Become a Trustee

Join the Board of Rekindle Charitable Trust

Help shape a future where traditional craft, resourcefulness and community flourish.

Rekindle Charitable Trust, based in Ōtautahi Christchurch, exists to promote education in craft and resourceful skills within Aotearoa New Zealand, improving the wellbeing of people and planet.

We believe traditional craft is about much more than making things. Craft connects people to each other, to place, to the materials around them. It builds confidence, strengthens communities, encourages environmental responsibility, and helps preserve skills and traditions that might otherwise be lost.

Through workshops, community programmes, research, events and partnerships, we work to increase access to craft and resourceful skills, support professional craftspeople, revive traditional knowledge, and encourage sustainable use of natural materials.

About us

Although Rekindle Charitable Trust was established in 2022, our roots go much deeper.

Our parent organisation, Rekindle Ltd, has been a respected part of the Ōtautahi creative community since 2010. Today, the Trust supports an established collective of highly skilled traditional craft practitioners through our Resourceful Craft programme of workshops, clubs and community learning opportunities.

Alongside this, we support the development of a growing willow weaving collective, helping build knowledge and practice across the full lifecycle of willow - from cultivating a local osier and understanding sustainable harvesting, through to weaving, making and sharing these skills within communities.

As we look to the future, we are exploring new ways to sustain traditional craft practices, strengthen communities, improve wellbeing, and ensure these valuable skills continue to thrive for generations to come.

About the role

Our Board provides the governance that enables this work to happen.

Trustees contribute to the organisation's vision, values and kaupapa, provide strategic direction, oversee organisational performance and financial sustainability, and support the long-term success of the Trust.

We're interested in hearing from both experienced governors and emerging leaders who are passionate about our purpose.

Who we're looking for

We are seeking three volunteer Trustees to join our Board.

At this stage in our organisations growth, we're particularly interested in people with experience in:

• Financial management and accounting, particularly within organisations that combine grant funding and earned operational income.
• Fundraising, philanthropy or revenue diversification.
• Policy development, evaluation and impact measurement.
• Governance, strategy or organisational leadership.

Equally important is a genuine interest in our kaupapa and a willingness to contribute thoughtfully and collaboratively.

We welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.

Commitment

Trustees are appointed for an initial two-year term, with the option of a further two-year term by mutual agreement.

As a guide, trustees contribute approximately 6–10 hours per month, including:

• Monthly Board meetings, held either online or in central Ōtautahi, with hybrid attendance available for those joining from elsewhere.

• An annual in-person strategic planning workshop held in Ōtautahi

• Occasional involvement in working groups or projects that support the organisation's development

Board members are also warmly invited to attend workshops, talks and social gatherings with our craft practitioner collective and operational team.

While Ōtautahi-based trustees are advantageous, we welcome expressions of interest from across Aotearoa New Zealand as we continue to expand the reach and impact of our work.

Join us

If you're excited by the idea of helping shape an organisation that is preserving traditional knowledge, strengthening communities, supporting craftspeople, and fostering a more resourceful, connected and sustainable future, we'd love to hear from you.

Please send a cover letter outlining your interest and relevant experience, together with a short CV, to board@resourcefulcraft.org.nz