Trustee

Dear Prospective Trustee,

We are looking for committed and skilled individuals to join the Board of Citizens Advice Merton and Lambeth (CAML) at a pivotal time for our organisation. This pack sets out more information about the charity, the board, the role of a trustee and how to apply.

As demand for our services continues to grow, your leadership and expertise can help us support thousands of people across our communities in Merton and Lambeth.

What we do

CAML is one of the busiest advice charities in London. We support individuals and families who live, work or study primarily in the London Boroughs of Merton and Lambeth.

We also work to raise awareness and understanding of the challenging issues affecting individuals and our communities.

We were one of the first Citizens Advice services to open our doors over 85 years ago. We have had an extremely busy few years, with individuals and families increasingly seeking our support with the cost of living crisis.  Our services are as important today as they were when our work began.

We are part of the national Citizens Advice network of over 240 local charities that deliver advice across the country.

In the financial year 2024/2025, we supported more than 24,000 individuals. Our information, support and advice services are provided via telephone, online and video conferencing and face-to-face.

Our face-to-face support is offered at three CAML offices and multiple outreach venues in local communities.  Our aim is to empower people to better help themselves, but we are always here with further support if needed. 

CAML in 2026

CAML is at an important point in its history. Demand for our services continues to accelerate as high levels of hardship become an established reality for many people living in our boroughs.  The two boroughs we serve contain pockets of wealth and affluence, but also feature areas of significant poverty and deprivation where our services are most depended upon.

Our current turnover is more than £1.2m a year, and like many charities, we face funding pressures - particularly as much of our income comes from local authorities and is affected by wider public sector financial constraints. This means we must continue to explore new ways to diversify income streams.

The organisation has a strong foundation from which to deliver in this difficult environment – particularly with a team that is committed to giving our clients expert and quality advice. We also have positive working relationships with our funders, councils and partners, and a strong local reputation.

Our leadership

The operational leadership and management of CAML is carried out by our CEO, Simon Shimmens, with a deputy CEO, two senior managers and a team of around 40 staff and 30 volunteers.

We have a strong and friendly Board of Trustees with a range of expertise who set the direction and are legally accountable for the charity. Short biographies of our existing trustees are available here: https://www.caml.org.uk/trustees/

The role of the Board

Each trustee has a responsibility to contribute to fulfilling the Board’s responsibilities. We do this by:

  • Consistently preparing for, attending and participating in quarterly meetings

  • Understanding the business of CAML

  • Contributing to setting policy and strategic direction, defining goals, setting targets and evaluating performance

  • Providing oversight of our services, ensuring compliance with our governing documents and policies and monitoring maintenance of Citizens Advice standards

  • Monitoring the charity’s financial position in conjunction with the treasurer and the finance committee, and ensuring CAML operates within its means and delivers on its objectives with clear lines of accountability for day-to-day financial management

  • Supporting the charity’s development through participation in agreed projects

  • Actively seeking to further CAML’s strategic objectives and always acting in its best interest

Above all we are looking for people with strategic vision and strong judgement who can support the charity and its executive team. As trustees, we are visible to our staff and volunteers, engaging with and recognising the excellent work they do. Each trustee is expected to spend time with service delivery staff and volunteers, ideally at least once a year. 

You will be a genuine team player, able to support colleagues, input constructively and positively to discussions and to support and uphold collective decisions. 

As a trustee you will support the charity’s values and objectives and will act as a positive and genuine advocate promoting the work of the charity within your personal networks and more widely.

The commitment we need

Each trustee attends quarterly Board meetings and is a member of one of the two delegated authority sub-committees – Finance and People & Operations – which also meet once a quarter.

While the precise nature of commitment will differ from month-to-month, it is likely to average at around 8-10 hours a month. This allows for board and committee meetings, reading papers in advance of these, ad-hoc actions and discussions, and visiting CAML’s services.

Board meetings are currently held in person at our Mitcham Office, with sub-committee meetings held remotely. As a Board, we attend key events such as Volunteers’ Week and charity events/activities.

Skills/experiences we are seeking

We are looking to recruit up to three new trustees to join our strong and dynamic Board.

We would particularly welcome applications from those with skills and experiences to help complement the current Board. Our priority recruitment areas are:

  • HR: We are committed to ensuring the highest standards of governance in policies and practice related to employee relations, recruitment, retention, reward and recognition as well as staff and trustee training and development. We are seeking a trustee with senior HR experience to support the strategic oversight of our People approach

  • Charity sector: We are keen to hear from candidates with a background in the charity sector, particularly those who have held leadership roles, who can help strengthen our strategic planning and support the development and delivery of fundraising initiatives

  • Legal: We are looking to further expand our legal expertise on the Board. We particularly welcome interest from individuals with experience in charity law however all applicants with legal experience are welcomed

In addition to these skills, we would welcome applications from candidates with previous trustee experience, but this is not essential. We value diverse perspectives and encourage applications from a range of backgrounds, including applicants who have first-hand experience of Citizens Advice services.

The benefits of being a trustee with CAML

Although the role of a trustee is unpaid (reasonable out of pocket expenses are reimbursed), there are many reasons to join us, including:

  • Being a trustee is one of the most powerful ways in which you can contribute to your local community and to a cause you care about

  • Corporations of all sizes take voluntary and community enriching activities seriously with trusteeship considered an effective method of professional development and community engagement

  • Being a trustee is a fantastic way of developing your strategic experience and oversight, giving you the opportunity to develop your critical thinking, problem solving and analytical skills

  • Being a trustee can open up your professional network

How to apply

Interested applicants are asked to email the following to recruitment@caml.org.uk:

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, so we encourage early submission. This recruitment remains live until 14 September 2026.

All applications are considered by a trustee panel, and shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview which will take place within a month of receiving their application.

Any questions?

If you have any queries, please contact CAML CEO Simon Shimmens in the first instance via email Simon.Shimmens@caml.org.uk

We are registered with the Information Commissioner's Office and will process your personal data in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation and Data Protection Act 2018. Please refer to our online Privacy Policy at www.caml.org.uk for more information on how your personal data will be processed and stored.