Become a trustee Volunteer as a trusteeWhere: Your local communityCommitment: Approximately 10 hours a monthTraining provided: Yes Complete our trustee/volunteer registration form Becoming a Trustee is one of the most powerful ways you can contribute to your local community whilst utilising and building a wealth of skills. We have around 1,000 trustees based in every local Home-Start across the UK. As independent charities, local Home-Starts require trustees to serve on their governing body (board), taking responsibility for directing the management of the organisation and leading on strategy. It is a fantastic opportunity to support your local community whilst also developing your skillset in the workplace. Watch Laura's trustee experience: Read video transcript.As part of the trustee role, you will be expected to: attend, and prepare for, a minimum of four meetings per year (more may be required, check with the local Home-Start you want to support) undergo a criminal record check at an enhanced level undergo a selection process as outlined by the local Home-Start commit to the legal and financial responsibilities of the role, as outlined by the local Home-Start Training and support: Trustees are fully inducted into Home-Start before beginning their new role; they will receive: an online welcome event and e-learning, introducing Home-Start’s service and your responsibilities paid expenses access to Home-Start’s intranet – full of information and guidance on running a local Home-Start the support of specialist staff at Home-Start UK Additional training may be provided by the local Home-Start Register to find out more about being a trustee More volunteer roles VIDEO TRANSCRIPTLaura (Local Home-Start trustee): I became a mum for the first time just a couple of weeks into the COVID pandemic, which is a very strange time to give birth. Becoming a mum is a really confusing time because everybody goes through a lot of different emotions, everybody feels very differently, so it can be quite lonely. I wanted to do something that was out of the home. I wanted to do something that was challenging my brain in a different way. Be around a team, be around people again. I'd already heard of Home-Start, that's why I knew it was the sort of organisation that was right up my street. And they were kind of like, have you considered being a trustee? Because trustees come into the office, they help out in lots of different ways. And I was kind of like, well, no, because it seems like the sort of thing that you have to be quite senior to be able to do.Chloe (Chair of local Home-Start trustee board):Laura came to us because she's a young parent. She felt she had a bit of time and she's been a fantastic addition.Laura: I thought a trustee would have to be very experienced, maybe had been a board member and would sort of have a trustee role as just maybe something they did in retirement.Chloe:In an ideal trustee board, you'd have somebody who was a lawyer, somebody who'd been in finance, somebody who'd have parenting skills, somebody maybe who'd worked in the charity sector. You know, there's a whole list of responsibilities we have. So I think anybody really can put themselves forward as a trustee if they've got real commitment, some time and something to give. The trustees, the staff, the volunteers, we're all working to the same end, which is to improve the lives of really struggling families with children under five, and that is a really worthwhile thing to do.Laura:One of the best things that this role has done for me is I've learned so much from the other people on the board. So I've learned a lot about financial management of a charity, budgeting and forecasting. It's given me access to decision making and strategy at such a senior level. I can't think of another activity that would give you that. It's really nice to be embedded in an organisation that is so embedded in the community. You can really see your impact as a trustee. I feel very proud to be able to say that that's my role.Chloe:You listen to that mum who thought she was at the end of her tether and a year later is saying, thank you Home-Start, you've changed my life. That's why we do it. Manage Cookie Preferences