Could you be our new Chair?
Our fantastic Chair’s tenure will be coming to an end in 2026, so we are looking to appoint her successor to help Student Minds improve university communities so that every student gets the mental health support they need to reach their goals.
At Student Minds, we’re working to improve university communities so that no student is held back by their mental health. So it should come as no surprise that we are keen to reflect the communities we serve, maintain a diverse board and ensure student voices are represented. This is key to our mission and our continued impact.
We are open-minded about the professional background of this individual and are mostly looking for someone with experience of leading effective, inclusive teams, of chairing complex organisations or meetings, and in building influential cross-sector partnerships.
Key responsibilities
Student Minds Chair is expected to commit to the following:
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Preparation and attendance at four board meetings a year. Board meetings are held online and take place on weekdays from 5 - 7.30 pm.
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Preparation and attendance at two in-person board away days each year, usually from 12.30 - 5 pm. These usually take place in Leeds and include a lunchtime or evening social.
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Monthly supervision calls with the Chief Executive
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Annual in-person appraisal of the Chief Executive
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Support with board appraisals and recruitment
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Ad-hoc meetings and conversations with the senior leadership team as required. This usually constitutes approximately a further five working days a year.
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Attendance at relevant task-group meetings and/or committees.
So, if you want to help shape the future of student mental health, download our recruitment pack to find out more!
How to apply?
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For more information about the role responsibilities please download our recruitment pack that is linked
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Download and complete our application form which is available via the link
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Complete the Equality Monitoring Form.
Application process
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Application closing deadline: Monday the 5th January at 11.59 pm - make sure you send your completed application form by this date
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Interviews: 27th January, with our Chair, Trustee and CEO
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Appointment: subject to approval by the Student Minds Board
Registered Charity 
11 - 20
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
About Bliss
With an impact in all corners of the UK, Bliss is the leading national neonatal charity, championing and developing the services for the 90,000 sick and premature babies born each year, supporting both them and their families. At Bliss, we are committed to improving care, giving voice to babies, and supporting parents to be partners in care.
This is a really exciting time to join our board. We’ve just launched our new four-year strategy, which puts equity at the heart of everything we do. With NHS reforms underway, a new 10-Year Plan on the horizon, and growing attention on maternity and neonatal care, there’s a real opportunity to raise Bliss’s profile and make a lasting difference for premature and sick babies across the UK.
Chair opportunity
Our new Chair will be an experienced Trustee or Board member with proven ability to manage meetings effectively and foster productive, inclusive discussions. They will bring energy and drive, ensuring robust governance and alignment between strategy and operations. They will enjoy leading inclusive and thoughtful discussions, and share our passion for giving every baby the best possible start in life.
You can find more information about Bliss and the Chair role in our recruitment pack.
Don’t think you quite meet all of the specifications? Please don’t count yourself out – we’d still love to hear from you and learn more about you and your interest in joining Bliss!
Ready to apply?
Eastside People is supporting Bliss in the recruitment of these roles. Please by submitting your CV and a cover letter both in Word doc format.
Please use the cover letter (max 2 pages) as an opportunity to add to the information you have shared in your CV and ensure that you cover the following:
- Why is Bliss’ work important to you and how can you contribute to the charity as our Chair?
- How do you ensure board meetings are focused, inclusive, and lead to clear decisions?
- How would you go about ensuring that our many stakeholders are heard and represented at Board level?
We want you to have every opportunity to demonstrate your skills, ability and potential. If you have a disability or require reasonable adjustments during the application or interview process, please contact us so we can support you appropriately.
Bliss’ Chair, CEO and Trustees will be hosting a 30-minute drop-in session on Mon 8th December at 12pm via Teams. This is an opportunity to learn more about Bliss and what’s involved in joining our Board. You can register to attend here.
The closing date for applications is Mon 5th Jan.
Longlisting interviews with Eastside People will take place mid-January, with shortlisted candidates invited to panel interviews with Bliss during the week commencing 2 February.
Shortlisted candidates will then be invited to take part in open sessions with staff and Board members, with final interviews scheduled for the week commencing 23 February.
Bliss is an equal opportunities organisation. We actively welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, cultures, beliefs, and lived experiences. We strive to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve and are committed to equity and inclusion at every level of our governance.
We look forward to hearing from you!
