Governance and Advisory Volunteer (Canal & River Trust - Fisheries & Angling Advisory Group Rat[...]

Canal & River Trust; Hatton; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A national charity for waterways seeks volunteers for their Fisheries & Angling Advisory Group to provide expert advice on fisheries management and advocate for sustainable practices. Ideal candidates will have relevant expertise in fisheries and angling, and will contribute to the Trust's objectives through participation in regular meetings.

Benefits

Volunteer experience

Travel expenses reimbursed

Lunch provided at meetings

Qualifications

• Expertise in fisheries management and conservation.
• Experience with angling and advocacy groups.
• Ability to attend regular meetings and prepare agendas.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert advice to CRT about fisheries issues.
• Advocate for Trust fisheries and angling objectives.
• Validate Trust decisions regarding fisheries management.

Skills

Expert fisheries and angling advice

Technical expertise in freshwater fisheries

Ability to advocate for Trust objectives

Understanding of fisheries regulation

Job description

Securing and conserving the importance of our fisheries and the sport of angling. This is reliant on healthy fisheries and remains a key statutory duty and objective of the Trust. To pursue this objective effectively, the Trust benefits from the support of an expert fisheries angling and advisory group that consists of several skilled and experienced practitioners with high standing within the fisheries & angling world, including the angling trade. This group was set up in 2011 and replaced the previously existing British Waterways National Fisheries Liaison Committee.

The group meets at regular intervals (typically three times per year) and helps the Trust chart a course through fisheries and angling management issues, especially those that may be innovative or controversial. The group will support Trust managers and give comfort to the trustees of the charity that the direction of travel for fisheries and angling is appropriate, well managed, and reflects the charitable objectives of the Trust.

Remit

The remit of the group will be as follows:

• Provide CRT with top quality, expert fisheries and angling advice about specific issues relating to fisheries and angling issues that are brought to the group’s attention.
• Act as an advocate for Trust and its fisheries and angling objectives.
• Lend credibility and legitimacy to Trust decisions affecting fisheries and angling.
• Validate and, where necessary, challenge Trust direction in fisheries and angling management.
• Endorse the reflected progress and narrative in the proposed annual State of the Waterways Fisheries and Angling report.
• Advise the CRT Trustees and National Council regarding specific fisheries and angling related issues including regulatory and legal issues and potential consequences of wider business decisions on the fisheries & angling business area.
• Interact with other Trust advisory groups in matters of wider stakeholder interest.

Membership

Members of the Group may be selected through recommendations from the Canal & River Trust Trustees, the Trust’s National Fisheries & Angling Manager and any public advertisement calling for volunteer member. Formal invitations to join the Group will be by letter from the Chief Executive of the Trust. The Group should consist of:

• A Chairman – a senior, experienced fisheries or angling practitioner.
• A Vice Chairman – the elected representative for fisheries & angling on the Trust National Council.
• Members – 8-10 experienced individuals chosen to provide a range of technical expertise in the following areas:

• Freshwater fisheries management
• Freshwater fisheries, conservation and regulation
• Angling participation development & coaching
• Commercial fisheries management
• Angling Club development and administration
• Competition angling
• Angling history and heritage
• The angling trade

Where possible, the Trust will seek to recruit suitable individuals to provide a geographical spread commensurate with Trust areas for operation. It is envisaged that one member will represent or have an interest in fisheries within Wales.

Meetings

The group will meet at least twice yearly at the Trust’s Hatton office as agreed. Meetings will be chaired by the appointed chairman of the group. The Trust National Fisheries & Angling Manager will attend the group meetings and may be accompanied by other Trust staff, including the Head of Customer Service Support, as required by the contents of the agenda. Working subgroups may be appointed from time to time. Joint meetings may occasionally be held with the Environment Advisory Group.

Administration and Agenda’s

The agenda will be jointly prepared by the Chairman and the National Fisheries & Angling Manager, with proposed items for discussion, including discussion papers being submitted to both at least 14 days in advance of the next meeting. The Trust Fisheries & Angling team will provide secretarial support to the group, circulating agenda items in advance to the wider group, accompanied by background papers where required. Notes of group meetings will be published on the public section of the Trust website once formally approved by the group.

Remuneration

Membership of the group will be voluntary and unsalaried although reasonable travelling expenses will be paid to group members by the Trust and a lunch will be provided at each meeting.

Why we want you

Our Governance and Advisory Volunteers are key to the running of the Trust. There are four main roles here: Our Trustees, our Council, our National Advisory Groups and our Regional Advisory Groups.

Expertise and experience brought to the Trust guide and support decision makers ensuring that the Trust deliver our cause.

What you will be doing

• Our Governance and Advisory Volunteers are key to the running of the Trust. There are four main roles here: Our Trustees, our Council, our National Advisory Groups and our Regional Advisory Groups.
• Council members are the legal company members of the Canal & River Trust. They have responsibilities granted them by the Articles. Council members reflect the wide appeal of the waterways. The Council is responsible for the appointment of Trustees.
• The Cultural Heritage Advisory Group supports the Trust in combining effective conservation and interpretation of the built and cultural heritage of the waterways, with promoting their use, enjoyment and value for wellbeing.
• The Environment Advisory Group comprises volunteers with a professional background in a range of natural environmental disciplines to provide their expert input to the Trust’s policy and strategy on natural environment matters.
• Our Fisheries & Angling Advisory Group aims to secure and conserve our fisheries, making sure they are suitable for and well used by the many people who want to fish them.
• Our Museum Advisory Group works with our museums’ team to bring best practise to our museums and attractions.
• Our Navigation Advisory Group aims to ensure that our managers’ decisions are well-informed by those who navigate the waterways regularly.
• The Youth Engagement Advisory Group assists us in understanding the wider context of engaging young people.
• Our Regional Advisory Groups work with our regional management team to bring expertise and insight from across the region to guide and support management decisions.
• When you register as a volunteer, we will ask you about any unspent convictions which you need to declare and risk assess these as needs be.

The skills you need

• We’re looking for people in these roles who bring expertise and experience. the different groups draw from people with a wide range of background.

What's in it for you

• You’ll have the opportunity to guide policy and practice within the Trust, guiding the people who ensure the sustainability of the waterways on a daily basis.
• You’ll get to volunteer alongside a fantastic network of others from across the team.