Who are they?
The Strategic Builders are 10 volunteers, just like any other, most of whom have been with the project since the start. The Strategic Builders steer the direction of the organisation and make the big decisions on things like how we spend our funds and other crucial issues.

How did they come about?
Our project is ultimately pushed forward by all of our volunteers working on the project.

However, an organisation also needs good governance, leadership and a steering hand (or hands) to make sure all of that hard work is moving the organisation in the right direction. Introducing our Strategic Builders.

Our eventual organisation will have a board structure in place, of which its members will be voted in democratically by our members. This ensures that any member of First Brick is able to directly influence the steering hands of the organisation, putting the power ultimately in the hands of the people. We plan to have a board as soon as possible, however right now, we aren’t a legal organisation (we are what you call an ‘unincorporated association’), which means we cannot have a legally established board.

A while back we recognised the Catch-22 situation we were in: without a board, we were struggling to propel the project forward to being able to become an organisation, but without an organisation, we couldn’t have a board! This is how the Strategic Builders came about.

The Strategic Builders operate on a strict terms of reference which makes us accountable to the needs of the organsiation. You can read it here.

What happens when you become an organisation? Will you have a board? What happens to the Strategic Builders then?
Yes, we will have a board, and at this point the Strategic Builders will be no more! The Strategic Builders are specifically in place as a type of interim governance committee, steering the project towards being able to have a functioning board. As soon as we are at this point, members will be given a vote on who to elect to the board – when this board is elected, the Builders will wind up and hand over their work and their responsibilities to the board.

Can I become a Strategic Builder?
Yes! However, we do ask that all of our Strategic Builders have volunteered with us for some time as there is a limit of 10 Strategic Builders at any given time. Click here to become a volunteer and once you’ve started, you can let us know about your desire to become one!