Penumbra – the mental health charity recruits for trustees

Penumbra, one of Scotland's largest mental health charities, offers the opportunity to make an impact on the future of the organisation.

Scotland’s third sector is a powerful movement for change and is it any wonder? Skilled and knowledgeable people driven by a passion for social justice are at its heart, undeterred by seemingly impossible economic and political climates. If the events of this year have taught us anything, it’s that our communities need these people now more than ever. From lifeline grassroots services to policy advocacy, our third sector is #NeverMoreNeeded.

There’s no doubt the sector is characterised by creativity and innovation. Whilst in large part that’s down to having to box clever within complex budgets, it’s also because it recruits good people with diverse life skills and experiences who share the values that underpin its work. Ask anyone their motivation for being involved in the third sector and you’ll probably see a sparkle in their eyes right before they dive into an excitable chat about being a part of a movement for change and wanting to make a difference.

Let’s not forget that many of those people are in volunteer roles; 28% of Scotland’s adult population or 1.26 million people to be exact. There are some 180,000 charity trustees across the country and this rises to 250,000 when you include trustees giving their time to non-charitable voluntary organisations. Some clever boffins have even estimated the economic benefit of formal and informal volunteering at around £5.5 billion.

All that number crunching can seem a bit crass when you consider the very real impact of volunteering. In a world where everything is measured in tangible outcomes, the social value of volunteering and its contribution to society is priceless.

Hell yes! we’re a nation of volunteers with a fierce passion for making the world a better place.

Here at Penumbra we’re no exception. Our brilliant trustees meet throughout the year to develop the organisational goals that help shape our direction of travel as one of Scotland’s largest mental health charities.

Although we’re quite modest about the achievements in our 35-year history, we’re proud pioneers of the power of peer and we’ve sown the seeds for this growing movement across our communities.

Our innovative I.ROC wellbeing toolkit is the unique hallmark of our ‘Penumbra Approach’ to mental health recovery, earning our place in the sector as a highly respected and forward thinking mental health charity, and key influencer in policy and practice.

This year is especially exciting for us as we embark on a recruitment drive for trustees to help develop our new strategic plan and brand refresh. New trustees will be joining us at a significant time in our growth when our expertise in distress and trauma informed support has seen us partner in some high profile national projects including the Scottish Government’s National Suicide Prevention Leadership Group, Future Pathways and Distress Brief Intervention.

But central to all of this is the human impact of our work. Our teams and the people who access our services never fail to inspire hope. As one Penumbra peer worker recently observed, mental ill health should never be the end of the line. With people at the heart of everything we do, our next strategic plan beckons. We know we won’t stand still. We know we’ll continue to innovate and influence. Yesterday was good, but what can we do to make tomorrow better? As the recruitment drive for our new trustees gets underway, the successful candidates will be playing their part in making a difference. The only thing we ask of applicants is that they bring their creativity A-game, their passion for mental health, and a kick ass attitude to effecting lasting change.

If you’re interested in becoming a Penumbra trustee, you can apply via goodmoves (this link will take you away from our website).

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