Trustees and Treasurer – JOB CLOSED

Job Posted: 11 January 2022 By Next Up

Job Details

Contact Name:
Rose Kent

Could you make a difference to this vital, dynamic charity?

We’re Accessible Arts & Media, an arts charity based in York. We run fun, inclusive creative learning and wellbeing projects for learning-disabled young people and adults, people living with dementia and people with enduring mental ill-health.

We want to expand our Board of Trustees, to bring in different people with skills and experience to complement our present team, including a Trustee to take on the role of Treasurer.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve not been a charity trustee before. What’s more important is the skills and experience Trustees bring to the Board.

We’re particularly keen to hear from people who have one or more of the following:

  • Lived experience (either personal or through a friend or family member) of learning disability, physical disability, or mental ill-health, or people living with dementia and memory loss,
  • Experience of managing budgets of c£250k,
  • Understanding of current issues in care & disability including funding,
  • Understanding of current issues in health & well-being including funding,
  • Digital (its use both internally and for delivery of our work),
  • HR / people management.

We value both work and lived experiences within our Trustee Board and you don’t have to been on a Board before. We’re committed to developing more diverse representation on our Board and for our Trustees to reflect the community we engage with through our work. We’re keen to hear from disabled people, people under 40, men and majority ethnic people who are underrepresented on our Board.

If you’d like to be considered, then we’d love to hear from you!

About the Organisation

We’re a small charity, based in Chapelfields, York. We’ve been delivering inclusive creative learning and wellbeing projects in and around York since 1982. AAM is a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity.

Our work’s built around the belief that everyone can learn, everyone can be creative, and everyone can play a part in their local community. They just need the right support, and that’s where we come in. We’ve got a vision for a more inclusive society, where everyone gets the chance to shine, and we’re helping to make that happen in York.

Our projects include specialist creative sensory activities for people with complex disabilities, dementia and mental ill health; training programmes where learning-disabled adults and young people learn how to be workshop leaders; singing and signing choirs; accessible music-making groups; and creative media programmes that help people tell their stories.

The people who take part in our sessions often face difficulty with everyday activities and can end up feeling isolated and cut off. Taking part in our projects helps them:

  • explore and connect with the world around them, in a safe, supportive, fun environment; 
  • learn new skills that they can transfer to other parts of their lives, including education, training and employment; 
  • connect with other people, making new friends along the way; 
  • grow the confidence to have more of a say in the things that matter to them; 
  • build emotional resilience;
  • contribute to their local community through workshops, performances and film commissions; 
  • feel happy, connected, confident and valued, all of which can have a profound impact on wellbeing.​ 

We’re not a campaigning organisation but we’ve brought inclusion and diversity to the forefront in York for more than 40 years. We’re experts in creating a caring environment where everyone’s supported to take part in the way that suits them best. It’s a space where you can be yourself. And it’s a space where people develop the confidence to realise that they have a voice.

One of our volunteers had this to say: I have volunteered with Accessible Arts and Media for over 3 years now and the people I have met through the charity have really made an impact on my life for the better. They are such positive workers and very understanding of people’s needs and each other’s. I have gained lifelong skills in communication, and it’s given me a lot of reward from being part of the team. I recommend them to anyone wanting to gain skills and be part of great ongoing projects in York.

As we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic, our projects and activities are more essential than ever.

We know, from talking to the people who take part in our projects, that the past two years have had a big impact on them. We’ve got an important role to play in supporting their wellbeing as they rebuild their confidence and re-connect with their community.

How to apply

Do you think this role could be next for you? Just send your CV and introductory letter to the contact email address above.

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