Volunteer Passionate about rights? Devon Advocacy Charity needs trustees like you | Vocal Advocacy
Vocal Advocacy need people with a passion for individual rights on our Board. You don‘t need a background in supporting people with a learning disability, but you must share our dedication to their empowerment
What difference will you make?
Vocal’s Board of Trustees is collectively responsible for setting the charity’s vision, safeguarding its reputation and financial security, and ensuring full compliance with charity and company law. It works in partnership with our members, staff and volunteers, embedding co- production at every level. Trustees guide strategy, safeguard values, and ensure co-production is at the heart of everything we do. As part of our Board, you will support and shape our work and strategic direction, as well as help us achieve our purpose to ensure wide ranging and easily accessible advocacy is available to people with a learning disability in South Devon and Torbay.
What are we looking for?
Vocal has a small board, and as we grow as an organisation we wish to expand both in numbers and the range of skills it can offer to support the Chief Officer to carry forward the development of the charity and ensure long term sustainability of our services. We are looking for individuals who are ‘ team players’ with good communication and listening skills, with the ability to relate to our members, staff and fellow trustees. They should bring strategic vision and independent judgement as well as an ability to think creatively and contribute new ideas.
The participation of our members in the recruitment of staff and trustees is fundamental. We asked them about the qualities they thought a trustee should have and some of their ideas were; Understand people with a learning disability, Know what advocacy is and how it helps, Understand people’s rights and want to help people have a voice, Respect personal space, boundaries and trust, Be at the ‘level’ of the members and approachable, able to make the members feel valued and appreciated, Understand money - perhaps have run a business.
What will you be doing?
30 years ago when Vocal was founded, many people with learning disability lived in large institutions, their wishes often overlooked or ignored. Despite much change since then, (with more people living independently, accessing community-based support) too many still face discrimination, isolation, and decisions made for them. That’s why Vocal Advocacy exists. Our role is to stand beside people, amplify their voices, and ensure they’re heard—whether in care planning meetings, in court, or simply in everyday life.
Vocal is a user-led organisation. As voting members of the charity these “experts by experience” play an active role in shaping our direction. Co- production is embedded throughout our work, from local members’ groups to our AGM and whole-organisation meetings and as a board member you will work closely with them. As a small charity, sustainable funding has always been a challenge. Most of our income has traditionally come from local authority contracts and grants.
* Income generation, fundraising and successful grant bids will be key parts of our business planning.
* We are seeking new trustees who share our commitment to Vocals’s values and objectives and can help shape our future.
Whatever your background, if you are passionate about fairness, inclusion, and giving people a voice, we’d love to hear from you.
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