Co-opted Bristol SU Trustee (non-student)

Co-opted Bristol SU Trustee (non-student) 

What’s the role?

• Role: Co-opted Bristol SU Trustee (non-student) 
• Hours: Approx 10 - 15 Days per year
• Voluntary: Reasonable expenses reimbursed when carrying out trustee duties
• Location: Bristol and Online but Trustees need to be able to commute to Bristol for meetings.
• Requirements: There is a requirement for in person meetings and events with some opportunities for attending online (see applicant pack for more details)
• Duration: 3 years (with potential for another 2 terms of 3 years)  
• Closing Date: Thursday 13 March 2025, 5pm
• Interviews:  Monday 24 – Wednesday 26 March 2025 

Help shape our future and improve the lives of 32,000 people.  

This is an exciting time to join Bristol Students’ Union. We are about to implement a new strategy; we have a new Co-opted Trustee Co-Chair and are currently undertaking a governance review. 

We’re becoming more digitally connected, and embracing the opportunities and challenges that our new Temple Quarter campus brings. As a Trustee, you’ll be crucial in helping shape this journey as well as addressing pressing issues such as: 

• Access to education  
• Mental Health 
• Accommodation  
• Race inequality 
• Poverty 
• Inclusivity 
• Internationalisation 

Ultimately, you’ll be involved in providing strategic, financial and governance oversight to help achieve our vision of “a Union for all students”

Who we’re looking for 

Experienced trustees - or experience of being either a senior manager or having significant leadership or governance experience – is essential. This is due to the nature of our board: as a membership organisation, we have a strong representation of student voice through officers and student trustees. They are almost always first-time trustees and will benefit from co-opted trustees with strong insight and experience in leadership, governance and strategic decision making. 

We value and are looking for committed and engaged trustees. However, whilst we’re relatively open in terms of skillsets, ideally, you’ll have expertise in one or more of these areas:

• Legal especially charity/company law
• Charity governance
• Digital/tech 
• Data
• Enterprise

Most importantly, you’ll be committed to making a difference to the lives of our 32,000 members and around 400 clubs and societies.

Please note, this role is not open to current University of Bristol students or anyone who has been one within the last two years. Student trustee opportunities and other student leadership roles will be available in the March 2025 election. 

Who we are

Part business, charity and membership body, Bristol SU is an enjoyable and rewarding place to work.  87% of our people recommend us as a good place to work. Our professional team do something extraordinary every day.

They support student leaders to:

• Give students a voice in their education and help shape their academic experience.
• Get the most out of their student experience.
• Make the change they want in the world.  

We’re a registered charity, and company limited by guarantee.  We turnover circa £6 million and have a diverse team of 86 colleagues working alongside our student leaders to make change happen.    

We have appeared in the Inclusive Companies top 100 list and have won several awards for our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, including best Students’ Union. We also won a Third Sector Excellence Award at the 2018 Investors in People Awards and received accreditations for Investors in People and Disability Confident.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion are central to life at Bristol SU. We approach our work with positivity and celebrate our diverse and unique communities. Our people are proud of our values and care about creating diverse and supportive communities that are inclusive of age, disability, gender, identity, race, religion, sexual orientation and experience. 

Bristol SU strives to have an inclusive culture and an environment for all, underpinned by respect and compassion. We want to be a place where everyone feels welcomed, included, supported, valued and safe. We recognise that people from some backgrounds/ identities may face additional barriers. We are committed to taking positive action to expand the diversity of our staff team by offering two guaranteed interview schemes – a scheme for people of colour and a scheme for disabled people.

The Bristol SU Board 

You can see our current board here. It consists of: 

• 4 elected students  
• 7 elected full-time officers   
• 4 co-opted trustees  
• 1 nominated trustee (through university).  

Trustee meetings and subcommittees occur in person (some opportunity for online as well) but the events (training and awayday) are in person in Bristol. 

How to apply and key dates

To read the applicant pack and to apply, please go to the Bristol SU website.

Closing Date: Thursday 13 March 2025, 5pm

Shortlisting: Monday 17 - Tuesday 18 March 2025

Interviews:  Monday 24 – Wed 26 March 2025 (these may change)

For general enquiries, or to arrange an informal chat with one of our Co-Chairs, please email Suzanne Doyle, Governance and Learning & Development Manager and clerk to the Board of Trustees - suzanne.doyle@bristol.ac.uk.

This role is advertised as part of TPP's Free Giving Back Services. This volunteer advertisement copy has been supplied to TPP and applicants apply direct to the organisation. Please contact the organisation directly if you have any questions about this volunteer role.