Trustee elections 2025: Call for applicants

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Some of our Trustees at STAMMAFest 2024, L-R: Ahmad, Deborah, Alexander, Gill (ex-Trustee), Paul, Allison, Peter (ex-Trustee), Penny & Dean

Your opportunity to become a STAMMA Trustee and help steer the charity.

Have you thought about joining our Board of Trustees? To stand you just need to be a STAMMA member, aged 16+ and have a UK address. And obviously a passion for creating a better world for people who stammer. If this is you, here is your chance to put your hand up and find out more! 

What does it mean to be a trustee?

Trustees are responsible for the strategic direction of the charity, and it is a voluntary position. Trustees ensure that the charity remains true to its purpose; that assets such as money, people and data are used responsibly; and that STAMMA is compliant with all relevant legislation.  

Each trustee serves a three-year term. Every year two trustees step down and we elect new ones. You don't have to stammer to join the board, although there is a requirement that people who stammer should form the majority.   

Applying

If you fancy it, there are two stages to the application process:

Stage 1 starts now, when you express an interest in becoming a trustee. No commitment required. Here you'll get a chance to chat with one of our current trustees to find out more about the role. These interviews will take place between 19^th May and 9^th June. 

Fill in this form to express your interest in becoming a STAMMA trustee.

The closing date for applying is 26^th May.

Stage 2. If you are still interested, we'll invite you to set out your stall and tell us about you, what your skills are and why you want to be a trustee. The deadline for this application is 2^nd July 2025.

If more than two people apply, STAMMA members will be invited to vote in an election, which will take place this year between 16^th and 30^th July.

What we're looking for 

This year we’re after some very specific skills and experience from new board members: 

• Experience in HR, employment or charity law or expertise in digital/cyber security
• A professional working in the field of Speech & Language Therapy.
• A public relations professional with strong lobbying experience.
• A background in Healthcare policy or a professional working in the contact-centre industry.

The list above isn't exclusive. If you think you have skills and/or connections of particular use, we'd love to hear from you.

STAMMA is committed to being a diverse and inclusive organisation that is accessible to all. We want to ensure that we can best represent the views of people across the UK, so we encourage applications from underrepresented groups, particularly individuals from global majority communities.

Commitment 

As a new trustee, you will be supported in the role by an experienced board and will be assigned a mentor for the first 12 months. 

• We expect candidates to support the objectives and mission of STAMMA and to use their skills and knowledge to help us achieve our ambitions.
• We need trustees to be active and take on additional responsibilities over and above attending trustee meetings; to sit on relevant sub-committees and lead where necessary.
• We expect trustees to always behave in a professional manner, to be able to raise issues and questions in an appropriate and sensitive way, and to respect board and individual confidentiality when required to do so.
• As a trustee, your term is three years and you would be expected to attend all board meetings, which take place up to six times per year, usually on a Saturday. In person meetings are held in different locations across England. They may also be on Zoom or Teams. Travel expenses can be covered.
• In addition to the main board meetings, there are sub-committee meetings and informal planning and preparatory discussions. These are usually held online.
• New trustees should be aware of the date of our Annual General Meeting (AGM) at which newly elected trustees are formally appointed, which this is year on 22^nd November in London.

Eligibility

To apply, you need to: 

• be a member of STAMMA, having joined by the 9^th June 2025
• be a UK resident
• supply us with a postal address
• be aged 18 or over.

You don't need to be someone who stammers to apply, but you do need to be knowledgeable and passionate about the work that STAMMA does.