The Ernest Cook Trust - Trustees (Remuneration: £10,000 per year; Time commitment: c. 15-20 days per year)

The Ernest Cook Trust is looking for two new Trustees, one with a strong understanding of rural estate and land management, and another with senior leadership experience and broad financial acumen. (Deadline: 3rd February)

Visit the Ernest Cook Trust website
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About

The Ernest Cook Trust is one of the UK’s foremost funders and providers of Outdoor Learning. It helps disadvantaged children and young people, their families and communities nurture a lifelong appreciation and respect for the countryside. Through outdoor experiences delivered via our strategic programmes, it aims to improve their life chances and support communities in the face of 21st century challenges.

Established in 1952, the Trust remains deeply rooted in its founder’s love of the countryside. We care for over 23,000 acres of land in six English counties. The Trust carries out its educational work on and beyond its estates, through grant funding activities and by working in partnerships and collaborations with like-minded organisations who share our passion for outdoor learning.

Led by the Chief Executive, the Trust's new strategy has four strands which provide a framework until 2025.

  • The Green Influencers Scheme: launched in 2020 with £3m of matched government funding, is targeted at 10-14 year olds to encourage grassroots environmental improvement programmes in local communities, while building valuable life skills for all participants
  • Everything Outdoors: Outdoor learning experiences focused on schools, skills, careers, and communities
  • The OWL Collaboration: Provides Outdoor Weeks of Learning (OWLs) to disadvantaged young people from across the UK
  • The Learning Estate: The Trust's newest and perhaps boldest programme, which sees one of its own estates undergo a long-term review of estate management with the aim of improving sustainability, social and natural impact with a financially visible framework

Looking ahead, The Ernest Cook Trust aims to reach more beneficiaries, ensuring that the impact of its work is long-lasting and properly-targeted whilst making better use of technology for impact evaluation and communication. Finally, the Trust will take advantage of a growing awareness of the environment and the work needed by society to protect it by continuing to reconnect people with nature, for their own benefit and that of the planet.

You can find out more about the Trust's strategy for the coming years here.


Role specification

The Trust has an outstanding and committed Board of Trustees who embody a wealth of specialist knowledge, skills and experience. Their collective discernment, wisdom and foresight ensures the Trust stays true to itself and its responsibilities.

As the Trust undergoes an exciting period of change and growth, the Board will play a key role in ensuring sustainability as well as strong strategic focus. Recognising the importance of the estates in contributing financially to the charitable objectives as well as developing an innovative sustainability agenda, the Trustees will oversee strategic progress and ensure that the Trust has the necessary infrastructure and resources to deliver on it.


Person specification

Trustee (Rural Estate Management)

Due to Sir Bertie Ross retiring from the Board, the Trust is looking for an individual with a strong understanding of rural estate and land management.

The Trust's estates are 95% rural-based. As well as having a portfolio of tenanted farms, houses and cottages, it also has some significant potential development land and other commercial possibilities. Candidates will therefore be familiar with the opportunities and risks of managing rural estates. This could be from a background as a senior consultant, an estate owner, or a tenant farmer, but an understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing modern farmers is essential.

The successful candidate will be able to support and challenge the Property Director and their team, acting as the interface between them and the Board. They will appreciate the estates' ultimate purpose in delivering on the Trust's charitable objectives, and share the Board's commitment to education and developing a love of the natural world in young people.

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Trustee (Commercial)

The Ernest Cook Trust is looking for an individual with senior leadership experience and broad financial acumen.

Candidates will have operated at board level within a large organisation, and have an appreciation of effective management and risk assessment. They will be financially-qualified and be able to act as a sounding board for the executive as the Trust undergoes an exciting period of growth and embarks on a new strategy. Applicants will also ideally be able to advise on transformation matters, perhaps from their experience in organisations going through digitisation, as the Trust looks to update its operational systems.

The successful candidate will be able to support and provide challenge to the executive team as appropriate. They will appreciate the estates' ultimate purpose in delivering on the Trust's charitable objectives, and share the Board's commitment to education and developing a love of the natural world in young people.


Terms of appointment

This role is remunerated and reasonable, pre-agreed domestic travel expenses will be reimbursed. The total time commitment is likely to be c. 20 days per year as the Board seeks to visit every estate every other year. There are four Board meetings per year, which last one to two days and are normally held at the Trust’s HQ in Fairford, Gloucestershire, as well as a number of Sub-committees on which Trustees are expected to serve, including Finance & Investment; Audit & Risk Management; Estates; and Everything Outdoors. The appointment is for a five-year term, which can be renewed twice at the discretion of the Board.


The deadline for consideration is 3rd February 2022.

If you would like to register your interest, please fill in the form below. A member of the Nurole team will be in touch ahead of the deadline to discuss the process further.