We want a world without PSC

PSC Support is a busy charity with a vision to see a world without PSC.

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a rare, autoimmune liver disease that affects people of all ages, including children. PSC is complex and can lead to advanced liver disease and ultimately, liver failure, and is associated with an increased risk of aggressive cancers. There is no cure for PSC and no medical treatment to slow or stop progression.

 

Our work

We improve the lives of people affected by PSC through education about the disease, support for patients and their families, advocacy for better healthcare services and psychological support. We also support research internationally and award grants for high quality studies to better understand PSC and find an effective treatment.

 

Our structure

For twenty-five years, volunteers have been at the heart of the success of PSC Support, carrying out many different roles and responsibilities within the charity. PSC Support currently has one part time employee and a full time volunteer who between them, cover most operational activities.

Our volunteer Treasurer manages all our day-to-day accounts. There are also volunteers who run the eBay shop, moderate our Facebook group, help code our website and even provide ad hoc scientific advice and graphic design for us. We're very grateful to all our wonderful volunteers.

 

Professional expertise needed

The current Trustees are committed to PSC Support and recognise that the need to broaden our skills and expertise is vital to the on-going health and future of the charity. We are at a pivotal point and demand for our services has never been higher. We need professional guidance to help us take that next step to grow our charity to meet that demand.

 

Help us grow

We are looking for dynamic people who can bring their knowledge and specific skills to help PSC Support grow from a very small, volunteer-led charity to one that has a sustainable structure and capacity to meet the needs of people affected by PSC. We welcome applications from all ages and backgrounds.

 

What we are looking for

We have identified some gaps on our Board of Trustees and we are particularly looking for people to fill those gaps and provide strategic oversight in these areas. We are looking for enthusiastic people with the following skills, knowledge and experience (we don’t expect to find all of these skills in one person) to help us develop from a tiny, voluntary-based charity to an organisation that is an employer, delivering more information, support, research and advocacy to improve the lives of people with PSC:

• Legal and charity governance: To date, all our Trustees have been directly affected by PSC and they have successfully guided the charity to where it is today. However, we recognise that we need the support of an experienced charity Trustee who can help us navigate charity regulation and/or ensure our activities are legally compliant and that we engage the right professional services at the right time.
• Income Generation: Currently all our income is from voluntary donations and we would like to develop a more diverse income base. We now have an employee, and as we embark on larger projects, we know it is important not to rely solely on voluntary income. An Income Generation Trustee would provide an important steer to us on how to begin to do this and ensure our fundraising follows best practice.
• Finance: Our Treasurer does an excellent job of maintaining the charity accounts, reconciling income and expenditure and preparing the year end balance sheets. Our Chair of Trustees (with no accounting background) currently prepares the budgets, financial planning and the reserves calculations. A Finance Trustee would play an important role in reviewing and improving our current procedures and approach to finance in the charity.
• Human Resources: Now that PSC Support has one employee, we are keen to ensure that the charity is legally compliant with current employment legislation, especially as we grow. A Trustee with HR experience would advise on good practice in staffing and HR matters, and future staff recruitment.

 

What is a Trustee?

Trustees have overall control of a charity and are responsible for making sure it’s doing what it was set up to do. Trustees do not get paid. The Charity Commission oversees charities and has produced guidance to explain the roles and responsibilities of all trustees: