About the organisation
Solent Students’ Union is proud to say we are run by students, for students. We are here to help all Southampton Solent students have the best possible time while at university.
We are here to improve students’ education, make campus life fun, look after their wellbeing, make them more employable for after university, and ultimately empower them to change the world around them.
Our students are at the heart of everything we do and our two Sabbatical Officers, who are elected annually, represent the voice for over 6500 students at Southampton Solent University. They are the face of the Union, with a reliable and innovative team working behind the scenes to support them during their time in office, as well as the wider SU.
Although we are a small team, don’t let that fool you. The work we do is BIG – from hosting large scale events to working with leading organisations in the area to solve issues that impact our students. We are full of outstanding staff, volunteers, elected officers and trustees, who hold specialist skills and experiences that help our students to grow and flourish during their time with us.
We also offer a wide range of opportunities, services, and support to help students get the most out of their time at university, such as our in-house and invaluable Academic Advice Service (which is completely free andindependent from the university), events, volunteering, societies, the SU Exchange, course and school reps, vehicle hire and much more!
To be current and up-to-date, Solent SU needs to be constantly listening, learning, evolving and being accountable. Equality, diversity, and inclusivity, as well as sustainability, are extremely important to us and will be the driving force behind our strategic planning.
We are also a registered charity, which means that any money we generate from our SU shop, advertisements or events is reinvested straight back into our Students’ Union to improve the student journey.
About the role
Thank you for your interest in becoming an External Trustee at Solent Students’ Union. We’re currently in an exciting period of transformation, with a new Chief Executive, a refreshed team structure, and the start of a new strategic year — making this a particularly inspiring time to get involved.
Our Board of Trustees plays a vital role in guiding the Students’ Union, ensuring we deliver the very best for our members while meeting our statutory responsibilities. As an External Trustee, you would work closely with our full-time Sabbatical Officers and Student Trustees, contributing your skills and experience to strengthen the Board and support the Chief Executive.
External Trustees provide valuable continuity, insight, and expertise. Most importantly, they help create an environment where our student trustees feel empowered to champion the student voice at the heart of everything we do.
We are looking for someone with a genuine enthusiasm for helping to shape a strong, high-performing organisation that truly serves its members. We are particularly interested in individuals with a background in finance, ideally within Students’ Unions or the education sector.
Role Specific activity:
- Directing the affairs of the Union.
- Ensuring that it is legal, solvent, well-run, and delivering its charitable objectives.
- Ensuring that the charity adheres to charity law and other relevant legislation.
- Detailed scrutiny of all financial matters and ensuring that we have appropriate risk mitigating strategies in place.
- Always acting in the Students’ Union’s best interests.
- Understanding and acting within the principles defined in The Charity - Governance Code: www.charitygovernancecode.org/en and the charity governance code specifically for students’ unions, approved by the Charity - Commission https://www. nusconnect.org.uk/quality-students-unions/qsu-resourceshub/governance
- The Trustees are also the Directors of the Students’ Union company limited by guarantee for the purposes of company law. politeness, and professionalism.
We are proud to have a team that reflects a range of backgrounds and experiences, and we are committed to continuing to grow in diversity and inclusion. We never want anyone to feel that this opportunity isn’t for them. If you’re considering applying, please don’t let self-doubt hold you back.
We know that imposter syndrome is real. It can make you question whether you’re “good enough” or whether your achievements truly count. We want to reassure you — they do. If this role interests you and you feel you could contribute, we strongly encourage you to apply.
If you would like to have an informal conversation or ask any questions before applying, you are very welcome to reach out to our Chief Executive Josh Whale. He would be happy to chat.
We genuinely hope you’ll consider joining us in shaping an outstanding experience for all students at Southampton Solent University. If you’re interested — please do apply.
We very much look forward to hearing from you.
Our ideal candidate
We are looking for someone who has experience in Students' Union or Higher Education Finance and income diversification; someone who can help to secure our long-term sustainability through strong financial stewardship, while offering strategic insight into areas such as grant funding, charitable fundraising, and corporate partnerships to support our continued growth and impact.
Key attributes expected of all Trustees are:
- Strategic awareness.
- Vision and commitment.
- Ability to share and work to common values.
- Critical listening and evaluation skills.
- Ability to ask probing questions.
- Analytical and problem-solving abilities.
- Integrity to act without self-interest and make decisions based on evidence.
- Ability to work within a framework of collective decision-making in the best interests of the Board and the Union.
- Awareness of standards in public life, public accountability and a determination to abide by them.
Solent Students’ Union is committed to increasing diversity and maintaining an inclusive culture. If you meet our criteria, we welcome your application regardless of your age, ethnicity, race, gender, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, social demographic or whether you live with a disability.
What’s in it for you
As a Trustee of Solent Students' Union you will have the opportunity to network and create new connections, it's a chance to acquire new skills, broaden knowledge within HE and enhance professional development, especially leadership qualities.
You will impact the student experience and shape their time at Southampton Solent University, this is a great opportunity to give back to the community.
Apply for the role
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