Trustee with Finance/Fundraising Experience

The Organisation:

CRITICAL, established in 2009 as Irish Community Rapid Response, plays a vital role in emergency medical services. In 2019, it launched Ireland’s first and only charity Air Ambulance, marking a significant achievement in enhancing emergency care. Over the next 36 months, this crucial service responded to more than 1,500 serious incidents and emergencies, including cardiac arrests, road traffic accidents, farm accidents, and other critical medical emergencies and traumas. The dedicated team of Emergency Medical Responders has handled over 1,800 calls in the past three years, averaging 600 responses annually, underscoring the essential nature of their work.

In 2023, CRITICAL rebranded and refocused its mission on expanding its network of Volunteer Emergency Medical Responders and Critical Community First Responders across Ireland. Through rigorous training programmes and the strategic deployment of resources, Critical aims to significantly reduce response times and improve outcomes for patients in life-threatening situations.

It is important to understand Critical’s journey and acknowledge the success they have achieved with the Air Ambulance which encouraged the NAS/ HSE to take it into their fleet. Critical are proud of their contribution.

While they no longer operate the air ambiance service, Critical is moving forward to engage with communities and empower them to save lives through various initiatives, supported by Critical and in partnership with NAS.

This is a Criticals future, and they are actively looking for people who feel they can contribute and actively engage with them in doing so.  

Mission

The mission of CRITICAL is to save lives, driven by a steadfast commitment to delivering swift and efficient emergency medical services throughout Ireland.

Vision

The Vision of CRITICAL vision entails an Ireland where all communities and their residents enjoy equitable access to swift emergency medical responses during medical crises, accidents, injuries, or traumatic incidents.

Values

CRITICAL operates with a set of core values: collaboration, integrity, innovation, respect, and commitment. These guiding principles foster a culture of teamwork and mutual respect, enabling the team to achieve shared goals effectively. By adhering to these values, CRITICAL ensures a positive and inclusive work environment.

The Role:

CRITICAL is continuing on an exciting journey to expand our service so we can reach more communities and deliver advanced pre-hospital care to patients in life-threatening emergencies. We have ambitious plans to increase the number of volunteer consultants and doctors in emergency medicine, anaesthesia, and intensive care, supported by advanced paramedics, EMTs and community volunteers. As a crucial part of this effort, the organisation is actively searching for a committed and experienced Trustee with finance and/or fundraising experience to join its esteemed Board of Trustees. This role will play a pivotal part in guiding Critical , shaping robust policies, and ensuring the organisation operates at the highest standards, fully aligned with its mission of delivering exceptional Emergency Medical services across Ireland.

General duties of a Charity Trustee

• Comply with the charity’s governing document.
• Ensuring the charity is complying with its charitable purpose for the public benefit.
• Acting in the best interest of the charity.
• Act with reasonable care and skill.
• Manage the assets of the charity.

Desirable Skills/Qualities required for this role:

• Qualified accountant with relevant expertise or extensive record of successful fundraising initiatives for charitable organisations
• Demonstrated practice in company and/or charity accounting in Ireland.
• In-depth knowledge of relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards essential to advising Critical's operations.
• Working knowledge of the charity sector with experience in fundraising through community, grants and corporate donations.

Key responsibilities Trustee:

• Collaborate with other trustees and senior management to oversee the development, review, and updating policies and procedures.
• Assist the CEO in identifying and assessing fundraising and other sources of charitable income to support our operations nationally.
• Provide guidance/direction to ensure Critical complies with legislation, working closely with the CEO and appointed accountants.
• Provide expert advice to the board of trustees, offering insights and recommendations for strategic discussions impacting the funding for the charity’s operations and mission.

Board Meetings: 

The board meetings are held quarterly, with additional ad-hoc meetings scheduled as necessary. These meetings will be conducted in a hybrid format, allowing for both virtual attendance via Zoom and in-person participation at the Critical offices in Croom in Limerick. Board Meetings run for approximately one hour.

From time to time, there may be occasions where attendance at Critical fundraising events is requested.

Trustees sit on and chair sub-committees of the board. These meetings are in addition to scheduled board meetings.