Trustee Recruitment - Muscle Help Foundation

Trustees for Multi Award-Winning UK Charity

Posted on September 19th, 2023

2023/24 is a pivotal time for the Muscle Help Foundation (MHF) charity as it moves into its 20th Anniversary year! Exciting times! As part of its ongoing Trustee recruitment strategy, MHF is actively seeking new Trustees to join its Board.

What are we looking for?

MHF is looking for Trustees who have a passion to take the charity forward, to help grow impact, to leave a personal legacy and to feel that sense of personal fulfilment from the time they volunteer. An exciting opportunity to bring your unique self, talents, skills, energy and passion for a cause you care about. Being a trustee requires more than just an understanding of the role – it’s about ensuring good governance and compliance, both are of course essential, but there’s more to the role.

We have a number of exciting opportunities to bring your skills, talents, energy and experience in making a vital difference to the lives of vulnerable children and young people (8-28yrs) with Muscular Dystrophy.

Reach out if you have knowledge and experience of:

Safeguarding – children and vulnerable adults
Fundraising – income generation, major donor attraction, grant funding
Corporate partnerships – charity adoption, CSR/ESG insight
Financial – supporting the charity’s treasurer
Family Liaison – supporting the charity’s CEO
Digital marketing – leveraging the digital landscape, including AI
Legal – if needed, provide insight, oversight & expertise

Experience in these areas is not essential and we welcome applications from people seeking a more generalist Trustee role.

What does a Trustee do?

Have an opportunity to help improve the lives of children, young people and their families
Contribute to the governance of our small national charity
Have strategic responsibility for a specific skill area
Act as an advocate/champion in promoting our work across your network
Receive induction, support and training
Have an opportunity to bring your lived experience, in using (and further developing) your skills for the benefit of others
Be a part of the team that will help the charity achieve its overarching 657 Muscle Dream mission

Our recruitment process is open and inclusive – applicants will know what to expect as the process unfolds.

Listening to you, Hearing you…

The charity recognises that recruitment is really only just the beginning of the journey. We will work closely with successful new applicants as part of the charity’s induction process. We recognise how vital listening, hearing, and doing better is. Improvement is an ongoing commitment and one that our Chair, Hugh O’Keeffe, is focused on.

Requirements and key criteria

Our key criteria are that you have a fundamental belief in the cause, plus a commitment and alignment to the charity’s values. Enthusiasm, an understanding and passion for our work, great communication skills and a real desire to make a difference to the lives of our beneficiaries are also key.

You may have close experience of living with muscular dystrophy, other disabilities or life limiting conditions, but this is not essential.

What commitment do we ask for?

The expected time commitment is anywhere between 6-12hrs hours per month, depending on the trustee role. Trustees come together for quarterly Trustee Board meeting (usually 2-3hrs per meeting). Additionally, trustees are invited to get involved in occasional ad hoc projects – MHF Trustees ‘own’ a ‘bucket’, in other words, an area of responsibility like ‘Finance’ or ‘Safeguarding’ or ‘HR’ that allows an individual to bring their skills, experience and talents to the charity. Reasonable expenses will be covered.

What does a great Trustee look like?

An excellent communicator with listening, responding and interpersonal skills, able to both empower and challenge supportively.
A strong commitment to equality, and an understanding of disability and how for example this may impact on the quality of life and life choices for disabled people and their families.
You may have close experience of living with muscular dystrophy, other disabilities or life limiting conditions.
Commitment and time to dedicate to the role and responsibilities of being a Trustee.
Commitment to the charity’s vision, mission and values and a desire to make a difference to the lives of our vulnerable beneficiary community.
Understanding of the context in which the Muscle Help Foundation works, its values, and the importance of ensuring public confidence and trust in the charity.
Previous experience of working collaboratively as part of a team, using sound independent judgement and collective decision making.
The capacity to grasp issues outside personal experience and the ability to contribute to high level strategy development.
The ability to think creatively and strategically.
Commitment to equality and diversity in working relationships with other trustees, staff, beneficiaries and other stakeholders.
Professional or relevant experience and knowledge and/or the ability to demonstrate the necessary skills needed to support the charity’s interests.

What difference can a Trustee make?

MHF Trustees provide strategic leadership and oversight in line with the organisation’s objectives. Trustees will use their knowledge, skills, passion and experience to ensure that the charity achieves its objectives. As a Trustee, you will represent the interests of all stakeholders, providing support to our CEO as well as being an ambassador in helping to promote the charity’s work and impact wherever possible.

Supporting Trustees to help tell the charity’s story

This is a hugely important role that will help ensure that the charity can continue its support for its vulnerable community, namely children and young people (8-28yrs) with muscular dystrophy in the UK. The purity of MHF’s impact can be seen in these deep dive beneficiary stories that illustrate the transformative power of a Muscle Dream intervention. They also show the powerful relational and social connection value that exists with the charity. As ambassadors, and supported by the CEO, trustees are given the tools to help champion the charity’s story.

Trustees bring skills to help provide strategic oversight

As an MHF Trustee, this is a great opportunity to bring your unique skill set to help the strategic progression of the charity in reaching its overarching goal to deliver 657 Muscle Dream interventions, that’s one cherished moment-in-time that changes lives and gives hope, that’s one experience for every muscle in the human body. By Sept/Oct 2023, it is expected that the charity will have delivered over 500 Muscle Dreams, leaving a further 157 or so to go.

How do Trustees benefit from volunteering?

You will have an opportunity to help improve the lives of children, young people and their families
Be part of an incredible team all rowing in the same direction
Contribute to the governance of a small, multi award-winning national charity
Have your voice heard and listened to
An opportunity to work closely with one of Britain’s most influential people with a disability (aka our CEO & Chief Muscle Warrior)
Attend events, meet beneficiaries & families and by default, witness the impact of the charity’s work
Plus have strategic responsibility for a skill area such as: safeguarding, HR & governance, fundraising (income generation), corporate partnerships or digital
Network with other like-minded individuals with common values
Receive induction, support and training
And so much more…

Diversity, equality, and inclusion

Our greatest strength as a board and as an charity is in our community’s diversity. We are interested in hearing from applicants with diverse skills and experiences that reflect the diversity of our beneficiaries. We value difference and welcome applications from first time Trustees.

Interested? Contact our Chair for an informal chat…

If you would like to have an informal chat about joining our trustee Board, email chair@musclehelp.com with your contact details so a mutually agreeable time can be arranged to discuss your interest and the role. And of course, if you would like to apply, we’ll send you the full application pack and a link – please be sure you let us know how we may be able to support you through the application and our recruitment process. We very much look forward to hearing from you.

Safer Recruitment Statement

The Muscle Help Foundation charity is committed to safeguarding and ensuring the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. The charity expects all Trustees, employees and volunteers to share this commitment. The suitability of all prospective Trustees, employees or volunteers will be assessed during the recruitment process accordingly.