The Transforming Autism Project is seeking a new Trustee to join its board.
Our Organisation
The Transforming Autism Project is a brand-new charity focusing on very early intervention for children with autism with a view to making transformative life-long changes that would not be possible later. We challenge the traditional understanding of autism and propose an inspiring, hopeful and truly empowering perspective. For more details, see our TED talk, below.
We are planning a revolutionary new early intervention autism clinic based on Israel’s pioneering Mifne Centre (find out more and see one family’s story here), and also a comprehensive online Hub of resources and inspiration for parents and carers of autistic children.
To find out more about our goals, values and activities, please view our brochure.
Although we are currently new and very small, we will need to grow quickly in order to make progress towards our large-scale goals. We are therefore – through our wonderful volunteers - building a strong professional team so that we can put the infrastructure in place to have the scope to generate and cope with rapid growth.
We have a strong set of values that define our culture, and which we strive to adhere to at all times. They are based around the themes of Unconditional Respect, Courage and Purpose. There are more details on these here.
The Person and the Role
First and foremost, you will believe in the huge potential within each autistic child, and will deeply resonate with our mission, our values and our particular understanding of and approach to autism. You will feel inspired by these and invested in them, and motivated to bring into your life a passion and inner commitment to help realise them, and thereby to act as a natural ambassador for the charity in the wider community.
As a brand new charity still finding its feet, you will have the chance to be far more influential in how we grow and develop than would be possible in a larger, more established charity. It is an exciting opportunity to help shape a new project.
This situation also means that your involvement in the charity will also be much greater than would be the case in an established charity. This is not the sort of role where a Trustee occasionally turns up for a meeting, takes a few actions and then puts it to the side until the next time. Our vision is for our Board of Trustees each to be fully integrated and invested in the charity and actively dedicated to its success, seen internally and externally as a charity leader, who can knowlegeably represent and discuss the current state of the charity and its activities. Each will also be invested and involved in various areas of the charity through Focus Groups, which they will lead along with members of the Charity's Executive (a concept we took from discussions with the National Autistic Society about how they integrate their Trustees and Executive).
As Chair, you will also establish and maintain a strong framework in which the Board will operate and will work with the Executive and the CEO in accordance with our values. You will also oversee the creation of our overall strategy, which we have begun to work on but which needs an experienced Chair to ensure its ultimate success.
You will have extensive Board experience including Board leadership. You will also most likely have personal experience of at least one (ideally both) of the charity sector and autism. A large relevant personal network and an ability and motivation to fundraise would be very extremely beneficial.
You will also be dedicated to consistently cultivating positive and mutually affirming relationships with the charity Executive - based on trust, openness, transparency, true partnership and consistent mutual support and positive regard, and in line with our charity values. You will take joint ownership of ensuring the success of such relationships.
Trustee Duties
In addition to our charity's specific requirements, the Charity Commission has issued:
- this simple and useful guide to a Trustee's essential 6 duties
- this more detailed version
- this Trustee Welcome Pack
The Transforming Autism Project is dedicated to helping create a world where all people are valued and treated according to their inner essential humanity rather than according to the many labels that each of us could wear (or that could be attached to us). We are thus naturally an equal opportunities organisation.
To apply, please e-mail your CV and a short covering letter to: