Charity Trustee

Organisation: Active Black Country
Salary: Voluntary Role.
Location: Halesowen, West Midlands
Contract type: Volunteer (Part time)
Closing date: 20 March 2026
Job Description: Active Black Country is looking for new trustees to help tackle inequality and support our mission of promoting inclusion, empowering communities and enabling more people to be active, move more and play sport.

We’re seeking individuals with insight, curiosity and a passion for social change — whether that comes from professional expertise or lived experience.

Our trustees ask questions, share ideas, build partnerships and spot opportunities to make movement part of everyday life.

We want our Board to reflect the diverse voices of the communities we serve. If you can bring fresh perspectives and broaden our thinking, we’d love to hear from you.

We’re particularly interested in people with experience in:

Public Health
Community Development
Sport for Development or related sector background
Public Housing / Place Shaping
Digital Transformation & AI

Responsibilities:
• Setting the vision, mission, and values of Active Black Country Ltd, in accordance with the Company’s proposed charitable Objects and alongside fellow Directors, the Chair, and the ABC Ltd Chief Executive Officer.
• Together with the Board ensures that the organisation pursues its proposed objects as defined in its articles of association and ensures complies with charity law, company law and other relevant legislation/regulations.
• Providing the strategic leadership and determining the direction and priorities for sport and physical activity across the Black Country.
• Acting as an advocate for sport and physical activity, focusing on its contribution to public health and economic development for the region.
• Holding ABC Ltd Staff to account for their performance and impact across the Company’s sport and activity work.
• Acting as a “team member” of the Board, contributing to the fulfilment of its Terms of Reference and sharing responsibility for Board decisions.
• Contributing towards ensuring that Active Black Country Ltd is fit for purpose and continuously improves.
• Providing objective scrutiny and offering an independent perspective, drawing on their outside current and previous experience.

Key Duties:
• Diligently preparing for and attending at least 80% of Board meetings, making an active contribution to discussions and decision making.
• Taking responsibility, for an agreed specific Board function, if required.
• Analysing data, intelligence, insight and reports to ensure the delivery of planned results through monitoring and evaluating performance against strategic and operational objectives.
• To safeguard the good name and values of the organisation.
• Ensure the management and administration of the organisation is delivered effectively and efficiently, making best use of the charity’s resources.
• Overseeing risk, financial, and administrative processes to ensure robust and rigorous systems are continuously scrutinised and managed.
• Interpreting issues, challenges, and opportunities faced by the sport and physical activity sector at a national, regional, and local level, and making recommendations for response initiatives.
• To act as an advocate for the organisation and assist in communications with stakeholders and potential partners.
• Setting the priorities, annual resources, and annual programme of key events for Active Black Country Ltd.
• Preparing for and attending appraisal meetings on an annual basis.
• Attending training events as appropriate and necessary to ensure the achievement of individual personal objectives.
• Participating in agreed sub-committees, ad-hoc working groups and special meetings as required.
• Developing and maintaining good working relationships with Board colleagues, the CEO, stakeholders, and Active Black Country Ltd Staff.
• Utilising specialist skills, knowledge, expertise, and experience to support the work and development of Active Black Country Ltd.
• Taking appropriate opportunities, as agreed by the Chair and the CEO, to promote, support, and represent the work of Active Black Country Ltd.
• Abiding by the Code of Conduct for all Board Directors.

Person Specification:
• Good independent judgement and willingness to speak their mind.
• Can express views, challenge succinctly, listen to others and contribute to discussions effectively to engage, shape, influence and inspire the confidence of colleagues on the Board, the CEO, stakeholders, and ABC Ltd Staff.
• Is passionate about tackling physical inactivity in the Black Country.
• Understands the role of governance in the charity & non for profit sector.
• Demonstrates a good understanding of the key aspects of Active Black Country Ltd’s activities and has knowledge and skills of at least one of its sector sports areas.
• Demonstrates business acumen, showing a good awareness of commercial principles, best practices approaches, and high-performance delivery.
• Demonstrates professional, voluntary, or lived experience of communities most marginalised or under-represented in being active. Has knowledge and understanding of the barriers to activity. Can articulate, demonstrate, or evidence the valuable role that physical activity and sport can contribute to health, environmental & socio-economic outcomes.
• Demonstrates political awareness and can understand complex issues in a local, regional, and national context.
• Considers potential conflicts of interest and acts with a high degree of confidentiality, integrity, and probity at all times.
• Upholds the values and objectives of Active Black Country Ltd including those for equality and diversity.
• Regularly reviews and considers their own contributions, development needs, and those of the Board as a whole

Location: Black Country and some regional travel.
Remuneration: Voluntary (reasonable expenses reimbursed)
Commitment: Upto 6 board meetings per year and membership of a sub committee
How to apply: We know that choosing to apply for a trustee role is a significant decision, and we want to ensure you have all the information you need to understand who we are, what matters to us, and the impact you can help us achieve. The Active Black Country Board encourages diversity to maximise achievements, good practice, innovation and impact and aim to ensure our organisations reflects the communities we aim to serve. We especially welcome applicants from under-represented or marginalised groups including, but not limited to, people from ethnically diverse communities and those with a disability or long-term health condition. The post is not remunerated but out of pocket expenses can be paid. We are always keen to work with applicants to make it easier for you to become a Board member. We can make adjustments where needed, perhaps due to a disability or sensory impairment or with digital access. To apply: 1. Please submit your CV alongside an expression of interest explaining why you are interested in this role, detailing how you are a good candidate for this post and how you fulfil the person specification. 2. The declaration form – completion of the equalities section is not mandatory, this is requested for monitoring purposes in line with our commitment to equality and diversity. 3. Please submit your expression to enquiries@activeblackcountry.co.uk in a format that you feel would express your interest. Closing date: 20 March For an informal discussion on any aspect of the role please contact Ian Carey (ABC Chief Executive Officer). Email: Ian.carey@Activeblackcountry.co.uk Tel: 07507 060970. Or contact Amanda Tomlinson (ABC Board Chair) or Richard Medcalf (ABC Board Vice-Chair) via enquiries@activeblackcountry.co.uk. For full details please visit our website and see our board recruitment pack and role description - https://www.activeblackcountry.co.uk/news/active-black-country-seeks-new-trustees/