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TRUSTEE VACANCY
ECT Trustee Vacancy – Honorary Secretary
Our vision is to develop a strategic network of long-term ecological experiments across the UK and to help ensure that experimental ecology is at the heart of evidence-based policymaking and sustainable land use. This includes safeguarding existing high-quality experiments and data, whilst also ensuring new facilities are planned for the long-term. The ECT recognises that an effective Board of Trustees is essential if the Charity is to be effective in achieving its objectives.
We are looking to recruit a new trustee to join the Trust, with specific responsibility for becoming the charity’s Honorary Secretary. The role will include those responsibilities common to any trustee of a charity, such as ensuring that the ECT complies with its governing document, charity law, company law and any other relevant legislation or regulations, and that the ECT pursues its objectives as defined in its governing document. In addition, each trustee is expected to use their specific skills, knowledge and experience to help the Board of Trustees reach sound decisions. This is likely to involve scrutinising board papers, assessing site registrations and grant applications, and providing guidance on new initiatives. For the role of trustee Honorary Secretary, we are especially interested in recruiting someone with an aptitude for administrative tasks/detail and who might have previous experience of liaising with the Charity Commission and/or Companies House. There is no remuneration but expenses will be reimbursed when real costs are incurred on behalf of the ECT.
How to Apply
Further details and an Application Pack can be obtained from the ECT’s Executive Director, Ben Sykes at ben.sykes@ecologicalcontinuitytrust.org.
The closing date for applications is 5pm on Friday 10 April 2026. Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed online in the first instance.
JOB VACANCIES
The charity has no job vacancies at the present time. All future job adverts will appear on this page.
VOLUNTEERING WITH ECT
ECT maintains a small pool of volunteers who can be called upon from time-to-time to assist with ECT projects. We are now looking to grow this volunteer pool over the next 12-18 months. Volunteering can mean contributing ‘virtually’ from your home towards communications activities, or perhaps joining an open day or a volunteer maintenance team for a day at one of the 37 currently active long-term experiments on ECT’s national register.
We generally expect to call on volunteers once or perhaps twice each year on average, depending upon their availability at any given time. If travel to one of our sites is required, ECT will cover reasonable costs incurred by volunteers.
Volunteering is a great opportunity if you are enthusiastic about ecology and perhaps looking to gain charity experience.
Requirements:
• Volunteers must be at least 18 years of age.
• Volunteers must be based in the UK.
Registering as a Volunteer:
• Send an e-mail to Ben Sykes expressing your interest in joining ECT’s Volunteer Pool.
• Include a short paragraph describing any relevant skills/knowledge you may bring to a volunteer role. Relevant information could include subject knowledge, fieldwork experience, a passion for outdoor work and any previous experience of being part of a volunteer team.
INTERNSHIPS AND PLACEMENTS
We do not currently offer internships or placements at the ECT. However, such opportunities (particularly work or student placements) are possible at the experiments within our network. ECT can facilitate contact with relevant research institutes and organisations for direct follow-up. See our ‘Links’ page for more information on our partners to find out what they can offer. University or college students can access their institution’s careers service for valuable advice on finding and applying for internships and placements.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
ECT is committed to promoting diversity, preventing discrimination and creating an inclusive environment in which staff, trustees and volunteers can fulfil their potential and maximise their contribution to the aims and objectives of the charity. Everyone will be treated fairly and with dignity and respect, regardless of age, disability, gender, gender reassignment, marital status and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race and ethnic origin, religion or belief and sexual orientation. Our aim is that those of us involved directly with the ECT and those we interact with should be fully representative of society. Access ECT’s full EDI Policy.
