Director

Root Connections in a Community Interest Company (CIC) based in the stunning Mendip countryside.

Our mission is to end rural homelessness and rough sleeping in [East Somerset / Mendip in Somerset]. We do this from our community market garden, set in 1.5 acres of working farmland located close to the Dairy House, a homeless hostel offering residents a purpose-built therapeutic setting for recovery.

Our work focuses on improving health and wellbeing, primarily for those who have experienced homelessness and rough sleeping. We do this through the creation, delivery and support of meaningful hands-on activity and the cultivation of our market garden.

Through our project, we bring the local volunteering community together to work towards a common goal: to produce exceptional seasonal, locally, and organically grown vegetables and flowers for our veg box and seasonal cut flowers schemes.

We are entering a new and exciting phase of developing our organisation, which gives a fantastic opportunity for a Head Gardener who understands organic growing methods and permaculture practices, who is interested in creating an inspiring and therapeutic space for our residents, and a welcoming, supportive environment which promotes wellbeing for the local community as a whole.

We would ask that you would be:

• Collaborative – work better together 
• Respectful – treat people how we like to be treated. 
• Accountable – are responsible for our own actions. 
• Inclusive – respect everyone’s uniqueness. 
• Compassionate – empathise, care and support.
• Of faith or sympathetic to the Christian Faith
• Interested in helping vulnerable adults and the homeless in the community.

The CICs directors are responsible for ensuring that the company meets its statutory and other obligations. As with any other company, the directors of a CIC occupy an important position of trust and general company law imposes on them a range of duties to the company and other responsibilities. In addition to these general responsibilities, CIC directors are also responsible for ensuring that the company is run in such a way that it will continue to satisfy the ‘community interest test’. In practice, this will mean having regard to the interests of the community the CIC is intended to serve.

Main Duties

1.    Contributing actively to the board of the CIC, ensuring that the organisation pursues its stated purpose, as defined in its governing document, by developing and agreeing a long-term strategy.

2.    Ensuring that the organisation complies with its governing document ie its constitution, company law and any other relevant legislation or regulations

3.    Ensuring that the organisation applies its resources in pursuance of its vision and mission.

4.    Ensuring that the organisation defines its goals and evaluates performance against agreed targets.

5.    Safeguarding the good name and values of the organisation

6.    Ensuring the effective and efficient administration of the organisation, including having appropriate policies and procedures in place

7.    Ensuring the financial stability and sustainability of the organisation

8.    Following proper and formal arrangements for the appointment, supervision, support, appraisal and remuneration of the Staff and volunteers.

9.    Keep informed about wider issues and policies that might affect the organisation’s work.

10. Attending and contributing to board meetings, sub committees, etc. In addition to the above duties, each Director should use any specific skills, knowledge or experience they have to help the board reach sound decisions. This may involve scrutinising board papers, leading discussions, focusing on key issues, acting as a cultural ambassador, providing advice and guidance on new initiatives, or other issues in which the Director has expertise.

If you are interested in these roles please contact us and we will be in touch.