FRC Group is looking for four new Trustees, who will bring a senior-level background in one of the following areas: housing, human resources, procurement / supply chain, or customer service. Genuine interest in positive social change is a must.
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FRC (Furniture Resource Centre) Group is one of the longest-established and highest-performing social businesses in the UK. From humble beginnings in 1988, it has grown its turnover, financial stability, employee numbers and level of impact year on year – it has doubled in size over the past five years and is continuing on this path. It’s little wonder that the Group received the 'Social Enterprise of the Year Award' in 2020.
FRC Group is an unusual charity – as a social enterprise, it ‘fundraises’ by way of trading goods and generating a profit which supports its mission to reduce and ultimately End Furniture Poverty. Research by FRC's own campaigning arm ‘End Furniture Poverty’ shows that there are at least six million people in the UK living without one or more essential furniture item and over one million people living in ‘deep furniture poverty’, lacking three or more essential items.
FRC is in its 35th year and now has a turnover approaching £20m; it operates from sites in Liverpool, Manchester, Oldham and Newcastle and employs around 120 people – all of whom are paid at least the Living Wage Foundation living wage. The Group oversees a number of not-for-profit organisations:
Combined, they created £4.37m in social value during 2021-22, as well as making almost 25,000 deliveries and over 50,000 collections. You can find out more in its Integrated Report 2021-22.
Looking ahead, FRC Group has ambitions to continue its growth trajectory and further its impact in a sustainable, focused way. It is moving its largest operation and HQ based in Liverpool to a new, fit-for-purpose site to enable its future development, as well as unveiling new initiatives, such as ‘Furniture Flex’, to provide ever more flexibility for its customers.
Please find a full Recruitment Pack, including messages from the Chair and CEO, as well as more information about FRC and its people here.
The social housing sector is a very large market for FRC Group. For over 30 years, it has supplied furniture to social landlords providing furnished tenancies. FRC is about to launch ‘Furniture Flex’ - an exciting new initiative which introduces a rental model, allowing social landlords and their tenants previously unheard of flexibility.
FRC also supplies furniture to sheltered accommodation, hostels, refuges and key worker accommodation – some of which is owned and managed by social landlords. The challenge for is to increase sales into the housing sector to increase profits and supply greater funds with which it can End Furniture Poverty.
FRC Group has a range of functions engaging with the housing sector on a strategic and operational level. There are a range of people engaging with the housing sector in different ways:
This means, as a Trustee, you will not need to roll your sleeves up and get involved in day-to-day activity – but you will be the Trustee with a specialism in housing and will ensure that the charity has a well developed knowledge of the housing sector and aligns its products and services with the needs of the sector and the agendas they are grappling with. Your knowledge and experience will ensure that FRC builds a strong foundation for effectively addressing the needs of the people it serves.
FRC Group is looking for a new Trustee with senior leadership experience in the housing sector, who will also chair its Housing Sub-Committee. Genuine interest in positive social change is a must.
Applicants will bring a:
Above all, the successful candidate will have had exposure to, or a genuine interest in, positive social change. This may have been gained through previous involvement with charities, social enterprises or other non-profits, through lived experience of social deprivation, or through a personal passion for delivering social value, particularly for the communities which the Group serves in the North West and North East of England. This is more than a role; it is an opportunity to be part of a charity which transforms lives.
FRC Group’s People and Culture team comprises a People and Culture Director, HR (Human Resources) Advisor, HR Business Partner, Health and Safety Advisor and Community Engagement Co-ordinator. This means, as a Trustee, you will not need to roll your sleeves up and get involved in day-to-day activity – but you will be the people champion on the Board ensuring that the charity aligns its values with its internal practices, promoting a harmonious and purpose-driven environment.
The Group is faced with the same change management issues as any other organisation as well as how to connect everyone in the organisation with the charity’s purpose to End Furniture Poverty. How does somebody in one of its warehouses feel engaged and proud of FRC's mission and how can the Group's purpose inspire and equip ordinary people to be extraordinary?
The responsibilities of this particular Trustee will include:
Your knowledge and experience will ensure that FRC builds a strong foundation for effectively addressing the needs of the people it serves.
FRC Group is looking for a new Trustee with expertise in human resources, organisational development, or a related field, who will also chair its People and Culture Sub-Committee. Genuine interest in positive social change is a must.
Applicants will bring:
Above all, the successful candidate will have had exposure to, or a genuine interest in, positive social change. This may have been gained through previous involvement with charities, social enterprises or other non-profits, through lived experience of social deprivation, or through a personal passion for delivering social value, particularly for the communities which the Group serves in the North West and North East of England. This is more than a role; it is an opportunity to be part of a charity which transforms lives.
Buying over £10m of products each year, the FRC Group Supply Chain team comprises a Supply Chain Manager and a specialist in white goods (the highest value product group) working on a consultancy basis. The role identifies and onboards new suppliers, selects product lines, negotiates trading terms and manages supplier performance. The Supply Chain manager is not responsible for inventory maintenance but works very closely with the wholly separate, inventory team.
This means, as a Trustee, you will not need to roll your sleeves up and get involved in day-to-day activity – but you will be the procurement ‘champion’ within the Board of Trustees. You will help to ensure that the charity aligns its procurement processes and plans with best practice.
Challenges and opportunities for the Group in this area including leveraging its scale as it grows, helping its small suppliers grow with it, or finding new suppliers, buying direct from (often oversees) manufacturers rather than UK-based distributors, managing the performance of suppliers, and engaging with customer expectations on ESG and the sustainable development goals.
The responsibilities of this particular Trustee will include:
Your knowledge and experience will ensure that FRC builds a strong foundation for effectively addressing the needs of the people it serves.
FRC Group is looking for a new Trustee with an in-depth understanding of issues around procurement and managing supply chains, who will also chair its Procurement and Supply Chain Sub-Committee. Genuine interest in positive social change is a must.
Applicants will bring:
Above all, the successful candidate will have had exposure to, or a genuine interest in, positive social change. This may have been gained through previous involvement with charities, social enterprises or other non-profits, through lived experience of social deprivation, or through a personal passion for delivering social value, particularly for the communities which the Group serves in the North West and North East of England. This is more than a role; it is an opportunity to be part of a charity which transforms lives.
FRC Group has a range of functions which deliver service to its customer base. This includes:
This means, as a Trustee, you will not need to roll your sleeves up and get involved in day-to-day activity – but you will be the Trustee with a specialism in customer service and will help to ensure that the charity has a well developed knowledge of cutting-edge service standards, aligning its plans and processes accordingly.
FRC is about to launch ‘Furniture Flex’, an exciting new initiative which introduces a rental model which allows social landlords, a large market for the Group which it has served for over 30 years, and their tenants previously unheard of flexibility. This sees FRC Group effectively providing a service rather than selling a product, which will result in the number and range of ‘touch points’ increasing significantly. FRC needs to ensure that these interactions are effective, efficient and put the customer and tenant needs at the centre of its processes.
The responsibilities of this particular Trustee will include:
Your knowledge and experience will ensure that FRC builds a strong foundation for effectively addressing the needs of the people it serves.
FRC Group is looking for a new Trustee with experience of driving customer service strategies, who will also chair its Services Sub-Committee. Genuine interest in positive social change is a must.
Applicants will bring:
Above all, the successful candidate will have had exposure to, or a genuine interest in, positive social change. This may have been gained through previous involvement with charities, social enterprises or other non-profits, through lived experience of social deprivation, or through a personal passion for delivering social value, particularly for the communities which the Group serves in the North West and North East of England. This is more than a role; it is an opportunity to be part of a charity which transforms lives.
This role is unremunerated but reasonable, pre-agreed domestic travel or overnight expenses will be reimbursed. The appointment is for a three-year term, which can be renewed twice at the discretion of the Board. A summary of the overall time commitment is below:
Location
This organisation is based in Liverpool and meetings will take place in person. Candidates will therefore be based in the North of England, within a driving distance of Liverpool.
Diversity
FRC Group welcomes applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, belief or disability. It is currently seeking to diversify the Board in order to represent the communities it serves; as such, individuals from historically underrepresented groups are warmly encouraged to apply. All appointments will be made on merit, following a fair and transparent process. In line with the Equality Act 2010, however, the organisation may employ positive action where those from underrepresented groups can demonstrate their ability to perform the role equally well.
If you would like to register your initial interest in this role, please fill in the form below.
Please note that registering your interest via this microsite does not constitute a formal application for the role. If it would be worth submitting an application, a member of the Nurole team will be directly in touch ahead of the deadline to let you know and invite you to apply through the Nurole platform.