Reading Refugee Support Group  (RRSG) is seeking to add to its board of trustees.

Our vision is for an inclusive society where refugees and asylum seekers of all cultural backgrounds are treated with the same dignity and respect that we all enjoy; where their essential needs are met; and where they are entitled, enabled and confident to engage with and benefit from the wider community.

Being a trustee with RRSG comes with a number of duties and responsibilities, including:

1. Being an active and constructive participant in board meetings, which requires reading and digesting the paperwork before attendance. Additionally, there is a requirement to engage in trustee discussions that take place outside of board meetings.

2. Willingness to participate in working groups/committees.

3. Agreeing a business plan for the charity, which charts the way forward over the coming years to deliver the best possible support to asylum seekers and refugees in the charity’s area.

4. Agreeing an annual budget and monitoring the income and expenditure of the charity to make sure it stays within budget.

5. Developing plans with the Chief Executive for income generation that will ensure the sustainability of the organisation beyond the current year of operation.

6. Being responsible for the staff and volunteers, making sure they have the skills, training & resources to carry out their roles and that their welfare at work is maintained.

7. Ensuring that the Refugee Support Group develops as an inclusive organisation that is open to the involvement of people who are under-represented in public life or who experience discrimination.

8. Developing and reviewing policies that ensure compliance with the law and best practice. Key areas are employment, health and safety, data protection and confidentiality, equal opportunities and the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults.

9. Ensuring that the organisation is informed by and responds to the needs and experiences of asylum seekers and refugees.

10. Acting as an ambassador for the charity when in contact with stakeholders, partner organisations and the public by raising awareness of its work and the challenges being faced by refugees and asylum seekers.

In 2019 we are particularly (but not exclusively) interested in people who have one of the following attributes:

1. Experience and understanding of human resources and the policies and procedures necessary in this area of organisational development.

2. Experience and understanding of managing casework with vulnerable people and the policies and working practices necessary to ensure the effective support of caseworkers.

3. An in-depth understanding of the experience of being an asylum seeker or refugee

In order to promote diverse perspectives amongst trustees, RRSG is currently underrepresented by people under 30 who we hope could bring the ‘millennial’ perspective and experience to bear in our drive to improve our support of refugees and asylum seekers. In a similar vein, we welcome interest from members of black and minority ethnic communities who can help us tap into potential support in their particular community.