Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (SoBS) is a registered charity that started in 1991 to support those who are left behind after a suicide and, as such it is the only organisation operating throughout the country that specifically services this need. SoBS is proud to be the only national charity in the UK offering peer-led suicide bereavement support to adults over the age of 18 years. Its National Office is based in Derbyshire, and supports 60 plus support groups and a growing number of volunteers — 270 at present — who are all passionate about the support it offers to those impacted by suicide loss.

All evidence shows, and in particular that of those who have been bereaved, that suicide is an intense form of grief that can last for many years and carries with it many complexities of guilt, shame and stigma. To address these needs, SoBS currently operates a national listening service, self-support groups, email support service and a national forum. It also offers a number of conferences, forums and support days for survivors. Increasingly, the organisation is being recognised as a focal point for information and contact on the subject of support after a suicide by many organisations and professionals.

As with any voluntary organisation, there is a vital need to empower volunteers in their work. Most, but evidence suggests, of SoBS's volunteers will be survivors themselves who feel the need to help others, often because they recognise the help that we have given to them. Volunteers will be particularly found manning the calls for the listening service and involved in the operation of the local groups. Contact within the organisation is essential, therefore the charity's annual volunteer conference is important to enable it to share good working practices and knowledge about the support it gives to survivors.

Trustees will have a strong alignment with the vision and mission of Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide and pro-actively help to work towards its success and growth. In addition to the formal Board and committee meetings, Trustees will be willing to undertake informal engagement with the charity, including providing advice on an ad hoc basis to the management team. Trustees will be expected to use their specific knowledge and experience to help the Board reach sound decisions; assist the senior leadership team with advice as required; and keep informed about, and support as appropriate, the activities of the organisation.

Responsibilities of the Trustee may include:

• Offering support, guidance and constructive challenges to the management team
• Assisting with strategic, long-term planning to realise the charity's ambitions, whilst responding to challenges and opportunities as they arise
• Offering specific guidance in their areas of expertise
• Ensuring that the charity applies its resources in line with its charitable objects
• Carrying out the core responsibilities of charity governance, as set out in Charity Commission Guidance

Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide is looking to appoint new enthusiastic and empathetic Trustees who will have a background in at least one of the following areas:

Human Resource Management: Candidates will bring a deep understanding of human resources strategies of organisations of a similar size to that of SoBS. Further, candidates should also have an understanding of UK employment law as well as a sense of current trends in terms of people and employment practices.

Legal: Candidates will have in-depth experience of working directly with legal issues. This experience might have been gained as a lawyer or as a non-lawyer with extensive experience of soliciting legal advice. They will be able to provide counsel on deciding when legal advice needs to be procured.

Health and Safety and Safeguarding: Candidates will have a background in either health and social care, mental health services and / or family support at a senior-level to drive forward the charity's critical mission of supporting those impacted by suicide loss. The successful candidate is likely to have experience of implementing wellbeing and safeguarding programmes.

The charity encourages applications from those who have lived experience of a loss through suicide, but also from those who are passion about making a positive difference. The charity is also open to receiving applications from those seeking their first non-executive director role, as long as they are able to build constructive relationships at board-level.

The role is unremunerated, but reasonable pre-agreed domestic travel and accommodation expenses will be reimbursed. The total time commitment for the Trustee role will be around 15 days a year. The charity holds virtual monthly Board meetings (on the first Tuesday of every month), however two of those meetings will be in-person (in June and December). The length of the appointment is three years, subject to renewal upon mutual agreement. Candidates should be UK-based.