye always to the long-term direction it is taking. That includes:

• Contributing actively to the setting of strategic direction, overall policy and high-level goals and targets.
• Approving the overall allocation of resources, including the five-year business plan and the annual Plan and Budget.
• Guiding the executive to identify external developments and trends to which the Trust should be responding, or which the Trust should seek to influence.

Ensure effective administration of the organisation

Trustees delegate day to day management of the Trust to a professional staff team.  In order to do this you will, with other Board members:

• Appoint the chief executive to manage the organisation and monitor their performance.
• Approve key internal policies
• Monitor the high-level performance of the Trust against its key policies and objectives.
• Approve major and significant changes to structures and processes as necessary to achieve the Trust’s objectives.

Safeguard and promote the reputation and values of the Trust

As a Trustee you are part of the public face of the Trust. On occasion and as appropriate you will assist the executive by acting as an ambassador to the Trust, including:

• promoting awareness of the Trust’s work and seeking opportunities to extend its standing and influence;
• assisting in building good relations with Government, the Church and other partners and stakeholders nationally and regionally;
• assisting with specific fundraising and public relations initiatives, participating in the production and promotion of the Trust’s ‘Case for Support’ and in specific circumstances making approaches for donations on behalf of the Trust; and
• attending special events and services with local Friends and Volunteers to demonstrate the value the Trust places in their contributions.

All trustees are asked to become ‘champions’ for one of the Trust’s areas of work, a role which gives them the opportunity to get more involved in understanding, supporting and promoting the Trust’s work in these areas.

Contribute specific skills and experience

In addition to the above duties, Trustees will, on occasion, be expected to offer their personal skills to support the executive in planning certain projects without taking on executive responsibilities or accountabilities.

The Ideal Candidate

We are looking for people with:

• a commitment to the aims and current strategy of the Trust;
• relevant professional skills or experience at a senior level;
• the willingness to devote the necessary time and effort;
• strategic vision;
• good, independent judgement;
• the ability to think creatively;
• understanding and acceptance of charitable governance and the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of trusteeship;
• the ability to work effectively and collaboratively as a member of a team to shape strategy & direction;
• an understanding of and commitment to the Nolan principles of public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership; and
• the ability to foster a culture of diversity, inclusion and belonging within the Trust.

About Us

The Churches Conservation Trust empowers and supports communities to care for historic places of worship. We have saved over 350 buildings which attract almost two million visitors a year. Our unique collection of English parish churches includes irreplaceable examples of architecture, archaeology and art from 1,000 years of history.

Our vision is to support communities to use and love their historic places of worship so that they can be enjoyed by everyone as places of heritage, culture, spirituality and beauty and for the significant contribution they make to society and the economy.

We are a registered charity and a sponsored body of the Church Commissioners and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. Our remit is established in law under Section 57 of the Mission and Pastoral Measure 2011.