The School of Natural Building Limited Request (Applicant)

Organisation Description

The School of Natural Building (SNaB) is a Community Benefit society that advocates for and provides training in the use of natural building materials. Our mission is to rekindle the primal urge to build that exists within all of us, by drawing on thousands of years of tried and tested natural building methods. We offer inclusive education to communities, students, and professionals, empowering them to create healthy, durable environments using sustainable materials. Based in Todmorden, West Yorkshire, but working nationally, the school was founded in 2014 by Barbara Jones and Eileen Sutherland.
Our activities include practical and theory-based courses, workshops, and advocacy, with a focus on natural materials such as straw, clay, lime, and other low-impact solutions. These activities enable us to construct healthy homes, retrofit buildings, and address pressing global challenges, such as reducing carbon emissions and mitigating the climate crisis.

What are they looking for?

Board members at SNaB are critical to shaping our strategy and ensuring that we operate in line with our core values: building for people, not profit; advocating for sustainability; empowering those typically excluded from construction; and bringing joy and passion into all that we do.
Key responsibilities of a SNaB board member include:

Governance: Upholding our charitable objects, ensuring SNaB is operating legally and ethically, and providing oversight of financial and operational matters.

Strategic input: Contributing to the development and implementation of strategies that help SNaB grow.

Representation: Representing SNaB to external stakeholders and organisations and advocating for the mainstream adoption of natural building techniques.

Meeting participation: Attending monthly, virtual board meetings, contributing to discussions, and ensuring effective decision-making. Additionally, board members attend our Annual General Meeting (AGM), and we aim to meet in person at least once a year to review progress and foster collaboration.

Support and advice: Offering your unique skills and expertise to guide SNaB’s work, helping with fundraising efforts, project development, and wider outreach activities.

The expected time commitment is around 8 hours per month, with some variability. The role is voluntary, but general expenses will be covered.