Trustee opportunities

At this crucial time for climate and nature, Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust (YDMT) is looking for people who can bring new skills and experience to our board of Trustees, helping to expand our work to more people and deliver more projects that tackle climate change, biodiversity loss and improve access to nature.  

Whether you are an experienced trustee or looking to take on your first trustee role, if you have the time and energy to commit to the role and can identify with our values, ethos and aims, we’d love to hear from you.

What's involved? 

At YDMT we pride ourselves on being a ‘doing’ organisation that makes a practical difference. As a trustee your role will have a direct impact on our ability to reach more people and deliver more projects that help to protect and enhance our spectacular landscape and precious wildlife.

As a trustee you will play an integral role in shaping our strategic direction, effectiveness and accountability as a charity, working collectively with other board members to:

• determine the mission and strategy for the organisation, 
• be held accountable for the actions of the organisation,
• safeguard assets and ensure that those assets are used appropriately,
• contribute to effective decision making and information sharing,
• be an ambassador for the organisation.

As a trustee you will be expected to attend board meetings five or six times a year, at least two of which will be held in person at various locations. Other meetings will be hybrid and can be joined online or in person at our offices in Clapham.

Trustees are encouraged to volunteer for various sub committees, including: finance, community grants, woodland grants, health, safety and wellbeing, remuneration, and recruitment. You will also be invited to attend some of our events and woodland open days throughout the year, to talk to our supporters and beneficiaries.  

Whilst the trustee role in voluntary and time is unpaid, travel and other incidental expenses will be reimbursed.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for people with diverse backgrounds and experience who can bring new skills and experience to our board of trustees. We welcome people who are not afraid to challenge the status quo and who can provide new perspectives on our work.

We are keen to appoint people who are representative of our community, our stakeholders, and our beneficiaries, and will help to increase diversity on the board in terms of skills, age, background, and ethnicity.

We are also looking to expand the collective knowledge base of the board by recruiting trustees with experience relating to our charitable activities and our beneficiaries. That might include: 

• An understanding of the local community and landscape, particularly from a land management background 
• Ecologist with an understanding of the state of nature in the Dales
• Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) specialist or entrepreneur
• Youth work background and passionate about giving young people a voice
• A knowledge of Nidderdale National Landscape  

However, this list is not exhaustive, and we want to hear from anyone who believes their background and expertise could be useful to us.

Underpinning all of this is your ability to work within our culture – which means sharing our values of being creative, caring, honest and enabling.