Jobs in Kilmarnock West and Crosshouse, East Ayrshire

An exciting opportunity has arisen to work with the biggest Union in East Ayrshire and the biggest union in the U.K., UNISON.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and hard working individual to become the administrative support for the branch. This is a varied and challenging role that can range from writing our branch minutes to updating our social media to representing the branch at recruitment events. Therefore we are looking for someone with experience of administration roles and / or experience of working within the trade union movement.

Main Purpose of post:To be the guiding hand of the Board of this dynamic charity

Join our Board – Break the Silence

Who are we? Break the silence breakthesilence.org.uk Operating since 2004, Break the Silence is a registered charity in Scotland and a Company Limited by Guarantee. It provides a range of tailored, holistic support options for survivors of rape and childhood sexual abuse, aged 13 years and above. Our vision is to make a profound and positive difference in the lives of those affected by sexual trauma.

A recent strategy session refreshed our key values, and we have a clear action plan for the next three years.

The role:An interim Chair was co-opted in November ’21 to oversee a refresh of the strategic direction and vision of the charity and conduct a thorough governance review. This process has now been completed with the amazing support and enthusiasm of the entire staff team. Part of the process was finding new trustees as some long-standing trustees had served their full terms. This comes at an appropriate juncture; having supported Break the Silence to this point it gives them a much-deserved rest and allows for new talent to step into trustee roles and help move the organisation forward with its new strategy.

It is now appropriate for the Interim Chair to step down and hand over the reins to a new Chair to build on the very solid foundations put in place over the last nine months. In addition, the timing offers an opportunity to fully embed the new trustees and utilise the pool of new talent, experience, and new ideas. The Board meets 6-8 times a year, typically for a two-hour meeting held digitally. Board papers are distributed in advance. Historically the trustees have worked closely with the small staff team so there would be an opportunity to work collaboratively on specific projects. Currently there is a trustee led Communications sub-group focusing on social media and raising the profile of Break the Silence.

About you:The charity welcomes applicants that reflect the diversity of the community we serve. We value the diversity of opinion, thought and experience that a new board member can bring. The appointment may appeal to an experienced person wishing to volunteer as a Chair for the first time or from those more experienced in this key role. It is important to Break the Silence that potential candidate share our values of being compassionate and collaborative, effective and knowledgeable in supporting those affected by sexual trauma and supports the Charity’s vision to influence and inform within the sector. We strive to be a Centre of Excellence for our service users and all our stakeholders.