Become a Director
The Fragile X Society is governed by a fantastic group of volunteers, who use their skills to ensure the health and growth of the charity. We are currently looking for more people to join our Board and become a Director. This page will give you an introduction to the role of a Director and how you could join our team.
Our Directors
Our Directors come from many different backgrounds and bring a multitude of different skills to the Board. Most Directors have a personal link to Fragile X (such as having children or relatives with the condition), though this is not a requirement. Up to 15 people can be on our Board at any one time.
Qualities
The Fragile X Society embraces equality and particularly encourages applications from people from the BME, disabled and LGBTQ communities. We also welcome applications from those of all ages, including people at the beginning of their careers. We value people who are passionate about the work of the Fragile X Society and who bring new ways of thinking to the team. As part of our skills gap analysis and succession planning, we particularly hope for applications from those with marketing skills, digital/IT skills, HR expertise or family fundraising expertise.
Responsibilities
Ensure the charity is carrying out its purposes for the public benefit
Comply with your charity's governing document and the law
Act in your charity's best interests
Ensure your charity is accountable
Manage your resources responsibly
Act with reasonable care and skill
Each of these points is explained in more detail in the Charity Commission's guidance.
Our Board has independent control over, and legal responsibility for, the Fragile X Society’s management and administration. As such, there are some important duties which our Directors have and need to be aware of. The Fragile X Society is both a charity (No. 1127861) and a company (No. 6724061), which is why we refer to our Board as Directors rather than Trustees. However, the responsibilities of our Directors are highlighted well in the Charity Commission's new "Essential Trustee" guidance.
Our Directors typically meet via a variety of physical and remote meetings. Typically, face-to-face full Board meetings take place on a Saturday (10am-3pm) in central London, four times per year. Expenses are covered for travel to these meetings. Directors are sent reports a week in advance which should be read before the meetings.
Being a Director takes time, between one and four hours a week and each Director is expected to participate in one of the Board sub-committees (Governance; Communications; Research; Fundraising). These sub-committees regularly keep in touch by email or phone and meet remotely (typically via conference call) between the full Board meetings. These meetings are scheduled based on the availability of the members.
Once Directors are elected to the Board, they may serve for a period of 3 years, after which they will have to stand for re-election. Members of the Board can serve for up to 3 consecutive terms (9 years) before they are required to take at least 1 year away from the role (after this time they may stand for election again if they wish). The length of commitment to the role depends upon individual availability, with Directors typically serving between 3 and 9 years on our Board.
How to Become a Director
If you are interested in becoming a Director, you are encouraged to contact our Chair, Steve Harris, for an informal discussion in the first instance. You can email Steve directly at steve@fragilex.org.uk, or call the Fragile X Society on 01371 875100 and leave your details for a return call. This will allow us to get to know you a little more, and answer any questions you may have. You will then be sent some further details about the Fragile X Society (including our governing document) and about the role.
Our Directors are elected by Fragile X Society members at our Annual General Meeting (AGM). Interested applicants must complete a nomination form (or contact us for a copy) and return it to us 28 days in advance of the AGM. All nominations need to be supported by two existing members of the Fragile X Society, which we can assist you with if required. All members are then informed of your nomination and can vote in person at the AGM (which typically takes place in September) or by proxy if they cannot attend.
Candidates may also be temporarily co-opted to the Board between AGMs by the other Directors, and stand for election as a full Director at the following AGM.
If you are interested in finding out more about becoming a Board Director, please do get in touch.