CAMPAIGN TO PROTECT RURAL ENGLAND: HEREFORDSHIRE BRANCH

Who we are

The Herefordshire branch of The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE Herefordshire) is a Registered Charity (Charity Number: 213951).

We exist to promote the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of rural England by encouraging the sustainable use of land and other natural resources in town and country. Campaigning through England is carried out by 43 county-based branches, which aim to influence decision making on a range of environmental and land-use issues.

Current campaigning issues include:

Planned housing growth in the county

The spread of polytunnels particularly in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty

Influencing local development frameworks, which guide how the local environment will look in the future.

We are an independent organisation, affiliated to the national CPRE.

Objectives

Our work falls into three main areas:

  1. Protecting the countryside from whatever threatens it - from road building to climate change. Given the very different nature of threats, protection work varies from public awareness campaigns to fighting cases at public inquiries.
  2. Enhancing the countryside to make it more beautiful, more prosperous and more sustainable. We wish to achieve this through pro-active campaigns and initiatives that encourage innovation and best practice.
  3. Engaging communities to encourage people to value, use and care for the countryside. This means helping people to enjoy it and empowering communities to have a say in its future. It includes developing work with volunteers and community groups and providing more people with opportunities to enjoy the countryside.

Resources

We have a Committee that meets monthly, plus an annual AGM. We are entirely dependant on volunteers. Decisions taken at the committee meetings currently provide the strategic direction for the Branch.

CPRE Herefordshire Committee Members – who they are and what they do

Role

The duties of a committee member are various. The Committee as a whole exists:

  • To ensure that the charity complies with its constitution, charity law, company law and any other relevant legislation or regulations
  • To ensure that the charity pursues its objectives as defined in its governing document.
  • To ensure that the charity applies its resources exclusively in pursuance of its objects to contribute actively to the role of the Committee in giving firm strategic direction to the organisation, setting overall policy, defining goals, setting targets and evaluating performance against agreed targets
  • To safeguard the good name and values of the charity
  • To ensure the effective and efficient administration of the charity
  • To ensure the financial stability of the charity
  • To protect and manage the property of the charity and to ensure proper investment of the charity’s funds
  • To appoint staff and to monitor their performance
  • In addition to the above, each committee member should use any specific knowledge or experience they have to help the Board to reach sound decisions. This could include checking planning applications, dealing with media enquiries, mentoring volunteers, providing advice and guidance requested by the Committee on new initiatives, or other issues relevant to the area of the charity’s work in which the committee member has special expertise.

Committee members are expected to adhere to the Nolan Committee principles for those in public life:

  • Selflessness
  • Integrity
  • Objectivity
  • Accountability
  • Openness
  • Honesty
  • Leadership

In addition each member should have:

  • A commitment to the charity
  • A willingness to devote the necessary time and effort
  • Strategic vision
  • Good independent judgment
  • An ability to think creatively
  • A willingness to speak their mind
  • An understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of trusteeship
  • An ability to work effectively as a member of the team
  • Tact and diplomacy, good “people” skills

Useful skills and experience

In addition to the general qualities mentioned above, the Committee as a whole requires skills and experience in specific areas to ensure good governance. It is NOT expected that Committee members should have expertise in ALL the areas listed below, however the Committee as a whole would find hugely beneficial the addition of any of the following skills and/or experience. These are:

  • Fundraising
  • Planning knowledge
  • Working with the media
  • Strategic development
  • An interest in or knowledge of environmental, energy or planning issues
  • Experience of committee work

APPOINTMENT PROCESS

How to apply

If you are interested in becoming a CPRE committee member, we would be grateful if you could send a short letter (no more than two sides of A4) telling us about yourself and how your skills and experience match what we are looking for. We intend to look at these expressions of interest on an ongoing basis and will get back to you as soon as possible. A CV would also be useful if you have one.

Getting to know us

Having received your letter, we will invite you to meet with the Chair and Vice Chair. This will be an opportunity to talk about the role of committee members and for us to find out more about each other.

After this meeting, we will ask you whether you would are still interested in joining CPRE Herefordshire and tell you if we think you have the skills and experience we need at the moment.

At this stage, if you are still interested in becoming a committee member and we think you would be suitable, we’ll invite you to attend one or two of our Board meetings to get a better sense of the charity.

14th January 2012