HUBBUB UK Trustee candidate pack August 2022
Welcome from Catherine Brown, Chair of Hubbub Foundation Thank you for your interest in applying to join the board of trustees at Hubbub. I hope you’ll look at our website and social media, as well as this pack, and that together they’ll give you a sense of Hubbub and what we’re like as an organisation, and what we’re looking for. The Hubbub team of staff and trustees are dynamic, enthusiastic, creative, and committed to working in partnership to support people to make changes that are good for the environment and good for them and their communities. We’re proud to work with brilliant businesses - from the Co-op to Virgin Media O2, from Starbucks to John Lewis - and communities all over the country - from the east end of London to Manchester and Glasgow - to deliver programmes that make a real difference to people and the planet. We pride ourselves in helping individuals, communities and private and public sector organisations make a difference in the face of environmental challenges that can otherwise feel overwhelming. We have always focused on engaging a wide range of people and communities in our campaigns and we have an appetite to grow our impact even further and work with more people, and a wider range of people, to make an even bigger difference. We’re increasingly focused on the intersection of environmental and social issues and are looking for a trustee to join us with particular knowledge in this area, and/or experience of community organising and campaigning. We want to continue to deepen and embed our approach to EDI throughout Hubbub and our work, and this includes the make-up of our board, so we’re keen to hear from applicants who are from Black, Asian or other minoritised ethnic groups, and people under the age of 40. If you’re inspired by our vision and believe you have a contribution to make to our board, please get in touch. You don’t need to be an experienced board member - there are lots of ways you could demonstrate that you can think strategically, and provide appropriate support and challenge to our team as part of the board. We’re open to providing training and support to first time trustees. If you can bring knowledge of the interplay between social and environmental issues and/or experience of community organising, alongside good team working skills and enthusiasm for our mission, I hope you will apply - and I look forward to talking to you! Best wishes,
Catherine Brown, Chair
About us If you’re looking for inspiration and practical actions that are good for you and the environment, you’ve come to the right place. We believe that to create positive environmental change at the scale and speed needed, we need to get everyone on board. That’s why since 2014, we’ve been designing campaigns that inspire ways of living that are good for the environment. We disrupt the status quo to raise awareness, nudge behaviours and shape systems. We do this with knowledge and playfulness, and we won’t make you feel bad. We concentrate on things you’re passionate about and are relevant day-to-day, like fashion, food, the homes we live in and the spaces around us. We keep things simple, offering practical and realistic solutions that help cut waste, make clothes last longer, save money and create cleaner spaces to live and work in, and more often than not bring people together.
How we work We’re a small, experienced team of doers. We have a diverse mix of backgrounds but all share a curiosity of the world and a desire to create change. We aim to empower the mainstream to take environmental action through powerful collaborations, promoting community-led action, using playful language and good design to change behaviours. We were awarded the Charity of the Year at The Charity Time Awards in 2020 for our work, and listed as the 28th best organisation to work at (in the world!) by Escape The City.
Person specification Personal values We’re looking for a trustee who identifies with our values, finds our mission inspiring and can bring skills and experience to strengthen our board. You don’t need charity or board experience to apply, nor do you need to have deep knowledge of the environmental sector. We’re looking for
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Enthusiasm for our approach and values and a commitment to contribute your time and skills in the best interests of the organisation. Ability to think creatively and strategically, exercise good independent judgement and work effectively as a board member. Effective communication skills and willingness to participate actively in discussion.
As well as the above we’re looking for a trustee to strengthen our work in the following area:
Community Engagement
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Experience working with diverse and underserved communities in the UK Interest in the intersection of environmental and social issues and deep understanding of the key players and nuances in this space Passion for collaboration and co-creation to create impact Some experience of fundraising for grassroots projects, whether from local sources, crowdfunding or traditional grant-making.
What will your impact be?
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Inform and shape our thinking and activity around how we collaborate with underrepresented communities, enabling us to expand our reach and make more impactful partnerships. Enable us to make better, more informed decisions across all our areas of work, by bringing a different perspective, insight, expertise and new ideas.
All trustees should be aligned with our values: Give a damn about the environment: it’s authentically at the heart of everything we do because we’re committed to taking action on climate change and the environment. We care about the difference we make and are honest about our impact. Curious: have an interest in people, places, trends, politics and the world we live in. Asks questions, seeks knowledge and has self-direction to discover the answers. We have an eye for detail.
Entrepreneurial: nimble and brave enough to take risks. Trusting instincts to experiment without fear. Acts like a leader and embraces context and freedom over control and process. Proud of independent spirit. Takes initiative and responsibility. Creative: re-imagining everything. Thinking outside the box. Trusting intuition and bringing magic to the everyday. Continually challenging our own status quo. Playful: positive and playful to catch the imagination and make people smile, because the world is serious enough.
Time commitment There are four board meetings per year, normally 5-7pm, alternating between online and in person, at Somerset House in London. We aim to include an optional social element after the in-person meetings to enable board members to get to know each other and the team more informally. At least one day or half-day strategy event during each year. As well as the formal meetings, there are a range of optional opportunities to get more involved, and support the organisation. These include committees, acting as a sounding board for specific projects relevant to your experience and skills, providing ad hoc advice to team members on areas of expertise. We have also organised sessions for board members to meet members of the Hubbub team to get to know more about the projects and how we work.
Diversity & inclusion Hubbub believes that diversity and inclusion in our team and on our board is critical to our success. We’re keenly aware that our board does not reflect the communities we work with or the society we live in and we want to strengthen our board by bringing in people with perspectives and backgrounds that are different to those already represented. We’re particularly keen to hear from applicants from a Black, Asian or other ethnic minority background and young people aged 18-40. Please have a look at this recent report setting out how we’re trying to engage underrepresented communities and become more inclusive.
How to apply Reach Volunteering’s TrusteeWorks team are supporting Hubbub with their Board recruitment. Please submit your CV, LinkedIn profile or similar along with a covering letter stating why you would like to apply to become trustee of Hubbub and how your skills, abilities and experience would add value to the Board. If you’d prefer to have a chat with a current trustee before making a formal application please get in touch to request this. Please contact the Reach TrusteeWorks team for any queries: trusteeworks@reachvolunteering.org.uk Wednesday 7th September: Applications close. Early September: Option for an informal chat with CEO Alex Robinson or Chair of our board Catherine Brown. End of September: Interviews. Third week of October: Ideally aim to join October’s board meeting as a trial before making a final commitment.