Become a Foothold Trustee
Help us change the lives of engineers around the world
Do you have experience in strategic IT or fundraising? Are you passionate about making a difference for the global engineering community? Then you could be the person we’re looking for.
Closing date: Monday 28 March 2022
Find out more about what it's like to be a Foothold Trustee below. Or if you're ready to apply, simply fill out the form at the bottom of this page.
Apply to be a Foothold Trustee
Download the recruitment pack and role description below.
Important information about the role of a Trustee
Download the resources below to get more of an idea of what it’s like to be a charity Trustee and what to expect. We've explained a bit more about the role further down this page too.
You can also check out the Charity Commission CC guidance and accounts pack:
Key information about Foothold
We exist to ensure that no engineer or their family needs to face life’s challenges without support.
Since 1890, we’ve developed services which support over 1,000+ people each year to step out of poverty and improve their health and wellbeing. Giving them the tools they need to make their lives better – right now.
To find out more about Foothold and see how we’re making an impact in the engineering community, download the documents below.
What does a Trustee do?
Our Trustees are the people who have overall sight of and accountability for our charity. They play a big role in helping us to keep our strategic promises and best meet the needs of those we’re committed to support: engineers and their families worldwide.
They help to set the direction of our charity and make key decisions around how our charitable purpose should be carried out, and how our assets and resources should be managed. The role of a Trustee comes with a lot of responsibility, but brings with it even greater reward.
As a Foothold Trustee, you'll have 6 main duties:
Ensure we are carrying out our purposes for the public benefit
You’ll need to understand:
- what we can and can’t do within our purposes
- how we are fulfilling our purposes and benefiting the public
- what difference we are really making
Comply with our governing document and the law
You’ll need to be:
- familiar with our governing document
- up to date with filing accounts, returns and any changes to your our registration details
- aware of other laws that apply to us
Act in our best interests
You’ll need to:
- make balanced, informed decisions
- recognise & deal with conflicts of interest
- be prepared to question and challenge
- accept majority decisions
Manage our resources responsibly
You’ll be involved in:
- managing risks, protecting assets (reputation) and people
- having and following appropriate controls and procedures
- dealing with land and buildings
- having responsibility for, and to, staff and volunteers
Act with reasonable care and skill
You’ll need to:
- use your skills and experience
- decide when you need advice
- prepare for meetings
- find the information you need (financial, management)
- be prepared in case something does go wrong
Ensure we are accountable
It’s about:
- meeting legal accounting and reporting requirements
- being able to show that we comply with the law and are effective
- being accountable to members and others with an interest in Foothold
- ensuring that staff and volunteers are accountable to the board
You'll be helping us make a difference to people all around the world
Without Foothold’s help , I never would have managed to get my life back on track. Their support meant my daughter never had to go hungry, even when it looked like we’d hit rock bottom.View story
Thanks to Foothold’s incredible support I’m now living a relatively normal life again. I’m so grateful for everything they’ve done for me. I remember thinking early on in my career: ‘why should I donate to the IET benevolent fund?’. It turns out I had to find out the hard way.View story
If someone were in my situation, I’d say ask Foothold for help. The support I received helped me pay my mortgage, put food on the table and ultimately meant I didn’t lose my home.View story
The difference this has made to our family has been incredible. It has allowed me to continue with my maternity leave and spend extra time with my children, which is priceless.View story
I'd let my mental health define me. But now I’m in control of it - it’s not in control of me. If I hadn’t got in touch with Foothold I wouldn’t be in this position. I really do appreciate everything.View story
Foothold saved me from anxiety and from falling into depression. To anyone needing support I would say: make the call. You’ll receive wonderful support from fantastic, trained staff who really listen to your concerns.View story
If you're interested in becoming a Foothold Trustee, apply now by filling out the form below.
You'll need to update your CV and write a supporting statement to upload as part of your application. Please also download and complete our equality and diversity monitoring form by clicking the link below.
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