My SU Our Values
WEARE...
STUDENT LED
We are run by students, for students. We listen to what students want and empower them to be involved in decision making across all levels of the SU.
EQUALITY
We value diversity and aim to create an inclusive environment for all.
EMPOWERING
We support our members and staff to achieve their full potential.
TRANSPARENCY
We act with openness and honesty.
FUN
We promote a sense of fun and enjoyment through everything we do.
Key Information For Applicants
Recruitment
Timetable
Application closes:
Shortlisting:
Notification of candidates for interview:
Interviews:
Appointments and induction:
21st March 2025
Week commencing 24th of March 2025
(Via email) 27th/28th March 2025
Week commencing 7th April 2025
April 2025
Additional Information
For further information on the Students’ Union (SU) and its work can be found on our website www.cardiffmetsu.co.uk .
You can also contact the Chair of the Board of Trustees and Student President, Dan Flaherty at dflaherty@cardiffmet.ac.uk , or the SU Chief Executive, Will Fuller at wfuller@cardiffmet.ac.uk to discuss the role further.
How to apply
To apply to join us as a Lay Trustee, please send your covering letter setting out why you are interested and what you will bring to the role, to the Bev Bambrough, Governance and policy Coordinator at bbambrough@cardiffmet.ac.uk , by 21st March 2025.
Welcome from the Chair
Thank you for expressing your interest in becoming a Lay Trustee at Cardiff Met SU. We take pride in our vision of delivering the best university experience for every student at the SU. Trustees play a critical role in assuring that we are engaging with what is important to students, we remain well-governed and are accessible to all students.
We have been working hard to develop a strategic plan that will enable us to focus on what students want and what they need to succeed in the ever-changing education landscape. With our strategic plan in development, we will concentrate on a wide range of issues that impact students and the education they receive. This will allow us to identify where our focus should be, and how to best utilise our resources.
The last 12 months have profoundly impacted the way we work as an organisation. It has seen us concentrate on the educational priorities of our students. As we enter the 2024/25 academic year we will be working
Dan Flaherty
SU President and Chair of the Trustee Board 24/25
with a clearer vision of our priorities and will need a strong Board of Trustees to ensure that we deliver against our objectives, provide challenge, and help guide us through changes yet to come.
As a charity, Cardiff Met SU is required to comply with Charity Law and work within the scope set out by the Charity Commission. As a membership organisation, we must remain responsive to our members. As a trading organisation, we must ensure that our finances are stable, we remain ethical in our practices and aspire to be an employer of choice.
This really is a great opportunity to make a difference and shape the SU for the future. The pack is designed to give you a taste of what to expect from the role, and as President, I hope it inspires you to take the step and apply. If you have questions or would like an informal conversation before applying, please feel free to reach out dflaherty@cardiffmet.ac.uk
What is a Trustee & Why do we need them?
Cardiff Met SU is a charity (registered Charity No. 1148990) and is governed by a body called the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees is the highest decision-making body in the Union, with overall responsibility for the management and administration of the Students’ Union, including its governance, budget and strategy. Trustees are responsible for providing appropriate oversight, and leadership to the SU in pursuit of its strategic objectives to fulfil its charitable purpose.
Lay Trustees provide charities essential expert skills and guidance from outside of their sector. It can be easy for organisations like charities to spend all of their time focussed on the specifics of their work without pausing to look for expertise from further afield. Lay Trustees are selected based on their skills, experience and what value they can bring to the Board. Having a diverse mix of skills, experiences, backgrounds and industries among our Lay Trustees is crucial to running a highly effective Board.
About Cardiff Met SU
This is an exciting time to become a trustee with Cardiff Met SU having undertaken a Governance and Democracy review and we are currently building a new strategy for the organisation.
Over the next two years the board will see the report implemented, with guidance and leadership from the Board to drive these changes.
The SU provides services for students in line with its charitable objectives. Representing the views of over 12,000 students at Cardiff Metropolitan University, across two academic sites in Cardiff. The SU plays a key role in student life offering social, cultural, recreational, and sporting opportunities for students across both campuses. Enabling students to form communities and support networks to keep them on track during their studies. Helping to develop social skills needed to succeed in what will be life after university, through volunteering opportunities.
Futura Marketing & Promotions Limited
Trustees are also responsible for the SU’s trading subsidiary, Futura Marketing and Promotions Limited. The subsidiary operates independently from the charity but is wholly owned by it and exists to generate income through business activity which do not align with the charitable objectives of the SU.
Governance
Under the Articles, the Board of Trustees is responsible for the management and administration of the Union, including its governance, budget, and strategy. The Board has power to overrule any decision or policy of the members, where it is considered, there are financial implications, a breach of legal requirements, a contravention of the Union’s aims and objects, or the carrying out of the Board’s responsibilities are affected. Trustees are appointed for a maximum period of three years, with the opportunity to be reappointed for a further three-year term.
The Trustees have power to delegate their functions to committees or individuals.
Day-to-day management of the operation and administration of the SU is delegated by the Trustees to the Chief Executive. The Chief Executive reports to Trustees at each Board of Trustees’ meeting, and as necessary between meetings, and to the Committees of the Board.
The Board of Trustees meets four times per year, and up to four meetings per subcommittee. Meetings are held both on Cyncoed and Llandaff campuses, or remotely via Teams. There will be opportunities for you to network outside of meetings with fellow Trustees, alongside key events to support students. Successful candidates will receive ongoing support and appropriate training in their role.
The current sub-committees.
• Finance and Renumeration Committee
• Policy, Procedure & Participation Committee
• People and Culture Committee
• Audit and Risk Committee
• Appointments Committee
Our Board of Trustees is made up of four Lay Trustees providing expert knowledge and guidance, a President and Vice-President, and two appointed Student Trustees, this ensures we have the voice of students at the heart of decision making.
To ensure that the SU remains student led, elections take place annually for the roles of the President and Vice President. In addition, the two appointed Student Trustees are appointed for a two-year period, however, to remain a student trustee you will need to be enrolled as a student at Cardiff Met University for the duration of your term of appointment. One Student Trustee will be appointed from the Cyncoed campus and one from the Llandaff campus.
The role of the Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees is the SU’s governing body. It has overall responsibility for the management and the administration of the Students’ Union, including its governance, budget, and strategy. Made up of 2 elected Officers’ trustees, 2 Student Trustees and 4 Lay Trustees. As the SU is an incorporated charity, Trustees are also appointed as company directors.
Collective responsibilities of all Trustees:
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To ensure that the SU works to fulfil its charitable purpose, and that it acts within its constitution.
To ensure the SU complies with charity law, company law, and other applicable legislation, regulatory requirements, and best practice.
To comply with the provisions of the SU’s Articles of Association, and to always act in the best interests of the Union.
To ensure the financial stability of the SU, and that its resources are properly managed and only used for the purposes for which they are intended.
To ensure that effective strategic planning is in place, that appropriate goals and targets are set, and effective processes for monitoring and evaluating performance are in place.
To ensure that effective governance policies and procedures are in place in relation to the SU’s activities.
To ensure that effective controls are in place to identify and manage risks.
To actively contribute to the work and decisions of the Board.
To support and constructively challenge the Chief Executive.
To uphold the aims and values of the SU and to protect its name and reputation.
To adhere to the Nolan Committee’s seven principles of public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty, and leadership.
Subcommittee chairing.
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Additional responsibilities of Lay Trustees
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To bring an external perspective to the work of the Board, based on your experience and independent judgment.
To use any specific professional skills and experience to assist the Board in reaching sound decisions and, where appropriate, to offer guidance on matters falling within those specific areas.
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Lay Trustee Person Specification
All applicants should;
Be willing and able to allocate sufficient time to fulfil the duties and responsibilities of the role.
The ability to think strategically and see the bigger picture.
Be a ‘critical friend’ - able to challenge constructively, and exercise sound independent judgment.
Have effective communication skills and the ability to relate to, and communicate effectively with, people at all levels.
Have experience of working in a leadership, or management role in an organisation (private, public, or voluntary) using influencing and negotiating skills.
Have experience of working in, or with, an organisation that requires an understanding of the needs of, and engagement with, multiple stakeholders.
Have a commitment to our values and culture.
Have the enthusiasm to apply your experience, understanding and skills for the benefit of the SU, its members and their educational and personal development, and wellbeing.
We are particularly keen to receive applications from people with experience in any of the following areas, but this is not essential - we will consider all applications based upon what you can bring to the role of Trustee:
We are looking to appoint one Lay Trustee to join us to support our continued progression. We are looking for Trustees with expertise and interest in any of the following areas to add value to our Board:
Marketing and communication
Finance / Fundraising and income generation
Legal and risk management
Higher education and Student Union experience
Time Commitment
The Board meets at least four times each year, usually in the early evening, and additional Board meetings may be convened as necessary. Board members will also need to attend the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and may also be asked to sit on additional committees as the Board moves forward in developing its structures to support good decision making. You will also need to have time to prepare for meetings by reading papers to ensure that matters are dealt with in a timely fashion between meetings of the Board.
Statutory Restrictions
Being a Trustee is an important role and some people are disqualified by law from acting as a charity trustee.
Those who are under 18 years of age.
Those who are disqualified as accompany director.
Those who have an unspent conviction for an offence involving dishonesty or deception (such as fraud).
Those who are undischarged bankrupt (or subject to sequestration in Scotland) or have a current composition or arrangement including an individual voluntary agreement with creditors.
Those who have been removed as a trustee of any charity by the commission (or the court) because of misconduct or mismanagement. Further restrictions came into being in August 2018, these include disqualification if you are on the sex offenders register, unspent convictions for a wider range of offences, which include bribery and money laundering, or for disobeying and instruction of the commission. •
As part of the application and appointments process, you will be asked to sign a declaration that you are legally entitled to become a trustee, and we will also ask for two references.
Valuing Diversity
As an organisation responsible for representing the interests of a diverse body of students, we fully encourage applicants from all demographics and backgrounds so that our Board is as diverse as the students we represent.
We are committed to establishing a positive working environment for all, that is fair, equitable and free of discriminatory practice. We welcome applications from individuals regardless of their race, sexual orientation, sex, religion or belief, age, gender or disability, pregnancy and maternity, and marriage and civil partnership.
Support
We recognise this may be your first role as a Trustee, or you may be an experienced Trustee. Regardless of your experience we provide a full training and induction for new Board members.
Renumeration
Charity Trustees may not be paid for their work as a trustee. However, trustees can be reimbursed for reasonable expenses incurred to undertake the role as trustee, in line with the SU expenses policy.
Cardiff Met SU is limited by guarantee. Successful appointed trustees will be covered by liability insurance for the duration of the term of office.
Conflict of Interest
Due to the nature of the role, we believe that current and former staff within the last six years are conflicted and are unable to apply. There is no staff rep role within our Board level governance as a student led organisation. We do accept feedback and ideas which can be directly provided to the Chief Executive Officer or via HR.
Recruitment Timetable
Application closes:
Shortlisting:
Notification of candidates for interview:
Interviews:
Appointments and induction:
Useful Links
www.cardiffmetsu.co.uk
www.gov.uk Charity Commission
21st March 2025
Week commencing 24th of March 2025 (Via email) 27th/28th March 2025
Week commencing 7th April 2025 April 2025
Cardiff Met SU Memorandum and Articles of Association
Cardiff Met SU Constitution
Cardiff Met SU Governance and Democracy Review
How To Apply
We are seeking to appoint 1 trustee as follows.
1 x 2 year appointment starting April 2025
There is also the option to extend appointments for an additional term with agreement of both parties.
To join us as a Lay Trustee, please send your CV, two referees, a completed equality monitoring form, together with a covering letter explaining why you are interested and what you would bring to the role to Bev Bambrough, Governance and policy Coordinator at bbambrough@cardiffmet.ac.uk by 21st March 2025 .
