An Invitation to Become a Trustee
The Bank of Dreams and Nightmares
The Bank of Dreams and Nightmares is looking for new trustees to help steer our small, ambitious charity doing vital work with children and young people in rural Dorset.
As artificial intelligence reshapes how language and ideas are produced, we believe it is more important than ever that children do not lose their capacity for original thought, imagination, and critical thinking. Our work creates time and space for young people to think for themselves, to experiment, to question, and to trust their own voice rather than relying on ready-made answers.
Trustees play a crucial role in protecting that space. They help us ask objective questions, make careful decisions, and stay true to our values as we grow. This is not a passive role. It is a chance to be part of something thoughtful, human, and quietly radical.
Why This Work Matters Now
We are living through a moment of rapid change.
Artificial intelligence is transforming how words are generated, consumed, and valued. For adults, this raises questions about work, authorship, and truth. For children, the stakes are even higher. When answers arrive instantly and language is automated, there is a real risk that young people lose confidence in their own thinking before it has had time to develop.
At The Bank of Dreams and Nightmares, we are not anti technology. But we are deeply committed to protecting the human skills that cannot be automated. Curiosity. Judgement. Imagination. Empathy. The ability to sit with uncertainty and form an original thought.
Writing is one of the few places where children are asked to slow down and think for themselves. Where ideas are made rather than delivered. Where meaning is shaped rather than supplied. It is a place where children learn that their voice has weight.
In rural communities, where access to creative opportunities is already limited, this matters even more. Without intentional spaces for creativity, children can become passive consumers rather than active thinkers. We see this every week. Many young people arrive believing that writing is about getting it right or avoiding it altogether. Over time, something shifts. They take risks. They ask better questions. They begin to trust their own ideas.
One young person told us, “I didn’t know I was allowed to write like that.” That sentence stays with us.
Our work exists to make sure children do not lose the ability to think critically and creatively in a world that increasingly encourages shortcuts. That is why the work feels urgent. And that is why this is an important moment to join us.
About The Bank of Dreams and Nightmares
The Bank of Dreams and Nightmares is a registered charity working with children and young people aged 7 to 18, primarily in rural Dorset. We deliver free creative writing projects in schools and communities for children who may not otherwise have access to them.
We work with whole classes, small groups, and young people who feel excluded by more formal settings. Our programmes include creative writing workshops, journalism projects, podcasting, after school clubs, and longer term work that follows children over several years. Young people create stories, poems, scripts, articles, performances, and broadcasts. Their work is published, recorded, shared, and celebrated. You can watch some examples of our work here:https://youtu.be/wicAqOM7vYU and here: https://youtu.be/wTl99TArLm4
This matters. When children see their ideas taken seriously, something changes. Confidence grows. Anxiety softens. Writing becomes a way to make sense of the world rather than something to fear.
Teachers tell us our work helps children re-engage with writing, particularly those who are struggling. Parents tell us that our groups have become rare places where their child feels calm, valued, and capable. One parent of an autistic child described our podcasting group as the first activity their child had ever been able to sustain, calling it “the highlight of his week”.
We are a small organisation with a strong track record, deep local relationships, and a growing reputation for working with care and integrity. We are currently supported by multi-year funding alongside project funding from trusts, foundations, and public bodies. Our ambition now is to strengthen and sustain this work for the long term.
Our Vision for the Next Five Years
Over the next five years, we want to ensure that more children grow up with the confidence to think independently, write creatively, and trust their own ideas.
That means deepening our work with schools and communities across rural Dorset, particularly those experiencing deprivation and isolation. It means developing longer term creative pathways rather than relying on one-off experiences. It means strengthening our financial resilience and governance so that this work can continue with care and consistency.
But more importantly we want to be active in the potential for real change in the curriculum so our work can have impact across the country.
Trustees are central to this. They help us hold the line on what matters, support sustainable growth, and ensure that our values shape how we operate as well as what we deliver.
Becoming a Trustee
We are looking for new trustees to join our board at this important stage in our development.
Trustees are actively involved in shaping the direction of the charity, supporting the staff team of three, and ensuring we are well run, financially secure, and legally compliant.
You will be part of a board that takes responsibility seriously, while remaining grounded in the real lives of the children we serve.
We are particularly keen to hear from people with expert knowledge of:
Chairing a board with clarity, warmth, and confidence
Business or finance, particularly accounts management entrepreneurial thinking
Fundraising for charities or community organisations
Managing or governing grant funded arts or education organisations
An educational evangelist who is excited about the potential changes we can make
You do not need previous trustee experience. What matters most is that you share our values, care about children and creativity, and are willing to give your time, attention, and thoughtful judgement.
Our Values
Everything we do is rooted in respect for young peoples’ lived experience. Many of the children we work with face rural isolation, poverty, neurodivergence, anxiety, or a sense that school is not built for them. We work hard to create spaces that feel welcoming, flexible, and human.
We are actively strengthening our commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, not as a statement on paper but as an ongoing practice. Trustees play an important role in helping us listen, learn, and make better decisions.
What Being a Trustee Involves
Trustees attend regular board meetings (4 per year), read papers in advance, and contribute to collective decision making. Depending on interest and experience, trustees may also actively support specific areas such as finance, fundraising, or people and culture.
Just as importantly, trustees help us think. About risk and care. About sustainability. About what kind of organisation we want to be as we grow.
This is a fully collaborative board. We value openness, challenge, and mutual respect. We believe governance should feel purposeful, not performative.
How to Apply
To apply, please send either a CV and short covering letter, or a video of no more than three minutes, explaining why you are interested in becoming a trustee and what you would bring to the role. Please send this to: nick@thebankofdreamsandnightmares.org
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an informal conversation with at least two trustees, either in person or online. This is a chance for us to get to know each other and for you to get a real sense of who we are. If it feels right on both sides, you will be invited to attend a trustee meeting where your appointment can be confirmed.
If you would like an informal conversation before applying, you are very welcome to get in touch.
Accessibility and Inclusion
We warmly welcome applications from people who are currently underrepresented in charity governance, including young people, carers, disabled people, LGBTQ+ people, people from the global majority, and those with lived experience similar to the children we work with. If you have any access needs or questions, please contact us and we will do our best to support you.
Closing Date
20th February 2026