Background: In 66 countries around the world, LGBTI+ people are criminalised because of who they are and who they love. In 32 of these countries, homophobic, lesbophobic, biphobic, transphobic and intersexphobic laws imposed during the British colonial era have yet to be repealed or reformed. In many others, the protective legislation and policy needed to close the gaps that enable discrimination and violence to take place remain to be adopted or implemented. To this end, we support civil society change-makers working to protect and promote LGBTI+ rights in their countries. We influence political leaders in the UK and beyond to ensure they are doing what is needed. And we bring diverse sets of actors in government, global institutions, and civil society together into international coalitions for change. Our work is driven by the simple beliefs that LGBTI+ people should be able to live free, safe and equal lives everywhere and that no LGBTI+ person should be left behind in the fight for freedom, safety and equality.
Our Board: Kaleidoscope Trust’s Board of Trustees are dedicated volunteers who are passionate about the human rights of LGBTI+ people. The charity has an enormous task on its hands – that’s why we have worked hard to build a supportive and skilled trustee membership with an inspiring network of strategic thinkers who hold key accountability for the delivery of our mission. Our Trustees are jointly and individually responsible for the overall governance and strategic direction of Kaleidoscope Trust; they maintain oversight of the organisation’s financial health and ensure that it operates within the scope of its governing document as well as in compliance with relevant legal and regulatory guidelines.
The role: We commit to ensuring our work is intersectional. We consider how social and political identities like gender, race, class, religion, ability, and socio-economic status impact on the lives of – and contribute to – the structural inequalities faced by LGBTI+ people of diverse backgrounds. It’s crucial to us that our Board membership is representative of the people we work alongside. We know that diverse boards are the most effective: they can think creatively, make balanced decisions, and hold each other to account. We enthusiastically encourage applications from trans people, women, Black people and people of the global majority, people from working class backgrounds and people of faith. We are keen to find passionate individuals who can contribute specific skills sets with demonstrable experience at a senior level in either one of the following areas: 1. People Management ● Current employment as a senior people professional, with a proven track record of success at an operational and strategic level. ● A thorough understanding of human resource policies, implementation and practice. ● A willingness to offer strategic advice to the Trustees, the Executive Director and Senior Management on matters relating to human resources. ● Awareness of current best practice surrounding performance management, learning and development, wellbeing practices and equitable recruitment. ● Trustees with this skill set will be asked to sit on our HR and Remunerations Committee, with meetings that take place twice a year via Zoom. 2. Governance and / or Organisational Risk Management ● Working knowledge of governance and regulatory compliance within the UK charity sector. ● Experience of monitoring compliance issues, e.g. Charity Governance Code, GDPR, Health & Safety Executive guidance, Safeguarding. ● Familiarity with varied risks that organisations face (e.g. governance, external, regulatory, financial and operational) ● Ability to contribute meaningfully to conversations around our organisational risk register, and to give guidance on how to identify, control and/or reduce risks to the charity. ● Trustees with this skill set will be asked to sit on our Audit and Risk Committee, with meetings that take place quarterly via Zoom.
Person Specification: Essential ● An understanding of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of a trustee. ● A commitment to devote the necessary time to prepare for, attend and contribute meaningfully at Board and committee meetings. ● A willingness to lead according to our values: o Accountability: We are open and transparent, in both our organisational culture and in the work we carry out across the world. o Collaboration: We strive to work with and for LGBTI+ communities in our countries of focus, co-creating strategies that are sustainable and speak to the needs of the community. o Compassion: At the heart of our fight for the human rights for LGBTI+ people is the understanding that, in order for all people to be treated equally, we must extend our compassion to those who may look, live, or love differently to us. o Expertise: We ensure our interventions are both informed by experts and underpinned by best practice. o Intersectionality: The way we work considers how social and political identities like gender, race, class, religion, ability, and socio-economic status contribute to structural inequalities faced by LGBTI+ people. ● A commitment to Nolan’s seven principles of public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership. Desirable ● Knowledge of the type of work undertaken by the charity. ● A willingness to be available to senior management for advice and enquiries on an ad hoc basis. ● A motivation to sit on one of our committees in accordance with your skillset and in alignment with the membership needs of said committees. ● A CIPD qualification. Time Commitment and Location ● The Board meets four times per year at 18:30 (Feb, Apr, Jul, Oct) in East London. ● The term for a trustee role is three years, which can be renewed for a second term. ● The role is voluntary and unpaid, but reasonable expenses will be reimbursed. ● Trustees are welcome and encouraged to sit on one of our committees: ⇒ Quarterly Audit and Risk Committees via Zoom ⇒ Quarterly Fundraising & Communications Committees via Zoom ⇒ Bi-Annual HR and Remuneration Committees via Zoom
How to Apply: Please send a completed Recruitment Monitoring and Analysis Form, your CV and a one-page covering letter explaining: (i) your interest in joining Kaleidoscope Trust and; (ii) your relevant experience as per the skills and competencies outlined above. Please title your communication: ‘Vacancy: Trustee” and email through to: [email protected] Closing date: Tue 31 October 2023 at 23:59 Interviews: To take place in London during the week commencing 6 November 2023 Start date: Induction to start in November 2023. The successful applicants’ first Board meeting is scheduled to take place in February 2024.