The University Brass Band Championships
of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Become a Trustee
In 2014, against the backdrop of ever increasing participation in the annual UniBrass contest, a decision was made to form a new registered charity. That charity, the UniBrass Foundation, was established to ensure the continuing stability of the UniBrass contest, and to support brass banding at university level. The UniBrass Foundation is often looking for new trustees, and it could be you!
What does the charity do?
The UniBrass Foundation engages with the brass community in a variety of ways. Our biggest commitment is supporting the UniBrass contest organising committee, but recently we have also run other projects, such as Band Camp, and the Artist in Association scheme. We also help out at other brass contests throughout the year, which have previously included the National Championships and Youth Championships. The charity aims to support and promote university bands in all that they do, as well as engaging the wider public in university brass bands of all levels. We hope that by pursuing these objectives we will get more younger players involved in brass bands than ever before. To facilitate this, the charity is currently in the process of expanding the work it does through a range of new projects and partnerships.
How does the trustee board work?
The trustee board is made up of a mix of ex-members of the contest organising committee, and people with no previous involvement in UniBrass. Chair of the Board of Trustees, Thomas Hicken, commented, “We know there are lots of people in the brass banding community and beyond who are keen to support the work UniBrass does, and lots of people will be able to offer a range of skills that can help continue the success achieved so far by UniBrass. If you are at all interested, please have a chat to one of the current trustees!”
How can you apply?
You can apply to become treasurer of the UniBrass Foundation by filling out the form at the bottom of this page
FAQs
What does being a trustee mean?
As a trustee you have legal responsibility for ensuring the charity meets its charitable aims as outlined in the constitution. This involves attending meetings of the trustee board and running projects to support university banding. Other duties required of trustees will depend what responsibilities you take on as a trustee, the role will evolve around the successful applicant to work to their strengths.
Does this involve running the UniBrass contest?
No – a separate organising committee run the contest. The Foundation oversee the work this committee does as well as running other projects. However, it is expected that you’ll volunteer to help out at the contest each year.
What is the legal responsibility of a trustee?
As a trustee you take a share of the legal responsibility for the decisions the charity makes. There is lots of guidance available, and we make sure that all trustees understand the legal ramifications before we take a decision. If you want to find out more, we have found the following guide really useful:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-essential-trustee-what-you-need-to-know-cc3.
What is the time commitment of being a trustee?
Typically we meet in person four times a year, typically over a weekend with an overnight stay. We also have online meetings approximately once a month. You should be able to attend most of these (especially the in person meetings) and then put in some extra work on top of this (approx. 1-2 hours per week). We understand your time commitments vary and we therefore all work together to ensure that if you’re busy for a while other people will help out with any tasks you have.
Will I be paid for being a trustee?
No – it is a voluntary position, however you will be reimbursed for expenses occurred whilst carrying out your duties as a trustee.
Can anyone be a trustee?
No. Whilst most people are eligible, there are some people who are not, for example if they have serious criminal convictions or have been disqualified from being a company director. See the charity commission website for more details
What is the appointment process?
Applications are made by submitting the application form and a CV. All applications are reviewed by a panel of UniBrass Foundation trustees. Suitable candidates will be invited to an interview with a panel of trustees, and their referees will be contacted. Following this, the current board of trustees will confirm successful candidates offers by vote at the next meeting, before applicants are offered a trusteeship.
Any further question please contact recruitment@unibrass.co.uk.