Join Gilgal Birmingham’s Board and help provide safety, dignity and new beginnings for women and children escaping domestic abuse.
Gilgal Birmingham is a women-led organisation rooted in feminist principles. It understands domestic abuse as a pattern of power and control shaped by wider inequality. Its work is therefore not simply about providing accommodation, but restoring autonomy, rebuilding confidence and helping women move from crisis towards stability and independence.
Following a period of strengthening and consolidation, Gilgal is seeking two new Trustees — a Company Secretary and a Treasurer to deepen its governance and financial capability. The Company Secretary will establish a reliable company secretarial function, strengthen Board processes and help ensure legal, constitutional and regulatory responsibilities are met. The Treasurer will provide strategic financial oversight, supporting stronger forecasting, informed decision-making and long-term resilience.
These are active Board roles. Both trustees will contribute beyond their specialist remit and be actively involved in wider discussions about Gilgal’s strategy, risks, resources, future property needs and the development of its outreach and community work. Gilgal is seeking thoughtful, rights-driven women who combine professional insight with sound judgement and understand that strong governance is an act of care.
Who we are
Gilgal Birmingham is a women-led charity providing safe accommodation and specialist support for women and children escaping domestic abuse.
Gilgal’s origins are grounded in Christian values. Today, we honour that heritage through services delivered in an inclusive and faith-neutral way, supporting women and children of all faiths and none. Access to our services is never dependent on belief.
Our practice is trauma-informed, strengths-based and rooted in intersectional feminist principles. We understand domestic abuse as a pattern of power and control shaped by wider inequality, and ensure our support is culturally responsive, empowering and informed by the diverse experiences of the communities we serve.
Our work is about more than accommodation. Through refuge and move-on housing, specialist advocacy, counselling and practical support, we help women restore autonomy, rebuild confidence and move from crisis towards lasting stability and independence. We also provide dedicated support for children, including play therapy and help accessing education, healthcare and positive activities.
About the roles
Company Secretary
The Company Secretary will ensure that Gilgal’s governance and regulatory responsibilities are met consistently and effectively, and that Board processes are structured, transparent and compliant.
Working closely with the Chair and CEO, you will help establish a reliable company secretarial function. This will include overseeing regulatory filings, maintaining trustee registers and declarations of interest, ensuring minutes clearly record decisions and actions, and managing governance documentation and policy review cycles.
You will also support the Board through Women’s Aid accreditation and review Gilgal’s articles, governing documents and charitable objectives to ensure they remain fit for purpose.
Who we are looking for
We are seeking a woman with strong charity governance experience, gained through governance, regulatory compliance or company secretarial work.
You will be organised and confident working with policies, governing documents and regulatory requirements. You should also be able to explain technical information clearly and offer practical solutions.
Legal training is welcome but not essential. Sound judgement, discretion and commitment to Gilgal’s purpose are more important.
Treasurer
The Treasurer will lead Board-level financial oversight and help ensure that Gilgal remains financially sustainable, transparent and strategically resilient.
You will review management accounts, support budget-setting and financial planning, oversee the reserves policy and help ensure compliance with charity accounting and reporting requirements. You will provide clear financial insight to inform strategic decisions and help trustees understand Gilgal’s financial position.
Who we are looking for
We are seeking a woman who is a qualified accountant or senior finance professional with strategic financial experience.
You will be comfortable reviewing accounts, budgets and forecasts, identifying financial risks and explaining financial information clearly to others.
Charity finance experience and knowledge of SORP would be helpful but are not essential if you bring relevant transferable experience and understand the realities of a small charity.
For both roles, we welcome applications from experienced Board members and people looking to take on their first trustee role. You do not need previous trustee experience, but you must be willing to learn, contribute actively and share responsibility for Gilgal’s future.
Time commitment
Gilgal has an active and engaged Board, and trustees contribute both at meetings and between them.
The Board meets quarterly, primarily online, with one or two meetings each year held in person, including the AGM and/or annual strategy session.
The expected commitment is:
- Company Secretary: approximately one to two days per month.
- Treasurer: approximately one day per month.
This includes preparing for meetings, occasional subcommittee or task-group involvement, and responding to time-sensitive discussions. Trustees may also provide specialist advice or represent Gilgal externally where appropriate.
To view the role description and person specification, please go to the ‘How to Apply’ tab above, fill in your details and download the candidate pack.
For further information or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultant at Peridot Partners:
Conor Naughton | conor@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07498 071852
Gilgal Birmingham is a registered charity in England and Wales (No.1102803).
Welcome from the Chair of Trustees
Dear Potential Trustee,
Thank you for taking the time to consider joining the Board of Gilgal Birmingham.
Gilgal exists at the point where safety, courage and uncertainty intersect. Every woman who arrives at our refuge has made a decision that carries profound consequences. Leaving abuse is rarely a single act and it can mean disrupting children’s schooling, losing financial security, navigating complex housing systems and stepping into the unknown. When a woman takes that step, our responsibility is to ensure that somewhere safe, steady and dignified is waiting for her.
Gilgal is a women-led organisation rooted in feminist principles. We understand domestic abuse as a pattern of power and control shaped by wider inequality. That means our work is not simply about providing accommodation. It is about restoring autonomy, rebuilding confidence and creating the conditions in which women can move from crisis to stability and independence.
Over the past year, Gilgal has undergone a period of strengthening and consolidation. We have sharpened our governance discipline, clarified our strategic priorities and taken deliberate steps to ensure long-term sustainability. Our 2026 – 2031 Strategy commits us to delivering high-quality refuge provision, strengthening community partnerships, supporting women into secure next steps and building financial resilience that protects the integrity of our service.
Trustees play a vital role in this and we are seeking unapologetic, thoughtful, rights-driven women to come and join our board. Through excellent governance, our trustees help shape how resources are allocated, how risks are understood and how confidently we can plan for the future. Our board determines whether we grow responsibly, whether we remain compliant and credible, and whether we continue to earn the trust of the women who rely on us alongside a group of incredible and committed staff.
We are seeking women who bring professional insight, thoughtful judgement and the confidence to contribute at Board level. We value trustees who are rigorous yet reflective, principled yet pragmatic and women who understand that strong governance is an act of care.
If this resonates with you, we would be pleased to hear from you.
With best wishes,
Carly Jones
Chair
About us
Gilgal aims to ensure that all women and children experiencing domestic abuse, and those at risk, have a safe place to live. Gilgal empowers women and children through specialised support and opportunities for healing, growth, and community-building. Equipping them to achieve independence, confidence, and lasting connection.
Our vision
Our vision is a future where women and children can live free from domestic abuse, with access to safety, support and opportunity. We want every woman who experiences abuse to know that she will be believed, supported and empowered to rebuild her life with dignity and independence.
Our values
- Trust: We foster trust through honesty, consistency, and the creation of safe, respectful relationships. Trust is the cornerstone of healing and transformation.
- Safety: We prioritise physical and emotional safety as essential foundations for growth. Our environment is trauma-informed, strengths-based, and feminist.
- Collaboration: We believe in working with women and their children—not doing to them. Through partnerships, co-production, and shared decision-making, we ensure that every voice is heard and valued.
- Inclusive: We welcome women and children from all backgrounds, cultures, and communities. We create environments where everyone feels seen, heard, and respected, ensuring that our services are equitable, accessible, and free from discrimination.
- Empowering: We support women and their children in reclaiming autonomy and leading independent, self-directed lives. Our programs are designed to build confidence, skills, and long-term resilience.
Our approach
Our work is grounded in trauma-informed, strengths-based and intersectional feminist principles. We recognise that women’s experiences of domestic abuse are shaped by wider inequalities including race, poverty, disability, immigration status and other structural barriers.
We are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion across our services, governance and workforce. This means continually reflecting on our practice, ensuring our services are culturally responsive, and working in partnership with the diverse communities we serve.
Our services
Gilgal provides holistic, survivor-centred services designed to meet the complex and often long-term needs of women and children recovering from domestic abuse.
- Safe accommodation: Confidential refuge accommodation for women and their children providing immediate safety and stability in a trauma-informed environment.
- Independent Domestic Violence Advocates (IDVAs): Specialist advocacy providing practical and emotional support, safety planning and support navigating criminal justice, housing and social care systems.
- Counselling: Trauma-informed counselling to support emotional recovery, mental health and resilience.
- Children’s play therapy: Specialist therapeutic support helping children affected by domestic abuse process trauma and rebuild emotional security.
- Keyworker support: Dedicated staff working alongside women to address practical needs such as housing, benefits, health and accessing wider services.
- Move-on and resettlement support: Structured support as women transition into independent living, including tenancy readiness, budgeting skills and continued emotional support.
- Community drop-in and outreach services: Safe, welcoming community spaces where women can access confidential support, information and advocacy without needing a formal referral.
Our strategic goals
- A safe and welcoming refuge: Maintaining strong governance, safeguarding, and compliance to provide a healing environment.
- Building safer communities: Strengthening communities through trusted spaces, strategic leadership and collective action.
- Empowering women and children for lasting independence: Supporting recovery, rebuilding confidence and creating pathways to independent futures.
- Living our values in practice: Delivering a feminist, trauma-informed and co-produced approach rooted in dignity and empowerment, supported by a reflective and resilient organisational culture.
- Financial resilience and income diversification: We will take steps to diversify our income streams, become financially resilient, and self-sufficient.
Learn more about us
Accessibility information
We understand that different members of the community have different access needs and have made some modifications to the way we do business to accommodate people from diverse communities and abilities.
We offer the following amenities:
- Accessibility dogs are welcome
- Papers and materials can be presented in different formats
- A sign language interpreter can be accessed for interview
- Working patterns and locations can be adjusted
Further information
Gilgal would be happy to purchase a hearing loop if one was required.
At Gilgal, we are proud of the diversity across our Trustee and senior leadership team and are committed to building an inclusive and representative organisation.
Our current Trustee and senior leadership team cohort is 90% female and spans a broad range of ages, from 20–34 to 75 and over.
Half of the cohort identifies as White British, with representation from Black or Black British Caribbean (20%), Mixed White and Black Caribbean (10%), and White Irish (10%) backgrounds. A further 10% preferred not to disclose their ethnicity.
In addition, 90% identify as heterosexual and 10% identify as disabled, while a further 20% preferred not to disclose whether they have a disability.
To arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultant at Peridot Partners:
Conor Naughton | conor@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07498 071852
Thank you for your interest in this role. Please download the relevant Role Description and Person Specification below.
To formally apply, please submit a CV and supporting statement (ideally maximum 2 sides of A4 each) that clearly outlines your suitability for the role against the criteria provided in the person specification, including your interest and motivation in applying for this position.
Please include your home address, contact email and mobile.
Please ensure that your application is emailed to response@peridotpartners.co.uk, inserting “Application: Gilgal Birmingham — and either Treasurer OR Company Secretary” into the subject field. You will receive an acknowledgement of receipt within 2-3 days. If you do not receive an acknowledgement, please contact our admin team.
For further information or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultant at Peridot Partners:
Conor Naughton | conor@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07498 071852
As a sector-leading executive search consultancy, we know the importance of creating recruitment processes that are fair, inclusive and free from bias. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a process that values differences.
If you require any job information in an alternative format (e.g. large print), please contact the lead consultant. Please also let us know if you would like to submit your application in an alternative format.
Applicants with disabilities are welcome to contact us in confidence at any stage of the recruitment process to discuss any reasonable adjustments or support that may be required to ensure fair and equal participation.
Recruitment selection processes are based on evidence of competence stated in the person specification and in relation to our values.
Timetable
Closing date: 9 a.m. Monday 2nd November 2026
Candidates informed of outcome: Friday 6th November 2026
Interviews (in person): Thursday 19th November or Friday 20th November 2026
Equal Opportunities Monitoring
Peridot and Gilgal Birmingham are committed to promoting equality and diversity. To help us raise awareness and support a culture that is diverse and recognises and develops the potential of all, we need to appreciate the profile of candidates who apply for positions. We will send you an equality monitoring survey at the point of receiving your application and at the time of placement. This ensures that our processes remain inclusive and equitable throughout, and provides us with important data to help us showcase our impact.
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