Chair of trustee board volunteer roles

Play a vital part in this dual role for a pioneering social enterprise, and the leading charity supporting refugees, asylum seekers, and survivors of modern slavery.

Location: London / UK / Virtual

Applications close at 9 a.m. Tuesday 30th September 2025.

Who we are.

Clear Voice is an award-winning social enterprise offering high-quality interpreting and translation services across the UK. With a network of over 3,000 linguists and services available in more than 260 languages, Clear Voice delivers over 20 million minutes of interpretation annually. Our clients span the public, private, and voluntary sectors. What makes us different is our purpose. Clear Voice is wholly owned by the national charity Migrant Help, which supports refugees, asylum seekers, and survivors of modern slavery. Every penny of Clear Voice’s profit goes back into supporting this mission. Together, we are committed to a world that protects displaced people, treats them with dignity, and helps them thrive.

Migrant Help has been delivering services to vulnerable migrants since 1963. With a national reach and an income of over £58 million, the charity is one of the largest of its kind in the UK. Under the leadership of Caroline O’Connor, recently named Charity Chief Executive of the Year, the organisation continues to grow in both impact and ambition.

About the role.

This is a rare and meaningful opportunity to shape the growth of a purpose-led business while contributing to the leadership of a national charity. We are looking for someone to Chair the Clear Voice Board and serve as a Trustee of Migrant Help.

As Chair of Clear Voice, you will provide strategic leadership during an ambitious phase of growth and service diversification. A key priority will be helping Clear Voice strengthen its competitive position in the interpretation sector, diversifying its client base and reducing reliance on Migrant Help as a customer. You’ll support the CEO and Board to set long-term goals, act as a constructive sounding board, and uphold strong governance. You will need to balance commercial sustainability with the governance responsibilities of a charity-owned enterprise, ensuring that growth enhances both impact and accountability.

Equally, as a Trustee of Migrant Help, you will contribute to the broader leadership of the charity, ensuring both organisations thrive in mutual alignment. This dual role involves working across charity and enterprise contexts, offering guidance on opportunity, risk, innovation, and long-term impact.

What we are looking for.

We’re looking for a thoughtful and commercially astute leader who can bring strategic insight, inclusive leadership, and strong business skills to a growing, values-led enterprise. You’ll be confident in helping shape future growth while ensuring that decisions are rooted in purpose, financial accountability, and impact. You will also act as a supportive but constructively challenging Chair, able to engage confidently with diverse stakeholders and provide a trusted sounding board for the CEO. Experience of social enterprise leadership or growth would be hugely valuable, alongside expertise in business development, marketing, or digital innovation in technology-enabled environments. Experience in a non-executive or trustee role is helpful but not essential.

What matters most is your ability to balance commercial focus with charity governance, and your motivation to contribute to Migrant Help’s mission. We want someone who believes passionately that people seeking asylum are human beings who deserve to be treated decently and have their rights respected. We would especially welcome interest from people with lived or family experience of migration or displacement, and from female leaders who are underrepresented in our governance structures.

Time commitment

Approximately 14–16 days per year, including:

• Quarterly Clear Voice and Migrant Help Board meetings (virtual or in London)
• Chairing Clear Voice’s Finance & Risk Group (every 6 weeks)
• Attending Migrant Help’s People & Remuneration Committee (2–3 times per year)

Please click 'Redirect to recruiter’ to be redirected to the Peridot Partners website, where you can find full details of the candidate profile and register your interest to apply.

Applications close at 9 a.m. Tuesday 30th September 2025.

We are looking for a new Board member with financial expertise to chair our Finance and Audit Committee, support our work, and bring new skills, expertise and ideas for the future of our organisation.

At Nottingham Contemporary, we believe in the power of contemporary art to inspire, challenge and bring people together. Our vision is to be a leading international contemporary art gallery, known for our innovative exhibitions, events and local engagement programmes. We are in an important moment in Nottingham Contemporary’s history as we deliver a transformative process of rearticulating our purpose and shaping our future. This includes securing our long-term financial standing by developing and working towards ambitious and entrepreneurial income generation strategies and building on new and existing partnerships, members and supporters.

We are looking for someone with strong financial understanding and experience to join our Board as a trustee and Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee. This role is key to supporting Board members with financial decisions and understanding, providing a link between the Board and the Finance and Audit Committee and working closely with the Director and Senior Leadership Team.

Time commitment: We would normally expect trustees to prepare for and take part in 4–5 Board meetings per year. In addition, you will be expected to prepare for and chair up to 5 Finance and Audit Committee meetings per year. All trustees support the development of key pieces of work and are invited to voluntarily attend the 3 exhibition openings per year and other fundraising, networking and promotional functions. In total, this is estimated as a time commitment of an average of 1 day per month.

Payment: The role is an unpaid voluntary position. Reasonable travel expenses incurred taking part will be met. 

Access: Information about our access statement and facilities can be found on our website.

Benefits: We offer mutually devised mentoring and training opportunities, based upon the needs and interests of new trustees. The role can provide opportunities for the development of experiences and networks in the cultural sector and beyond. 

Closing date: Wednesday 1 October 2025

Interviews: Wednesday 22 October 2025

For more information, including the job description and person specification, please see our website.

Position: Chair of Trustees
Accountable to: Board of Trustees
Location: Hybrid
Time Commitment:1-2 days per month
Term: 2 yrs renewable

Purpose of the Role

The Chair of Trustees provides leadership to the Board, ensuring that it fulfils its responsibilities for the governance of the charity. The Chair works in partnership with the Chief Executive (or equivalent) to help achieve the organisation’s mission, ensuring it is run effectively, transparently, and in line with its values.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Governance

• Provide clear leadership to the Board of Trustees, ensuring it fulfils its duties and responsibilities.

• Ensure that governance arrangements are effective, transparent, and regularly reviewed.

• Lead on maintaining a strong focus on the charity’s purpose, vision, and strategic direction.

• Ensure the charity complies with its governing document, charity law, company law, and other relevant legislation.

Board Management

• Chair Board meetings effectively and efficiently, bringing impartiality and objectivity to discussions.

• Ensure decisions are taken in the best interests of the charity and are implemented.

• Encourage participation and engagement from all Trustees, drawing on their skills and knowledge.

• Oversee the recruitment, induction, and development of Trustees.

External Representation

• Act as an ambassador and spokesperson for the charity when appropriate.

• Represent the charity at key events, meetings, and with stakeholders.

• Build strong relationships with funders, partners, and the wider community.

Relationship with Senior Staff

• Develop a supportive and constructive relationship with the Chief Executive (or equivalent).

• Provide guidance and support while respecting boundaries between governance and management.

• Undertake annual appraisal of the Chief Executive and ensure appropriate support structures are in place.

Person Specification

Essential Skills & Experience

• Previous experience of chairing meetings and/or serving on a Board.

• Understanding of charity governance and the legal responsibilities of Trustees.

• Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate and engage others.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

• Ability to act impartially, with integrity, and in the best interests of the charity.

Desirable Skills & Experience

• Knowledge of the sector in which the charity operates.

• Experience in strategy development, fundraising, or stakeholder engagement.

• Established networks that could benefit the charity.

Time Commitment

• 3-6 Trustees meeting a year

• Regular contact with the Chief Executive/Trustees between meetings.

• Representation at occasional external events.

Global Canopy is a data-driven not for profit delivering real transparency and accountability for market impacts on nature and people. Our special focus is on ending deforestation – an essential step in achieving urgent global goals on climate, nature and human rights.

We deliver our work via three main strategies:

1. on open data (including via major global data platforms like Trase, Forest 500, Forest IQ, and ENCORE);
2. on creating stronger voluntary and compliance frameworks to address nature loss (we are a founding partner of the TNFD);and on accelerating accountability and action by the finance sector towards deforestation-free portfolios.

Global Canopy Initiatives (GCI) is a new Social Enterprise subsidiary wholly owned by Global Canopy.

The purpose of the social enterprise is to create sustainable revenues for open data on nature – a critical challenge for nonprofits working in this space. Done right, this will help safeguard the availability of open data for all as more commercial incumbents enter this space, will drive uptake by the market and identify where gaps remain, and will help ensure the sustainability of our vital offering. 

GCI ultimately aims to maximize the impact and uptake of our work to tackle market-driven impacts on nature, forests and people. Any profits from these activities are invested back into the charity.

Forest IQ Pro

Forest IQ is an open data partnership and platform that brings together aligned, best-in-class, and actionable data on how more than 2,400 major companies are addressing their links to deforestation.

Forest IQ Pro is a paid-for tier, specially designed for financial institutions to help enable their transition to deforestation-free financial portfolios. Offered through GCI, it includes access to licensed data, financial identifiers (ISINs), a bespoke API, and priority technical and customer support.

The role: overview

This is an exciting time to be joining the Board of Global Canopy Initiatives. As Chair of the Board you will be a key leader for the organisation, responsible for guiding the Board of Directors in governance, strategy, and oversight.

You will ensure that Global Canopy Initiatives fulfils its mission effectively, flourishes commercially, and fosters strong relationships with key stakeholders – from major financial institutions that are our customers, to data and ESG service providers that are our partners, to the trustees of the parent charity Global Canopy. 

This is an opportunity for a passionate and experienced leader to drive environmental innovation and impact at a high level – while helping to tackle a key challenge for the future: how to ensure the sustainability of high-quality open data provided by the non-profit sector.

We ask for a minimum commitment of 2 days per month for GCI, including board meetings and strategic engagements. There are opportunities to go above and beyond this minimum for those that wish.

The Chair of the Board is a voluntary, and therefore unpaid, position, with all expenses covered. The Chair is typically appointed for an initial term of three years, with the possibility of renewal subject to board approval.

As Chair of GCI, you will contribute to our wider organisational culture of kindness, collaboration, rigour and accountability in equal measure. You will come to this work with a sense of urgent mission, but one balanced by emotional intelligence. You will share our conviction that it is not just what we do that matters in our working life, but how we do it too.

The role: responsibilities

• Provide leadership for the Board, ensuring effective governance and strategic direction.

• Facilitate and preside over board meetings, setting agendas in collaboration with key stakeholders in GCI and GC.

• Support our ongoing and agile strategy development in a fast-changing market

• Serve as a key ambassador for the company (and its parent charity), opening doors and representing it to key audiences including customers, technology partners, policymakers and donors.

• Ensure financial oversight, risk management, and compliance with regulatory requirements.

• Foster a strong, collaborative relationship between the Board and GCI Leadership Team.

• Recruit, mentor, and support board members to enhance board effectiveness.

• Uphold and model our organisational values, while fostering a culture of operational excellence and ambition in fulfilling our mission.

About you

To be successful in this role, these are the things that will matter the most: 

• Your will have DEEP KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE in finance sector environmental due diligence and reporting, and the data needed to deliver on requirements.
• You will be a SEASONED LEADER, with experience at C-level or board level, able to work to effectively govern the work of GCI – a startup in the non-profit sector, but one that builds on the strong foundations, intelligence and networks of its parent charity.
• You will be MISSION DRIVEN with a strong commitment to tackling the climate and nature crisis, including via market action and reform.
• You will be well NETWORKED with links to relevant people in relevant sectors and disciplines, with an emphasis on finance sector sustainability and data.
• You will be AGILE and ENTREPRENEURIAL in your approach.
• You will bring EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE to how you approach leadership and teamwork, valuing the importance not just of what we do at work, but how we do it too.

How to Apply: 

To apply for the position, please follow the links below and submit an up-to date CV and covering letter.

The covering letter should explain your motivation for the role, and how your skills and experience fit the person specification. (Please no more than 1 side of A4). 

All candidates are asked to complete an anonymous diversity monitoring form when they apply.

The closing date for applications is 29 September 2025 at 9am BST. Early application is encouraged; we may close applications early if suitable candidates are identified. Screening calls are provisionally planned for w/c 6 October, and will be conducted remotely via a video call.

At Global Canopy, we value diversity and inclusion. You can read our diversity statement on our website. We encourage applications from all backgrounds and are committed to having a team with a diverse set of skills, experiences and abilities.

Global Canopy works on issues of global deforestation. We are particularly interested in strengthening our team to include those with a background from forest regions such as Latin America and South East Asia. We would welcome applications from people from these regions.

Kids in Museums is an award-winning small charity dedicated to making museums, galleries and heritage sites more welcoming and accessible for all families, children and young people, especially the millions who still face significant barriers to visiting. We are looking to appoint a new Chair of Trustees to join our Board in December 2025. 

At an exciting point in Kids in Museums’ development, the new Chair will play an instrumental role in shaping the charity’s future. They will be passionate about access to culture and heritage and able to lead organisational development that is grounded in our mission and values. 

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone:

• with a deep understanding of the UK museum sector,

• experience of developing long-term strategies for growth,

• skilled at nurturing strong partnerships, 

• who values Kids in Museums’ unique sector support programme, 

• who would be committed to our work and advocating for the people and organisations we support. 

Founded in 2003, Kids in Museums has grown into an influential national charity that supports significant change in museums through powerful national programmes. Our mission is to work with museums nationwide to make them more welcoming for children, young people and families. We lead and support the sector to address ingrained inequalities to access, set standards of best practice in work with children, families and young people, build a skilled museum workforce and empower young people to become decision makers across the sector.

Guided by our mission and values, the new Chair will collaboratively lead the Board and staff team to embed sustainable organisational development which supports the charity’s ambitions and the growing, changing needs of the museum sector. 

Join the Board of an organisation that is changing places and changing lives.

Groundwork is the community charity with a green heart. Our mission is to create a fair and green future in which people, places and nature thrive. We believe that big global issues – the economy, the environment – have a big local impact. Groundwork East operates throughout the East of England helping communities find practical solutions to the challenges they face. We have a profound moral commitment to respond and grow to meet the anticipated demand for our services.

Role: Chairperson

Groundwork East has almost 40 years of experience in delivering bespoke projects that use the environment as a catalyst for building a more sustainable future.

Groundwork involves residents, businesses and other local organisations in practical projects that improve the quality of life, bring about regeneration, and lay the foundations to make sustainable development a reality in local communities.

Our mission has never been more important and we are seeking a passionate and committed Chairperson who wants to support us to drive growth and be part of our ambitious plans.

We are looking for a Chairperson to join our strong and engaged Board of Trustees to bring fresh ideas and new insights with skills developed through lived experience. As the main figurehead of the Trust you will attend formal events and maintain contact with Groundwork UK, sitting on the Groundwork UK Board. You will Chair our Board meetings ensuring that the Board gives appropriate attention to standards of Governance, safeguarding and legal compliance as is required of a charitable organisation. You will have proven leadership skills and excellent financial acumen with an ability to work effectively with the Chief Executive and the Board of Trustees to ensure full engagement and to develop and deliver on the strategic vision of the organisation.

We are an equal opportunities employer and we are committed to securing diversity amongst our Board of Trustees. We are deeply committed to being representative of the areas we serve and invite applications from all areas of society.

Emmaus Norfolk and Waveney is a local and impactful homelessness charity which provides, for up to 52 people (companions) who have been homeless and experienced the trauma this can cause, with a home, meaningful employment and subsequently the ability to make equitable life choices and take action towards living authentic, settled, healthy and fulfilling lives in the wider community. 

We are one of 29 Emmaus Communities across the U.K. which form part of Emmaus UK, which is a federated charity and in turn part of the wider Emmaus International Movement. 

Our current Chair of Trustees is due to come to the end of their term in the middle of next year and we are looking to appoint a Chair (Designate) to takeover and lead the delivery of our ambitious strategic plan. 

We are committed to diversity and equality and are a secular organisation and warmly encourage applications from all faiths, ethnicities, abilities, sexual orientations and gender identities.  Above all we are currently looking for applicants who are passionate about helping and developing others and would warmly welcome people with lived experience of homelessness.  We are particularly interested in applicants who have experience in one or more of the following areas of expertise: 

• P.R., fundraising and building effective partnerships. 
• Social housing and benefits. 
• Leading customer facing enterprises. 
• Managing social care, support and mental health services.

Your primary role will be to provide sound governance to our charity and working with the Board of Trustees, C.E.O., committed management team and companion representatives, set its strategic direction and oversee its delivery, whilst ensuring adherence with its charitable objectives, purpose, values and governing documents. 

In return you will get the satisfaction of seeing and helping people develop their ambitions, increase their self-esteem and make a positive contribution to the wider society.  You will also gain valuable experience in charity governance and strategic leadership together with opportunities for personal and professional development 

Full induction training will be provided, together with reasonable travel expenses. 

We are located in the tranquil South Norfolk countryside and any in-person meetings that are required will normally be held at our Ditchingham site. 

The time commitment is approximately 10-12 hours per month, including attendance at meetings. 

We’re looking for our next Chair of the Finance Committee (FinCom) and Trustee.

London-based ¦ Voluntary ¦ ~1–2 days/month plus 10 scheduled meetings each year

At the London Early Years Foundation (LEYF), we’re proud to be the UK’s largest charitable childcare social enterprise. With 43 nurseries, 1,000+ staff and a £37m turnover, we’re on a mission to change the world one child at a time - especially in London’s most disadvantaged communities.

We’re looking for a senior finance leader to join our Board of Trustees as Chair of FinCom, with Treasurer responsibilities. This is a brilliant opportunity for someone who’s already served as a Trustee or Non-Executive Director and is ready to step into a leadership role with real influence.

What we’re looking for:

• A qualified accountant with senior-level finance experience (likely a current or former Finance Director)
• Someone who brings rigour to audit, risk, and financial oversight, and can lead strategic conversations at Board level
• A credible, thoughtful partner to our Finance Director - able to challenge, support, and collaborate on everything from acquisitions to reserves
• A confident chair and facilitator, who creates a positive, inclusive space for discussion and decision-making
• Someone with gravitas who’s interested in wider business and wants to advise (not run) ours. You understand the numbers, and bring commerciality and pragmatism
• A calm, grounded presence with high emotional intelligence, curiosity, and a genuine passion for our mission

Why join us?

• Use your skills to make a real difference to children and families across London
• Join a collaborative, professional, and down-to-earth Board and exec team
• Be part of a warm, values-led organisation that welcomes your ideas and energy

Interested?

If you’re the kind of leader others rally behind - calm, credible, and committed to making a difference - this is your opportunity to step into a role that matters.

Further details about the role can be found in our online info pack. We’re reviewing applications and progressing people in August – so don’t wait too long to express your interest. We’re hoping you will join us for key business meetings in September as part of the transition from our current FinCom Chair. 

At Merstham Community Facility Trust our vision is thriving community where every resident has the opportunity to belong. We aim to support, empower and connect the people of Merstham.

The purpose of the charity is to support the Merstham community by delivering services that reflect the needs and ideas of local residents. We are committed to championing community led projects, events and volunteering opportunities, and we strive to foster a sense of belonging, enhance personal development and promote wellbeing.

If you are a committed and enthusiastic person who wants to make a difference to the lives of the people of Merstham then this could be the volunteering position for you!

Our key initiatives are:

Addressing financial hardship by running a food club, hosting a food bank and providing a Community Fridge, using surplus food collected from local supermarkets and making it accesible to local residents, also saving tonnes of food ending up as waste. During the winter we provide a 'warm hub'

Improving Wellbeing including activities to address social isolation for example a community allotment, bee keeping, chatty tables, Craft tables, games evenings and a Cinema Club -aimed at reducing social isolation in the elderly. We have a number of mental health initiatives and have trained 20 Community Champions - who can give basic advice on mental and physical health issues. We organise various community events for example an Easter Egg Hunt, Christmas Fayre and Coach outing to the coast.

Community Enablement Signposting to support, including access to Citizens advice, food bank and support groups. Employment support - provided by partners at the Hub to assist path to employment and increase employability. Up-skilling and training of volunteers and Lead volunteers to put skills back into our community, IT support

The Board is currently composed of six trustees and two associate trustees. We employ a manager, four part time office staff and three caretakers who conduct the work of the charity. There are about 60 volunteers and 20 Wellbeing Champions involved in the Hub, carrying out activities such as IT support, reception duties, Repair cafe etc. During the winter months we run a 'Warm Hub' where people of reduced means can receive a cup of tea, biscuits and a friendly welcome.

 As Chairman of the Board of Trustees you will play a vital role in shaping the future direction of the charity, and securing it's success in challenging the social inequalities faced by the community of Merstham.

Core Skills

1. Leadership & Facilitation

   • Ability to lead and inspire trustees and volunteers.

   • Encourages participation and manages diverse opinions.

2. Communication

   • Clear, respectful, and persuasive speaking and writing.

   • Able to represent the charity in public and with stakeholders.

3. Governance & Strategic Thinking

   • Understanding of charity governance and trustee responsibilities.

   • Can help develop and oversee long-term plans.

4. Meeting Management

   • Skilled in chairing meetings effectively, ensuring they are focused, inclusive, and productive.

5. Financial Awareness

   • Basic understanding of budgets, funding, and financial accountability (doesn’t need to be a finance expert).

6. Conflict Resolution

   • Ability to manage disagreements constructively and maintain harmony on the board.

Key Attributes

1. Integrity

   • High ethical standards and commitment to the charity’s mission.

2. Commitment

   • Willing to dedicate sufficient time and energy.

3. Impartiality

   • Treats all opinions fairly and avoids favouritism or personal agendas.

4. Empathy & Community Focus

   • Understands and connects with the community the charity serves.

5. Confidence Without Ego

   • Willing to make decisions and stand by them, but open to being challenged.

6. Reliability

   • Can be counted on to follow through with responsibilities and support the board and staff.

Optional but Valuable

• Fundraising experience

• Policy or nonprofit background

• Local community ties

• Experience managing volunteers

Concordia offer life changing work and global volunteering opportunities. Join their Board as Chair or Trustee and help them fulfil their vision to create a world of peace, prosperity and opportunity.

Applications close at 9 a.m. Monday 20th October.

Time Commitment: Chair 2-3 days a month and Trustees 1-2 days a month

Since 1943, Concordia has helped over 750,000 people through work and volunteering programmes across the world and around the UK. They have ambitious and exciting plans to expand their programmes and grow their impact.

Concordia’s mission is to support people to thrive. They achieve this by giving people, particularly young people, transformative experiences and skills.

They help connect UK Growers with a diverse workforce from across the world. They are a trusted recruiter of seasonal workers within the UK Agriculture Industry and have a welfare-focused approach to ensure migrant workers are treated fairly.

Concordia work with over 120 UK Farms to connect over 7,500 workers from 11 countries a year, on average.

About the roles

Concordia is in an exciting period of strategic growth and change. They have ambitions to grow their impact through a new and additional strategic Pillar. This new Pillar will relate to their core purpose of giving people, particularly young people, transformative experiences and skills. Concordia’s third Pillar will support the diversification of income, expand its impact and strengthen its sustainability.

They have a strong board with diverse skills and trustees who have served multiple terms. With their ambition for expansion and strategic diversification, they need a new Chair who has the motivation, skills and commitment to lead the board and support the Executive and staff team through the next phase of their positive development and growth.

The new Chair needs to be someone with excellent chairing skills who can lead the Board and CEO through change.  Strategic knowledge and influence, and an ambitious passion for supporting young people, international development and skills development are crucial too. They need to have credibility and bring gravitas to help represent Concordia and positively grow the reputation and value of the Charity, alongside the CEO. Most importantly, they need to be values-aligned, motivated and committed to the cause of supporting people to thrive and making global connections.

Trustees will have experience in the following areas:

• Safeguarding
• Human Resources (HR) to chair HR Committee
• Finance to chair 
• Finance, Audit & Risk Committee

Who we are looking for

You will be a committed and well-motivated leader with cross-sector experience and understanding of the complexity of growing an organisation in partnership with the civil society and other partners. Experience on Boards, ideally as Chair, and a passion and willingness to learn and to develop others so that the board can thrive and support the executive and wider staff team.

All Trustees are encouraged to contribute actively to the Board of Trustees’ role in giving firm strategic direction to Concordia, in relation to specialist skills and role and setting overall policy, defining goals, setting targets, and evaluating performance against agreed targets. Financial stability and protecting income, investment and the oversight of expenditure are the collective responsibilities of the board. Insuring against liability and ensuring compliance is also key. Support and line Management for the CEO is led by the Chair on behalf of the board, as is their regular performance review. The Chair also supports the recruitment and performance of Trustees.

Please click 'Redirect to recruiter’ to be redirected to the Peridot Partners website, where you can find full details of the candidate profile and register your interest to apply.

Applications for this role close at 9 a.m. Monday 20th October.

Refugee Action has spent over 40 years supporting refugees and people seeking asylum to live with dignity and build safe, fulfilling lives in the UK. We stand up for rights, challenge injustice, and work alongside communities to create lasting change. 

Our current strategy is our most ambitious yet. We are delivering innovative services that refuse to compromise on best practice, strengthening and supporting hundreds of community-based organisations, and advocating for systemic change – intentionally led by the voices of people with lived experience. 

We are proud to have a majority of trustees with lived experience of forced displacement, and to be on a continuing journey to embed anti-racism into all we do. The Board is united in its mission, committed to inclusive governance, and determined to meet the challenges of a complex political and funding environment. 

Refugee Action is seeking a new Chair (or Co-Chairs) who can lead the Board into our next chapter – someone with governance experience, sound judgement and a deep understanding of commitment to the rights of refugees and people seeking asylum through their own lived experience of forced displacement. You will work closely with our Chief Executive to steer the organisation through both opportunity and challenge, helping ensure we remain bold, independent and effective in all we do. 

You will be the right candidate if you share our values, can bring your understanding of your own lived experience of forced displacement, and apply this to help shape the future of Refugee Action.  

Closing date: midnight, Sunday 28 September 2025. 

Chair of the Board of Home-Start Berkshire East

Are you our new Chair of the Board?

Can you lead a charity that supports parents of young children in east Berkshire?

Home-Start in Berkshire East is an empowering, visionary, family support service built on trusted relationships and rooted in the community. We are a local charity, also part of the national Home-Start network of 180 groups. Our Board of trustees is fully responsible for governing our independent organisation, which focuses support to parents with young children, through a range of volunteer and employee-supported services, primarily in the east of Berkshire.

With a turnover of £300k+ in 2024/25, we’re a medium-sized charity, with 14 paid staff and over 30 regular volunteers, offering over 3,000 volunteer hours to more than 300 families per year.

We are looking for a new Chair for our Board of Trustees, as we continue to grow after our recent merger, and as our current Chair reaches the end of her Term of Office. You’ll have a leadership background and an understanding of (charity or corporate) governance. It is vital that you are able to lead cooperatively and work with other Trustees, the CEO, our employee and volunteer team, to shape our vision and strategy. Whilst we’d appreciate some experience within the charity sector, as either a trustee, volunteer or employee, that is not absolutely vital  – we don’t want to preclude appropriate experience from other sectors that clearly fits our current and future needs.

This is a high-profile appointment, with strong commitment to the future of families and children, and an appreciation of Home-Start’s work both important.

We are a charity not a business, but we apply business principles to governing our organisation. We are looking for fresh expertise and experience, wanting to expand the diversity of our board, in all meanings of the word, and strongly welcome applications from people from less-represented groups.

The focus of a trustee is strategic, and our Chair will not be expected to get involved in the organisation’s operations on a day-to-day basis; however, regular contact and liaison with other trustees and our CEO is expected.  

We ask for at least eight hours per month, rising up to sixteen hours per month at times of year-end and the AGM, plus other occasional promotional & celebratory events. You will need good access to digital communications, as much of our charity’s business is run that way.

How to apply  

This appointment is being managed for us by inVOLve Community Services, a charity-support organisation, who offer a no-obligation discussion. A detailed Chair’s Recruitment Information Pack can be made available to you upon request.

Trustee appointments are subject to satisfactory references, to completion of an online Safeguarding course and an Enhanced DBS check. 

Your CV and Supporting Statement will be read by our existing trustees; an informal discussion, followed by a more-formal interview can be arranged as soon as mutually convenient 

I need to know more 

Contact Mike Allen via Apply Now below for more information and arrange to have a no-obligation initial informal discussion (Teams/Zoom), explanation about this important role and any assistance in your application.

Invitation to apply for the position of Society Chair

A. Description of the Society

The Society is the third oldest local conservation charity in England, founded in 1897 by many of the public figures who  campaigned to procure the passing of the 1871 Hampstead Heath Act, which saved Hampstead Heath as a public open space in perpetuity, and who went on to found the National Trust.

The Society is an unincorporated association, constituted by its contractual constitution, and is a registered charity. Its charitable objects are as follows:

3. (a)  to preserve those parts of Hampstead Heath which are subject to section 16 of The Hampstead Heath Act 1871* in their wild and natural state, and also to preserve the natural and characteristic features of the later additions to the Heath, so far as is consistent with their enjoyment by the public;

(b) to promote and maintain the amenities and characteristics of the environs of the Heath, and of the buildings and streets of Hampstead; and

(c) to promote public interest in the study of natural history, conservation, and the history of the areas referred to in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Rule 3.

*[Section 16 provides: The [Metropolitan] Board [of Works] shall at all times preserve, as far as may be, the natural aspect and state of the Heath, and to that end shall protect the turf, gorse, heather, timber and other trees, shrubs, and brush-wood thereon.]

The Society’s geographical remit is limited to Hampstead Heath, the fringes of the Heath, and the old borough of Hampstead (now legally subsumed into the London Borough of Camden).

It is governed by a ‘general committee’ of some 15 trustees which is supported by (i) three subcommittees (each of approximately a dozen members) responsible for the distinct areas of Hampstead Town, Hampstead Heath, and local planning applications, and (ii) a Plaque Selection Panel which is responsible for the erection of plaques on buildings in Hampstead Town commemorating famous residents.

The Chair, along with principal Society officers, is elected annually at the annual general meeting.

The Society has approximately 2,000 members and is in sound financial and reputational shape. Further details of the Society may be found on the Society's website. 

B. General role of the Chair

The general role of the Society Chair includes the duties outlined in the English Charity Commission document entitled “The essential trustee: what you need to know, what you need to do”, namely:

· help plan and run general committee meetings and in members’ meetings

· take the lead on ensuring that meetings are properly run and recorded

· take the lead on ensuring that trustees comply with their duties and the charity is well governed

· act as a spokesperson for the charity

· act as a link between trustees and committee members.

Reference should also be made to “A Chair’s Compass - A guide for chairs of charities and non-profit organisations”. 

Given the local remit of the Society, it is desirable that the prospective Society Chair should be resident in Hampstead (including West Hampstead), Belsized, Highgate or Hampstead Garden Suburb. The prospective Society Chair will be invited to join the general committee and ‘shadow’ the current Chair for the appropriate period before taking over.

C. Core and specific tasks of the Society Chair

Convene, set the agenda for, and chair bi-monthly meetings of the general committee, and approve the draft minutes of those meetings

Convene and set the agenda for the Society’s annual general meeting in June of each year, deliver a verbal annual report at that meeting, and approve the draft minutes of that meeting

Write the annual trustees’ report for inclusion in the annual return to the Charity Commission

Settle and approve the Society's annual financial statements as prepared by the Treasurer and the Society's auditors/examiners

Write a column of approximately 2,000 words for the Society's newsletter published in January, May and October

From time to time, as an observer, attend meetings of the Society's three subcommittees (Town, Heath and Planning) and the Society’s Plaque Selection Panel

Support the Society’s vice-chairs in their chairing of the Society’s three subcommittees (see above)

Oversee recruitment to the general committee and, as required, the Society's three subcommittees

As required, be the public or official face of the Society in dealings with the media, and the City of London Corporation (the freehold owner of Hampstead Heath and the sole trustee of the Hampstead Heath registered charity), Camden Council (including Hampstead Ward local councillors) and other local or governmental bodies

As required, lead (even if only in  a titular or nominal sense) campaigns run by the Society

Attend and, as required, host Society events, including the New Members Party, the Xmas Party and Society lectures (usually two to three a year)

Maintain relations with other non-governmental bodies with which the Society has regular dealings in matters of common interest, including the Vale of Health Society, the Highgate Society, the Hampstead Garden Suburb Residents Association, the Hampstead Neighbourhood Forum,  Heath Hands, the Kenwood Estate, Keats House, Camden History Society, the London Forum and Civic Voice

Identify, and suggest to its editor, items for inclusion in the Society's newsletter

Are you interested in becoming Rowan's next Chair of Trustees? Discover how you can join our vibrant team and support adults with learning disabilities through the arts 

Ideally we are seeking applications from people with a background in the following:
• Interest in supporting adults with learning disability,
• Experience as a trustee, and / or previous experience as a Chair,
• Experience in some of the following: finance, budgeting, health and safety, governance, safeguarding and/or strategy.
• Willingness to attend and represent the charity at social events, sometimes in the evenings and at weekends,
• Ability to represent the charity in the community with local dignitaries,
• Interest in the arts.