People with lived experience of poverty sought for foundation’s first Board shadowing scheme
Melanie May | 21 February 2024 | News
The John Ellerman Foundation is seeking people with lived experience of poverty to take part in a new six-month Board shadowing scheme.
This is the first time the John Ellerman Foundation has run such a programme, and it is looking for three people from diverse backgrounds with lived experience of poverty to take part. The scheme is for people with the availability to attend Board meetings and who want to learn more about charity governance within a charitable grantmaker. Applicants do not need to have prior experience of a Board or Trustee role.
The scheme is unpaid and is for around one day a month. The foundation has an office in London’s Embankment, and remote and hybrid work is also supported. Expenses like travel will be reimbursed, and successful applicants will also receive a training budget of up to £500. To help with accessibility, the foundation also says that if people work or have caring responsibilities that make it difficult to attend meetings in the day time, it is open to exploring reimbursement for their time to make attendance easier.
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The scheme will see successful applicants attend all Board and sub-committee meetings during a six-month period. They will also have the option to observe and be involved in in the assessment of first and second stage applications, and to attend other Board-related meetings where appropriate.
As well as the chance to meet and learn from the Board and wider team, people on the scheme will receive regular support from Annika Small OBE, Trustee and Sufina Ahmad MBE, the Foundation’s Director.
The deadline for applying is 13 March with more information here.
In the post description, the foundation says:
“We want to design and implement different ways of working that help to create more diverse, equitable and inclusive governance structures within the charitable sector generally, including the charitable funding sector. It is our hope that schemes like this will provide successful candidates with the confidence and experience to pursue formal governance opportunities successfully after their time with us.”
The John Ellerman Foundation was set up in 1971 and funds charities for work with national significance in the fields of the arts, environment and social action. Its aim is to advance the wellbeing of people, society and the natural world.
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.