Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre (ERCC) is a specialist support service for women, non-binary people, members of the trans community and young people aged 12 and over in Edinburgh, East Lothian and Midlothian who have experienced recent or non-recent sexual violence, including rape, sexual assault, childhood sexual abuse and commercial sexual exploitation.

Their charitable objectives are to reduce the distress and suffering of people affected by sexual violence through the provisions of support and information, and to increase awareness of sexual violence and its impacts within the wider community. To deliver these projects, ERCC provide a range of trauma-informed services for survivors of sexual violence, including short-term and longer-term therapeutic support, advocacy, outreach, and group support.

ERCC additionally deliver training for a range of stakeholders, and work in schools and with young people across Edinburgh and the Lothians, and strategically with multi-agency partners, towards preventing sexual violence. The organisation currently comprises 40 staff and volunteers, and 10 trustees.

The Role of Trustee: 

As a Trustee for the Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre, you will be commitment to their values, ethos, and charitable objectives. Your key responsibilities include collaborating with the Board of Directors to ensure effective governance, overseeing risk management, setting a clear strategic direction, ensuring compliance with legal obligations, and maintaining financial responsibility. This involves reviewing and updating strategic objectives, addressing risks, monitoring finances, ensuring legal compliance, delivering high-quality services to survivors of sexual violence, supporting the staff and volunteer team, promoting ERCC within the community, and participating in the wider Rape Crisis network through shared training events.

ERCC are particularly interested in those with experience in either Banking/Finance, HR, Legal (Charity/ Employment/ Human Rights) or experience of public sector fundraising.  ERCC welcomes applications to the board from women with all kinds of life and work experience and from all kinds of backgrounds. Knowledge of governance and management is helpful, but previous experience is not essential, and training is available.

As a member of Rape Crisis Scotland, ERCC works to the National Rape Crisis Service Standards and within the guidance of the Rape Crisis Scotland Best Practice Model, reflecting the ethos and values of feminism, human rights and equalities.  

Please note: under Schedule 9, Part 1 of the Equality Act 2010, only women need apply. ERCC would welcome applications in particular from women who are minority ethnic, disabled and trans women.