Trustee recruitment

Don’t be one of the crowd; be one of our crowd!

We seek new trustees. Could you be the answer to our search?

The Liverpool Irish Festival is a unique organisation that has delivered an annual festival since 2003. It’s run by brilliant, creative, visionary people with the aim of bringing Liverpool and Ireland closer together using arts and culture.

We are scouting for (up to four, including one Finance Lead, more details below) incredible people to join our Board, as Trustees, to help the Festival evolve into its next phase and to sustain, develop and extend our annual programmes.  Trustees are responsible for driving our mission and direction; general advocacy and ensuring the Festival’s continued success and sustainability. Our Trustees make sure we do things right and do the right things to build and grow.

Who are you?

The Festival actively welcomes applications from people with diverse backgrounds, life experiences and career paths. We’re keen to encourage young, non-White, female and non-cisgender, neurodivergent and disabled people -and those straddling these groups- to join and diversify our Board; in other words we welcome people from marginalised communities. We want to better represent the communities we serve and bring new voices and lived-experiences to our table. An Irish connection is desirable, but not essential. We are particularly keen to recruit first-time Trustees, who will reinvigorate governance and challenge received/perceived wisdoms and assumptions. We’re open to change -and to changing- and we’re learning all the time. If we’ve already created a barrier for you, please share this with us; your experience could help us transform to help others.

We intend to future-proof the Liverpool Irish Festival. You’ll bring fresh perspectives to the full range of Board concerns, from finance to marketing and beyond. We can support your development, whilst harnessing your skills, experiences and knowledge. You contributing to and being a part of the Festival is a priority to us.

What is our focus?

We’ll provide support and mentoring for new Trustees to help you realise your potential. We’re more focused on your opinions and insights than your professional experience/background, which will be reviewed as part of our due-diligence, but senior leadership (or equivalent) is not essential for you to apply (unless that is a particular hook on which you are mounting your application). Your ideas, commitment and willingness to deliver agreed actions are paramount.

Consequently, the Board seek trustees who will shape an exciting future for the Festival. You’ll have the potential to make waves using innovative and creative approaches to charity work. If you’re enthusiastic about playing a key role and have the desire, passion and skills we are looking for, please contact our company secretary, John Chandler (+44 (0) 7762 943 697 or by using this email), for an informal discussion. We highly recommend this for anyone with questions about the role of a trustee or those wanting to know more about Festival specifics before making an application. Such introductory conversations are viewed favourably.

Additional information for the Finance Lead Trustee

Our current Finance Lead Trustee is stepping aside from the role and we are looking to appoint a voluntary trustee (unpaid) with experience in finance to take a lead on overseeing the Festival’s financial affairs. This Trustee will bring sound independent financial judgement, strategic vision and a familiarity with charity accounting to the Board. You will play a significant role in the governance of the Festival, helping to ensure that the Festival fulfils its financial duties and responsibilities in compliance with charity and company law.

What is the commitment?

Trustees will attend up to a maximum of 12 Board meetings per year, normally held early in the evening of standard business days. There will be ‘away days’ and further duties, but the main responsibility outside standard meetings is ordinarily via email. Standard meetings are via Zoom, with two in-person meetings per year, plus exceptional meetings and training. Travel expenses may be paid if agreed in advance.

How to submit your application

Applications should be made using a one-page letter/email (c.500 words or equivalent film/voice note) stating
a) why you want the role, and
b) what strengths and skills you would bring to it, supported by your CV.

Please email these to John Chandler at [email protected]. We run a rolling recruitment programme, based on applications, with applicants and trustees being consulted around regular meetings.

Applicants will be invited to interview with a small panel. Successful interviewees will then attend a trustee meeting, where the trustees will recommend the applicant for membership based on their engagement. Successful candidates will then be invited to join.

Recruitment pack

To assist with your application, we have developed a short Recruitment Pack, which we recommend all applicants read. It provides some board infromation about the Festival and some key documents for further reading.

Image top: right, left-to-right: John Chandler (Former Festival Chair, present company secretary), Emma Smith (Festival Artistic Director and CEO), Minister Simon Coveney TD and Ireland’s General Consul, Sarah Mangan, celebrate the opening of Ireland’s northern consulate at Liverpool Irish Centre, Oct 2021. Image mid-page: Below: Festival posters on street hoardings give us a city presence.