Project Description
Governance and Trustee Elections
The British Student Taekwondo Federation (BSTF) is a national student sport federation and registered charity. Founded in 1986, we are governed by an elected board of trustees and project a national student voice for more than 70 active university Taekwondo clubs.
The mission of the British Student Taekwondo Federation is:
- The advancement for the public benefit of physical education among students in Universities and Colleges by the provision of services and promotion of the martial art and amateur sport of Taekwondo.
To this aim we provide various support services, and deliver a range of programmes and events including the BSTF BUCS Taekwondo Championships Series, umpire training courses, European Universities Games qualification events and team management, and a range of other events and services.
We work closely with a variety of valued partners and sponsors including suppliers, athletic unions and sports departments, NGBs, taekwondo associations/ companies and British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS). We provide the framework for open, multi-discipline competition between all university clubs, independently managing and insuring our events to enable all university Taekwondo practitioners to train and compete together.
There are three categories of membership within the organisation, including: Member Clubs (open to all clubs in membership of their respective Students’ Union); Individual Affiliates; and Honorary Life Members.
Governance of the charity is undertaken by the Board which is comprised of the Executive directors, Non-executive elected trustees and Non-executive directors.
Their roles are described in brief below:
Executive DirectorsManagement (Staffed posts) |
Non-executive TrusteesGovernance (Elected posts) |
Non-executive DirectorsAdvisory (Selected posts) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Work to effectively deliver the charity’s objects 2. Manage the operations of the charity, including its tournament and event programmes 3. Ensure adequate financial planning and control systems are in place 4. Determine strategies to achieve the charity’s goals 5. Communicate regularly with the Board 6. Plan the charity’s annual budget 7. Report to the Charity Commission 8. Engage with stakeholders and partners |
1. Provide oversight, assuring the effective performance and governance of the charity 2. Ensure the charity adheres to its governing documents 3. Ensure compliance with charity law 4. Ensure the charity’s assets are only used to support its objects 5. Identify and avert conflicts with personal interests or loyalty to any other person or body 6. Authorise the charity’s annual budget |
1. Hold traits of independence, impartiality, wide experience, special knowledge and personal qualities 2. Attend the charity’s board meetings in an advisory capacity 3. Review and report on potential performance improvements, long term planning and risk analysis 4. Provide an independent viewpoint |
The AGM is typically held during the first term of each academic year and is an opportunity for all clubs to get the latest information on this year’s upcoming events, and to elect the governing Trustees. Every university club in membership of their students’ union and the BSTF, regardless of style or affiliation, carries an equal vote at BSTF general meetings. All university clubs nationwide have an equal say in electing trustees. Voting is exercised by an elected committee member representing their institution’s member club. In order for students from each institution to take part in the charity’s tournaments and for a club representative to attend the AGM, each institution must be in current membership of the charity.
Trustees are the passionate individuals who offer their time, energy and expertise to improve university taekwondo for all. Candidates are typically PhD students or recent graduates with prior experience leading university sports club committees, and often bring special skills to the board from their field of work (e.g., medicine, law, systems engineering, project management). Elected trustee positions are governance roles and not operational roles. Posts are usually either 1 or 2 years in length after which you may stand for re-election. You must be available to serve the full duration of your elected term and be an eligible candidate (see charity commission website for exclusions).
Please be aware that the role is very different from that of a club captain. Being a BSTF trustee can be hard work, but the role will give you a wealth of experience that employers prize. If you love university sport and taekwondo then there is no better way to give back to it than becoming a trustee.
The main responsibilities of elected trustees, essential required skills and desirable additional skills are listed below.
| Key Responsibilities | Essential Skills | Desirable Skills |
|---|---|---|
| Elected trustees ensure the accountability, legal compliance, & efficient governance of the charity | Be eligible, understand and accept role and responsibilities of a charity trustee – check this handbook | Expertise in the governance of charitable organisations/ NGBs / Students’ Unions |
| Provide oversight on a wide range of the charity’s activities, promptly reviewing documents year round | Understand and support the charity’s objectives, always following its Standard Operating Procedures | Significant experience operating or governing university clubs or students’ union departments |
| Must attend around 8 board meeting per year, most online & some requiring travel | Ability to take a broad view, acting in the best interests of all recipients, now and in the long term | Significant experience working in professional environments, ideally at management level |
| Ideally attend & support 3 or more other events each year, including the National Championships Series | Understand & maintain principles of collective responsibility and project a professional image | Successful record delivering major sponsorship agreements in the third sector |
| Commit to providing up to 100 hours per year across meetings, reviewing documents & other tasks | Prepared for a challenge which requires good time management skills, technical precision & hard work | Excellent team working skills and skill communicating with different audiences |
| – By law: Act in your charity’s best interests – By law: Manage your charity’s resources responsibly – By law: Act with reasonable care and skill |
Candidates must be: Passionate, Responsive, Reliable, Capable, Collaborators | Hold desirable specialist skills, such as: medical doctors; lawyers; programmers; accountants |
If you are interesting in becoming a BSTF trustee you must contact us by email with your declaration of interest to put yourself forward. This must be received a minimum of 10 working days in advance of an AGM and should include a short text biography (of ~500 words which can be published on the website or shared with delegates). Candidates must also hold a BSTF account, with an up to date passport style profile picture uploaded on their profile page. The role of a charity trustee comes with legally binding obligations and potential candidates should consider if they have the time, experience and expertise required to succeed in this role.
Prior to elections at the meeting chair will invite questions by board members and attending clubs’ representatives on a range of topics, including what experience they might bring to the board and on their understanding of the role of a charity trustee. It is as a minimum recommended that candidates be aware of the charity’s management and governance structure, and gain a thorough understanding of the guidance contained in the Charity Commission’s handbook CC3, The Essential Trustee, in advance of the meeting. For further reading on this subject the Wales Council for Voluntary Action have produced a detailed Guide for Charity Trustees, covering all aspects of charity management and governance. The charity’s board of trustees will provide the membership either a recommendation to elect or recommendation to leave post vacant, for each candidate, before a vote is called.
Please see the events page for the date and venue of the charity’s next AGM. Login with you Club Committee account to register a delegate. Only registered delegates will be admitted to the AGM.
If you have any questions about BSTF and charity governance please contact us.
