Opportunities to become more involved with the Voluntary Sector Studies Network and Voluntary Sector Review
VSSN is volunteer-led and we rely on members to help shape our direction and focus. If you would you like to support the work of VSSN and have ideas about how you’d like to see the network develop, please consider nominating yourself for a place on either or both of the following:
- the VSSN Board of Trustees
- the Editorial Management Board of Voluntary Sector Review, the journal produced by VSSN with Policy Press
VSSN Trustees – This year there are four vacancies on the Trustee Board for an initial three-year term. Specific roles of trustees are allocated by agreement after the election. Roles include Chair, Treasurer, Secretary and leading on, for example, membership, communications and marketing, day seminars, and the annual conference.
What are we looking for in a trustee? – Commitment to VSSN and its continued success is the most important quality, but this year we are also keen to encourage self-nominations from members with skills/experience in leadership, equality, diversity and inclusion work, conference planning, communications, and membership development. We particularly encourage self-nominations from members underrepresented groups.
Details of existing Trustee Board members and their roles can be found here. Elected trustees are expected to agree to and uphold our Equality and Diversity Policy.
VSR Editorial Management Board (EMB) – This year there are three vacancies for the VSR Editorial Management Board (EMB). The term of office is three years in the first instance, with an opportunity to stand for another three-year term. The role of the EMB is to:
- support the editorial team (currently James Rees, Daiga KamerĆ¢de, and Lili Wang)
- ensure that high editorial standards are maintained
- represent VSSN in working with the publisher, Policy Press
- ensure the journal is produced in accordance with the Publishers’ Agreement
Additional volunteer opportunities – If you would like to be more involved without becoming a member of either Board, there are other voluntary roles which are equally valuable. We are and help us develop our networks and activities. For example, we are currently looking for people to join our teams developing our work in communications, membership, day events, and conference planning.
If you are interested in finding out more about any of these roles, please contact Jon Dean at J.Dean@shu.ac.uk.
If you have any questions about the self-nomination process, please do not hesitate to contact us by email via execofficer@vssn.org.uk. We look forward to receiving your nomination forms soon.
Important information about the nomination process:
There are two separate elections, each by single transferable vote:
- one for the trustees
- one for the Voluntary Sector Review Editorial Management Board
You may stand for both as a VSSN trustee and for the VSR Editorial Management Board but will need to complete separate nomination forms for each role.
For your nomination to be considered, you must have paid your VSSN membership fee for 2023-24 and had its receipt confirmed by the VSSN office before the closing date for nominations on Friday 13th October 2023 (if paying by bank transfer, please allow up to working days for it Ā show up in our account) or please let us know that it is on the way.
It is a self-nomination process and you do not need to be nominated by someone else.
Nomination forms are attached: VSR EMB nomination form 2023 VSSN Trustee nomination form 2023
All completed nomination forms must be received by 5pm on Friday 13th October 2023 as an email attachment sent to execofficer@vssn.org.uk.
All VSSN members will be notified of the nominations received. If elections are necessary, details of an online ballot will be sent by email to all members a few days later.
Results of the election will be announced at the on-line VSSN Annual General Meeting, which will be held on 1st November 2023. At this point new VSSN trustees and VSR Editorial Management Board members will formally become active.
Please get in touch if you have any questions about the nomination and election process.
