What we expect from you
James Cameron, Chair of the Board
"Thank you for agreeing to be a trustee of School of Hard Knocks – I hope you find it a rewarding experience.
The fact that you have agreed to be a Trustee of the charity means that you already appreciate the fantastic work that our staff do week in week out to help children and adults to change their lives around. As a Trustee we need you to provide the guidance and support to those staff running the charity. You can contribute to SOHK by giving your experience, knowledge and skills to help us as a Board make the right decisions.
There is, quite rightly, a lot of regulation around running a charity. We use other peoples money to help our beneficiaries and we must protect the trust that people have given us by being an effective, well-governed business. You have responsibilities both as a Trustee and Director but I am certain that you receive far more back in terms of the people you meet, the satisfaction that you have helped children and adults to change their lives and helped SOHK be a fun place to be."
Act in your charity's best interests
Deal with conflicts of interest
Manage your charity's resources responsibly
Implement appropriate financial controls
Manage risks
Act with reasonable care and skill
Take appropriate advice when you need to, for example when buying or selling land, or investing (in some cases this is a legal requirement)
1. Visit at least one SOHK programme for a day each year
SOHK courses run across England, Scotland and Wales all year round, so there's no excuse not to get involved. Our HQ staff regularly visit SOHK courses and would be happy for you to join them.
2. Come to at least two SOHK events each year
We regularly run SOHK events throughout the year, these include various fundraising events, our annual participant award event, rugby screenings and touch rugby tournaments. As a trustee, we encourage you to join us at these events to get to know SOHK staff, beneficiaries, and supporters.
3. Proactively introduce the charity's staff to new opportunities and contacts
Creating meaningful and long-term relationships is crucial to the work that we do at SOHK. We rely on contacts at various organisations to help us fundraise, source volunteers and generally support our cause.
4. Donate at least £10/month
Donating £10/ month will fund an hour's sports coaching for a vulnerable child, two hot lunches for a homeless participant in Scotland or boxing wraps.
5. Advocate actively for the charity in your personal and professional networks
SOHK relies heavily on constantly expanding our supporter network. By increasing the number of people who know and support SOHK we can potentially raise more funds and as a result, reach even more beneficiaries across the UK each year. Help us by spreading the word in your personal and professional networks!
