The Ridgeline Trust was set up in 2003 by local residents in a disused paddock made available by Reading Borough Council. The land was transformed into the beautiful garden we have today through the hard work of volunteers who cleared and landscaped the site.
Ridgeline offers horticultural therapy opportunities to people living with either physical or learning disabilities or a mental health issue. Our professionally-run sessions help people to learn new skills, regain lost skills, and improve social skills in order to regain confidence and self-esteem.
We are seeking to add to our trustee board to boost our governance and admin capabilities as part of our succession planning. We are particularly interested in hearing from someone with the knowledge of health and social care who could help us to build relationships with professionals in this field.
We would also like to hear from anyone who has some legal knowledge, particularly in the areas of charity and employment law, who might be willing to take on the role of Company Secretary after a period of training. However, we would welcome anyone who has an interest in our work and some time to help us achieve our objectives.
The role on our Trustees includes, but is not limited to playing a part in:
- Setting and defining goals and values, developing strategy and policies
- Ensuring the aims of the Charity are effectively fulfilled.
- Evaluating performance against agreed targets.
- Promoting and protecting the interests and reputation of the Charity.
- Ensuring that all policies and documentation which Ridgeline Trust is required by law to have in place, are prepared, agreed and regularly reviewed by the Board of Trustees.
- Ensuring that Ridgeline Trust complies at all times with relevant legislation
- Ensuring accountability and maintaining proper financial controls.
- Supporting the operational management of the organization.
Trustees will be expected to attend monthly Board Meetings (currently held via Zoom) which normally take place on Monday or Wednesday afternoon or evenings, according to what is more convenient. In addition, there may be a small number of sub-group meetings plus the Annual General Meeting.
We request Trustees to attend our Board Meetings and AGM. Involvement in our two major fundraising events is encouraged.