01. Welcome Letter Dear Candidate, My fellow Trustees and I are delighted that you are considering applying for the role of Depaul UK’s new Treasurer of the Board. This appointment brief tells you about the exciting work we do. Depaul UK is a values-based organisation, where, every day, we set out to end homelessness in the UK. Our Mission is to end homelessness and change the lives of those affected by it. Depaul UK is specifically committed to ensuring that anyone we engage with finds an environment where they can apply their whole self, where diversity of thought, background and experience is celebrated, where every person is included and accepted and where the mental health and wellbeing of our clients, volunteers and staff is viewed as fundamental to the success and sustainability of our work. To be part of such an organisation is inspiring. Depaul UK delivers a wide range of support and housing services for young people and adults at risk of homelessness. We specialise in the provision of services that prevent homelessness, increase the resilience of those we work with and energise opportunities for employment, education, training and volunteering in the communities we work. Our organisation currently reaches from North Tyneside to London, Greater Manchester to South Yorkshire and Kent. Depaul’s values are firmly rooted in the life and work of St Vincent de Paul - to reach out to the poorest of the poor, to focus on action rather than words, to do what we say we will do and to be innovative in approach. Depaul UK is a subsidiary of Depaul International, an international group of homelessness charities, but operates as an independent partner as do the other members of the Depaul Group. It is also part of the broader, global Vincentian Family of organisations which share the same values and also trace their roots back to St Vincent de Paul.
Although we have a Catholic foundation and heritage, staff and Board members are of all religions and none. But what we all share is respect for these values and a desire for them to be translated into practice. It is our history that inspires our vision for tomorrow - a society in which everyone has a place to call home and a stake in their community. All forms of homelessness in the UK have been increasing and this will be exacerbated by the social and economic implications of the Covid-19 pandemic, which will be felt for years to come and will enhance inequalities. We expect to see significant homelessness in all its forms over the next decade. It will take a vibrant, growing and effective organisation to face the challenges ahead, providing services and programmes that are relevant, affordable, accessible and impactful. Depaul UK is that organisation; we are brave and innovative and we don’t give up. Our focus is on the individual, not the masses and every solution is personalised. This is what makes us the best at what we do. In order to maintain and continuously improve the quality of our work, our organisational performance, including our business model, the quality of our services, and our governance, is pivotal. The role of Treasurer of the Board will be key in enabling this. If you think that you have what we are looking for and would like to join me and an imaginative, invested and unified Board who are supported to deliver Depaul UK’s mission by a motivated, ambitious, creative CEO and Executive Team, we very much welcome your application. Sandeep Katwala Chair Depaul UK Council of Trustees Appointment Brief | DEPAUL UK 1
