Solidaritech takes donated laptops, tablets and other devices, repairs and refurbishes them, and gets them to people who would otherwise be digitally excluded.

We believe useful technology should not be wasted while people are locked out of education, employment, services and everyday life because they cannot access the devices they need. We are looking for new Directors to help protect that work, strengthen the organisation and decide what comes next.

You do not need previous Board experience. We are looking for people with good judgement, curiosity and a commitment to Solidaritech’s purpose. We will support you to understand the role and contribute with confidence.

Why this matters now

Solidaritech has built a practical Bradford response to two connected problems:

• digital exclusion;
• the waste of usable technology.

The need for digital inclusion remains high, but the funding environment is becoming more difficult and many community organisations are facing increasing financial pressure.

Over the next year, the Board will need to make important decisions about:

• How Solidaritech should be funded
• The balance between grants, contracts and traded income
• Whether the current model should continue, change or grow
• What leadership and staffing the organisation needs
• How to protect what works while responding honestly to financial pressures

The organisation is also moving through a planned leadership transition. New Directors will therefore join at a point when thoughtful governance, clear decisions and a willingness to ask difficult questions will really matter.

What Directors do

Directors are collectively responsible for the governance and long-term direction of Solidaritech CIC.

The Board:

• Agrees strategy and future direction
• Oversees finances and sustainability
• Manages key risks
• Makes sure the CIC is properly run
• Supports and holds the Chief Executive accountable
• Protects Solidaritech’s purpose and community benefit

Directors focus on the organisation as a whole. They do not normally manage staff, volunteers or day-to-day operations. Those responsibilities sit with the Chief Executive and operational team.

About Solidaritech

Solidaritech is a Bradford-based Community Interest Company.

Our work brings together:

• Digital inclusion
• Repair and reuse
• Practical technical support
• Volunteering and skills development
• Partnerships with community organisations and public services

We want people to have access to the technology they need to participate fully in everyday life. We also want to challenge the idea that devices should simply be discarded and replaced when they could be repaired, reused and shared.

Who we are looking for

We welcome people with different backgrounds, experiences and ways of thinking. We would particularly value experience in areas such as:

• Finance, budgeting or business planning
• Leadership or governance
• Digital inclusion, technology, tech recycling, repair or reuse
• Fundraising, contracts or income generation
• Social enterprise or Community Interest Companies
• Communications, partnerships or community development
• Safeguarding, risk or people management
• Lived or professional experience of digital exclusion

We are especially keen to hear from:

• Women, trans and other non-binary people underrepresented in technology
• People from Bradford/West Yorkshire’s diverse communities, including racially minoritised communities
• People with lived experience of digital exclusion
• People who have used refugee, asylum, migration or community support services
• People who have not previously seen themselves represented in Board roles

You do not need to have everything on this list.

We are more interested in whether you can:

• Listen carefully
• Ask useful questions
• Consider evidence
• Understand risk
• Contribute to shared decisions
• Stay focused on Solidaritech’s purpose

We know Boards often recruit in their own image. We do not want to do that.

What is expected

Directors share responsibility for the overall direction and governance of the CIC.

This includes:

• Acting in Solidaritech’s best interests
• Preparing for and attending quarterly Board meetings
• Contributing to discussion and collective decisions
• Helping make sure the organisation is financially sound and properly managed
• Paying attention to the main risks facing Solidaritech
• Supporting the Chief Executive while providing appropriate challenge
• Declaring conflicts of interest and maintaining confidentiality

You do not need to arrive knowing everything. We will support you to understand the organisation, the role of a CIC Director and the decisions ahead.

This is a role for people who want to help shape real decisions

Solidaritech is a small organisation with an important purpose. Like many community organisations, we face real choices about funding, leadership and our future model. Directors will need to engage with those choices, consider evidence and make decisions together.

We are clear about the boundaries:

• Directors set direction and provide oversight
• Staff and volunteers deliver the day-to-day work
• The Board supports senior staff without trying to manage the organisation

What you will get from the role

You will have:

• The chance to shape the future of a distinctive Bradford organisation
• Experience of real decisions about strategy, finance, risk and sustainability
• A deeper understanding of digital inclusion, repair and reuse
• Support, induction and opportunities to learn
• The chance to work alongside committed staff, volunteers and fellow Directors
• The satisfaction of helping useful technology reach people who would otherwise go without

Time commitment

Board meetings are usually held every three months (usually) on a Tuesday evening. The expected commitment also includes:

• Reading papers before meetings
• An annual planning or strategy session
• Occasional involvement between meetings
• Possible involvement in a small working group

Meetings are usually online, with opportunities to visit the workshop and meet the team.

Your first few months

We will help you settle in.

You will:

• Meet the Chair and Chief Executive
• Visit the workshop
• Meet staff and volunteers
• Attend a Board meeting
• Read key information about finances, risks and current plans
• Have space to ask questions and build confidence

We can also discuss access needs, childcare, travel or other reasonable costs that might otherwise make participation difficult.

How to apply

To register your interest in joining the board send a copy of your CV, as well as a covering letter in the body of the email (or as an attachment, if you prefer) telling us about why you would be interested in taking up the role, to boardrecruitment@solidaritech.com.

Please tell us:

• why you are interested in Solidaritech;
• what experience, perspective or skills you would bring;
• what interests you about the decisions facing the organisation;
• anything that would help us support your participation.

We are happy to arrange an informal conversation before you apply if you would prefer.