Chair Of Trustee Board Volunteer Roles

The Paddy Holmes Foundation is a new charity that aims to raise money for funding transformational bursaries and funded scholarships.  Children who would otherwise not be able to attend an independent school will benefit from a Ditcham Park School education and develop into confident young people who go out into the world with the skills and desire to improve it.  This is a wonderful opportunity to lead this new Foundation from its very inception.

We are currently looking for a dynamic, creative and inspiring Chair of Trustees who can bring their energy and expertise to the organisation.

We are particularly keen to recruit a Chair who is experienced in the following areas:

• Previous experience in another small Charity
• Excellent knowledge and understanding of Charity governance
• Knowledge of fundraising, financial management, or legal matters is desirable but not essential
• An understanding of the independent school sector
• Experience in bid writing

This is an exciting time for Ditcham Park School as we develop and expand our offer and explore opportunities to identify and support exceptional young children in the Petersfield area, regardless of gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, or financial means.

Be the Chair or Deputy Chair of the outstanding Hospice of St Francis, Berkhamsted and help their ambition to double the reach of their care supported by establishing new partnerships and funding opportunities.

Applications close at Midnight on Monday 13th May 2024.

About Hospice of St Francis

The Hospice of St Francis was established 45 years ago in 1979 to provide free specialist care for patients, their families, and carers in Hertfordshire and Berkhamsted.

The Hospice is a highly respected and critically important community charity providing exceptional and essential services to its local communities. The importance of this care is reflected in the work of its staff and volunteers, and the support of loyal donors, fundraisers, and customers.

The work of the Hospice is mainly funded by donations, income from retail activities, legacies, grants, and interest on investments. NHS Grants for Hospice Care contribute 19% to total income. At year-end 31st March 2023, total income was £7.45 million. They employ 150 staff and have over 1,000 volunteers supporting their work.

About the roles.

To continue to provide care and support to patients, families, and carers, to meet the increasing complexity of conditions, need for services, and to deliver new and enhanced complementary supporting services, the Hospice of St Francis needs to think differently to consider where funding comes from.

The Hospice seeks a Chair and Deputy Chair who will continue the excellent work of the charity but also help to achieve their ambition to double the reach of their care and to assure the Hospice is funded sustainably now and for the future.

• Chair of the Board

The Chair is an ambassador and public face of the Hospice in partnership with the Chief Executive. Holding the Board and Chief Executive to account for the Charity’s mission and vision, the Chair will provide inclusive leadership to the Board of Trustees ensuring effective governance of the Charity.

• Deputy Chair of the Board

The Deputy Chair will provide support to the Chair of the Board in leadership and stewardship of the Charity. They will be a sounding board for the Chair and have a key responsibility to build constructive and collegiate relationships with the Chief Executive and the executive team. The role may include additional responsibilities such as Freedom to Speak Up Ambassador, to provide clear and transparent governance.

This is a supportive role working with Committee Chairs and the Trading Company Board to support the development of the charity strategy and in working with the People Governance Committee on succession planning and Trustee recruitment. It may also include undertaking assignments at the request of the Chair.

The Deputy is expected to support the Chair with performance reviews of Trustees to review their contribution to the Board and Committees. The Deputy with Committee Chairs will agree on the appropriate appraisal of the Chair.

The role also includes chairing meetings in the absence of the Chair of the Board and acting as an ambassador for the Hospice, promoting activities and engaging with Key Stakeholders on behalf of the Chair and Chief Executive if required.

Time Commitment

The time commitment for the Chair is anticipated to be around 2 -3 days per month based on time to review, prepare and chair four full board meetings, two away days and the AGM, regular meetings with the Chief Executive and Trustees, ad hoc projects and discussions with Stakeholders and potential partners and funders, visiting hospice and retail sites and attend events.

The Deputy Chair is likely to give up to 2 days per month based on attending four full board meetings, two away days and the AGM, ad hoc projects, visiting hospice and retail sites, attending events and serving as a member of up to two Committees.

Please click 'Apply via website’ 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 Midnight on Monday 13th May 2024. 

Chair of Trustees - Sansara

SANSARA is a vocal collective making choral music that matters, giving voice to powerful human stories.

It is recruiting for a new Chair of Trustees to chair its board that has strong governance, public health, finance, and creative arts experience, from the 1st of August 2024 or earlier, as the current Chair resigns on the 31st July 2024.

Choirs are living, breathing instruments with unmatched expressive potential. SANSARA channels this creative force to present compelling choral experiences at the highest level, from intimate a cappella performances to immersive electronic soundscapes and critically acclaimed recordings. Its core projects fuse artistic excellence with social engagement.

Do you want to be inspired by the impact of education? Do you have the skills to lead an established board of governors? A school in Gosforth, Newcastle is looking for a skilled volunteer to drive school improvement by becoming a chair of governors.

What will you be doing?

Governing bodies are responsible for the strategic management of a school and will make decisions about a wide range of issues

The core responsibilities involved are:

· Ensuring accountability

· Providing support and challenge to the schools senior leadership team

· Monitoring and evaluating the school’s progress

· Budgetary allocation and control

· Shaping plans for school improvement and overseeing their implementation

· Setting the school’s aims and values

· Appointing senior members of staff including the Head Teacher

A school governing body is made up of representatives from the school, the parents, and the local community.

What are we looking for?

This vacancy is for a First School (ages 3-9).  The school is looking to find a Chair of Governors who is a great communicator who will quickly form solid relationships with the Headteacher and other governors.  You’ll have an interest in Primary Education although you don’t necessarily need to have been a governor before or worked in education.  You will have an appreciation though of how your skill set can contribute to the wider governing board.  You need to be confident to lead and challenge but have a genuine interest in the wellbeing of the SLT and staff in the school.

You must be over 18, but you don’t need to be a parent or have children of school age. Often, it’s the outside perspective you can bring that a school needs. Professional experience in areas such as safe guarding, change management, and leadership skills are all useful to a school. Soft skills such as communication and problem solving are also great additions.

What difference will you make?

Governors make decisions that affect schools for years to come. Chair of Governors work in partnership with Head Teachers and the Senior Management Team to help deliver the best possible education, and help children realise their expectations and aspirations.

Our recent impact survey found that our volunteers bring £9.9 million worth of value to schools each year, and 9/10 volunteers would recommend being a governor to a friend.

As a chair of governors, you will be encouraged to visit the school to gain an understanding of the culture and ethos and to get the most out of the role. You’ll also have the opportunity to meet children, parents, and teachers, and see the impact of your work first-hand.

What's in it for the volunteer?

Volunteering as a chair of governors is a challenging but rewarding role. As part of the governing board, you’ll:

· Have support from the vice chair(s) and the clerk, to ensure the effective functioning of the board by keeping it focused on its core functions. You will also encourage the board to work together as an effective team, building its skills, knowledge and experience.

· help schools overcome challenges to ensure a bright future for children in your community

· work collaboratively with people from different backgrounds, challenging your own perspective and broadening your network

· gain experience outside of your job description and skills you can bring back to work

Before you apply

You will need to complete an application form and will have an interview with the school. DBS checks will be taken up.

About Governors for Schools

Objectives

Governors for Schools exists to improve educational standards so that children and young people have the chance to realise their full potential.

We believe the key to improving school performance is effective governance. By finding, nurturing and supporting a committed network of governors we help to drive systematic change in how schools operate. We have been connecting schools across England for over 20 years, and expanded our service into Wales in 2020, with skilled and committed volunteers, supported by our business and university partnerships.

Caberfeidh Horizons is a vibrant social enterprise, working with adults and young people who have  learning disabilities, at the heart of their local community. We are looking for a new Chair and Trustees to join our Board. Applicants must live within the Badenoch and Strathspey area.

Our mission is to improve the future prospects of the adults and young people we work with by providing training, work experience and social opportunities to increase their confidence, health, life skills and community involvement.

We currently run three shops in Kingussie, a Charity Shop, Bookshop and Community Hub. Between them, they sell everything from books, clothes, children’s toys, furniture, bric-a-brac and more. Our main shop, The Hub also houses the Community Food share. For further information about who we are and what we do, please visit our website.

Trustees are appointed on a voluntary basis, and do not receive any remuneration. As a board member you will play a critical role in the future governance of the charity.  You will help to oversee the activities of the charity ensuring it remains compliant with regulations, help to set strategic development and help to shape its future.

This is a great opportunity for individuals with a passion for supporting our cause and gives the potential for the development of new/existing skills, to meet new people and support our community and to enhance the lives of those we support.

We are looking for people with H.R, I.T, Legal, Governance, Leadership, Strategic Planning and Fund Raising skills, who believe that they can really make a difference to our community. If this is you we would love to hear from you, contact details as per our website.

The closing date for these posts is on-going.

Do you want to be inspired by the impact of education? Do you have the skills to lead an established board of governors? A school in Great Yarmouth is looking for a skilled volunteer to drive school improvement by becoming a chair of governors.

What will you be doing?

Governing bodies are responsible for the strategic management of a school and will make decisions about a wide range of issues

The core responsibilities involved are:

· Ensuring accountability

· Providing support and challenge to the schools senior leadership team

· Monitoring and evaluating the school’s progress

· Budgetary allocation and control

· Shaping plans for school improvement and overseeing their implementation

· Setting the school’s aims and values

· Appointing senior members of staff including the Head Teacher

A school governing body is made up of representatives from the school, the parents, and the local community.

What are we looking for?

This vacancy is for a Secondary School (ages 11-16). They are looking for someone with leadership experience in the education sector. It would be ideal if you also have expertise in behaviour management and/or business management but please do apply if your skills and experience lie in different areas.

You must be over 18, but you don’t need to be a parent or have children of school age. Often, it’s the outside perspective you can bring that a school needs. Professional experience in areas such as safe guarding, change management, and leadership skills are all useful to a school. Soft skills such as communication and problem solving are also great additions.

What difference will you make?

Governors make decisions that affect schools for years to come. Chair of Governors work in partnership with Head Teachers and the Senior Management Team to help deliver the best possible education, and help children realise their expectations and aspirations.

Our recent impact survey found that our volunteers bring £9.9 million worth of value to schools each year, and 9/10 volunteers would recommend being a governor to a friend.

As a chair of governors, you will be encouraged to visit the school to gain an understanding of the culture and ethos and to get the most out of the role. You’ll also have the opportunity to meet children, parents, and teachers, and see the impact of your work first-hand.

What's in it for the volunteer?

Volunteering as a chair of governors is a challenging but rewarding role. As part of the governing board, you’ll:

· Have support from the vice chair(s) and the clerk, to ensure the effective functioning of the board by keeping it focused on its core functions. You will also encourage the board to work together as an effective team, building its skills, knowledge and experience.

· help schools overcome challenges to ensure a bright future for children in your community

· work collaboratively with people from different backgrounds, challenging your own perspective and broadening your network

· gain experience outside of your job description and skills you can bring back to work

Before you apply

You will need to complete an application form and will have an interview with the school. DBS checks will be taken up.

About Governors for Schools

Objectives

Governors for Schools exists to improve educational standards so that children and young people have the chance to realise their full potential.

We believe the key to improving school performance is effective governance. By finding, nurturing and supporting a committed network of governors we help to drive systematic change in how schools operate. We have been connecting schools across England for over 20 years, and expanded our service into Wales in 2020, with skilled and committed volunteers, supported by our business and university partnerships.

Healthwatch Lambeth is looking for a new Chair of Trustees to be a credible and effective ambassador for the organisation in Lambeth. Healthwatch Lambeth is the independent champion of local people who experience or need health or social care. Its vision is that people have their health and social care needs heard, understood and met. To achieve this vision HWL works to bring the voices and experiences of local people to bear in decision making.

HWL is governed by a Board of trustees which provides effective, skilled oversight and direction to the organisation. The Board is a supportive group who will work closely with a new Chair to ensure HWL fulfils its vision and responsibilities.

The successful candidate will be excited at the prospect of joining HWL and working with a passionate and experienced staff team, as well as a skilled and committed Board, to raise HWL’s profile, ensure it is strategically positioned to influence and advocate for improvement in health and social care.

Due to the current Chair of the board's term ending in early 2024, Healthwatch Lambeth wishes to recruit a Chair of the board. We are also seeking new members to the Board of trustees including trustees with HR experience, finance experience and other skills relevant to Healthwatch Lambeth's work. We are particularly interested in appointing trustees who reflect the diversity of our borough. If you have not been appointed to a board role before, we encourage you to apply and we will provide mentorship and training to ensure you can fulfil the role. 

Please do not hesitate to ask any questions and if you think this could be for you.

Application instructions

You are welcome to speak informally with the CEO or present Chair to find out more. 

Please send a CV and covering letter explaining why you are interested in applying for the Chair role by midnight on 7th March.

Please get in touch if you are interested in a general trustee role.

Appointment process

Following receipt of your application, we will arrange an informal discussion with our Chair and CEO. The next stage is we will then interview individuals with 2 or 3 board members and if successful we will take up references. Following this, a recommendation will be made to the board on your appointment, and if successful you will be co-opted to the board and then formally elected at our AGM.

As the Chair you should take control of meetings, ensuring that everyone who wishes to has a reasonable chance to speak and take part. The Chair should ensure any reasonable adjustments are made for Trustees with learning disabilities or other disabilities. You should be able to listen to and understand a wide range of views, present information clearly and concisely and get clarification of relevant points, thus enabling the board to make effective decisions. The board must demonstrate its leadership of the organisation. It is the chair's role to enable the board to do that.

Personal skills and qualities

● leadership skills

● experience in chairing meetings and committee work

● facilitation skills

● tact and diplomacy

● excellent communication and interpersonal skills

● impartiality, fairness, and the ability to respect confidences

● Knowledge or experience of learning disability, including the issues that impact on the lives of people with learning disabilities

● Good knowledge of the third sector

 It is desirable for the chair to have knowledge of the type of work undertaken by Speak Out and a commitment to keeping ahead of the changes in the organisation that take place.

Chair of Trustees

We are looking for a Chair of Trustees who is passionate about the cause but also keen to get involved and help drive the charity’s strategic direction.

Working for a small Muscular Dystrophy family charity, you will work closely with trustees and the charity’s founder and CEO to drive the organisations strategic direction.

Position: Chair of Trustees

Location: Hybrid / South East

Closing Date: 20th May 2024

The Role

You will work closely with the charity’s founder and CEO but also you will lead the trustees in strategy, good governance, and policy development. As part of this engagement, the Chair will provide support to the CEO, including supporting his wellbeing and ongoing professional development.

Other duties will include:

· When necessary, ensure the Chair and Trustees challenge the CEO constructively and only in the best interests of the charity as ‘critical friends’.

· Liaising with the Charity Secretary, and the CEO with drafting agendas and supporting papers for Trustee meetings, ensuring provision of timely information and sharing with all.

· Ensure charity business is covered efficiently and effectively in meetings.

· Undertake a leadership role to ensure that board members fulfil their governance responsibilities and that trustee decisions are acted upon.

· Maintain trustees’ commitment to board renewal, succession planning and trustee performance reviews, in line with the governing document.

· Ensure board and trustee performance is reviewed annually.

· Ensure the performance of the CEO is reviewed annually.

The Chair will also ensure that Trustees make an effective contribution and are engaged, fully involved and invested in the charity in discharging their responsibilities.

Time Commitments

· The time commitment required to fulfil the Chair role will be somewhere between 2-3 days per month

· MHF’s Trustee Board meets virtually once every 2 months, for 2 hours, within the financial year (1st Mar – 29th Feb)

· The Chair & trustees are encouraged to attend and engage with at least one Muscle Dream programme per year

· The Chair will conduct an annual review meeting with each trustee, outside of any other trustee meetings

· The Association of Chairs (AoC) are an independent association of Chairs of social purpose and not-for-profits – formed to help Chairs with their unique task to lead the board in delivering the organisation’s aims – the AoC offer some excellent resources including Chair Training (if required)

If you would like to progress your interest forwards, in the first instance, please upload your CV together with a covering letter outlining your skills, experience and motivations.

About You

We have an exciting opportunity for someone to bring their leadership and communication skills to the fore. Previous trustee experience and charity governance are essential.

You will not only have experience of being a charity trustee or someone who has held a senior management role, but also an individual who has a keen sense of strategic purpose, underpinned by an inclusive and compassionate style of leadership.

We are open to applications from those with relevant senior level charity experience and would love to hear from people with experience of income generation, small charity or small business leadership experience as well as experience of governance in a small charity.

The recruitment process is open and inclusive. Applicants will be communicated with in advance, so they know what to expect as the process unfolds.

About the Organisation

Small multi award-winning family-centred charity uniquely tackling the isolating and debilitating muscle wasting disease Muscular Dystrophy (MD) for children and young people. Their vision is a world of hope, purpose, inspiration and empowerment for all children with MD. The organisation delivers highly personalised interventions (in-person & virtual) in the UK called Muscle Dreams that provide powerful physiological and psychological benefits from improving emotional and mental wellness to boosting confidence, uplifting self-esteem and increasing social connection.

One of the strengths as a board is its diversity. And as a charity, the community’s diversity. We are interested in hearing from applicants with diverse skills and experiences that reflect the diversity of the beneficiaries.

You may have experience in areas such as Chair, Chair of the Board, Chair of Trustees, Board, CEO, COO, CFO, Chief Executive, Charity, Senior Executive, Head of, Director.

PLEASE NOTE: This role is being advertised by NFP People on behalf of the organisation.

Lead the board of a newly evolved organisation, bringing together a group of like-minded charities across North West London with the aim to create access to responsive, fully-integrated, quality and culturally-appropriate support that reduce health inequalities and ensures residents stay independent and in control of their lives.

• Location: North West London
• Salary: Reasonable expenses paid
• Closing date: Monday 20th May

Who we are.

3ST – Third Sector Together – is a group of like-minded charities that have been working together since 2019 across the eight boroughs of North West London: Harrow, Hillingdon, Brent, Hounslow, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea, and Westminster.

Third sector organisations have long been valued, vital partners to the public sector in the delivery of support and services to communities and individuals, both in day-to-day life and in times of crisis.

The changing strategic and funding landscape is presenting new challenges and opportunities for the third sector. Alongside the widely recognised increased competition for funding, these changes are also bringing about more significant opportunities to influence future service development and forward strategy, particularly within the health and social care sector.

The increasing regionalisation of funding and strategic planning means that individual organisations are finding it increasingly difficult to maintain effective relationships across the vast array of commissioners and organisations now present in the marketplace.

3ST has been formed primarily to provide a strategic and commissioning link between the voluntary and community (third) sector and the Integrated Care System within the NHS across the North West London region. 3ST aims to be a strong, recognisable group able to represent the sector’s voice and interests at a local and regional level and to maximise the opportunities presented by the NHS’s Long Term Plan commitment to increased sector involvement. Our ambition is to act as a contract vehicle for the sector to demonstrate the impact of social models and provide effective management. We foster closer working with the ICS through collaboration with grassroots organisations that can support reach activities and co-production. We are in the process of planning to host a VSCE conference which will grow the 3ST members.

About the role.

Our Board is looking to appoint our first Independent Chair to lead us through a period of growth, developing relationships and defining our future strategic vision. We are looking for someone who has led complex organisations, with strong communication skills with a variety of internal and external stakeholders, and who has experience of chairing complex meetings with an inclusive style.

Who we are looking for.

Our Independent Chair will be an ambassador for the organisation, proactively building relationships across NW London Integrated Care System and our members and promoting the third sector’s role in population health management alongside our executive team. It would be beneficial if our new Chair has experience in the health, social care or the voluntary or public sectors, whilst being commercial, strategic and a champion for the needs and views of NW London residents. Our MD, Fiona Hill and the executive team (leaders of our member organisations) will come together with our Chair and liaise to provide leadership, advice and guidance to ensure we are working collaboratively with our members, ICS, and residents at the heart of our decision making.

Our Board, including our legacy partners from H4ALL and our elected members, come together and meet six times a year for two hours plus an annual strategy day. We expect the overall time commitment to be the equivalent of c.2 days a month which will include, liaising with our MD and executive, working with our Board and Members, and building relationships with our ICS colleagues.

The eight boroughs we are active in are diverse in many ways, and we want to continue ensuring our Board represents our society and the people we work with every day.

Please click 'Apply via website’ 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 Monday 20th May 2024. 

Do you want to be inspired by the impact of education? Do you have the skills to lead an established board of governors? A school in Bridport is looking for a skilled volunteer to drive school improvement by becoming a chair of governors.

What will you be doing?

Governing bodies are responsible for the strategic management of a school and will make decisions about a wide range of issues

The core responsibilities involved are:

· Ensuring accountability

· Providing support and challenge to the schools senior leadership team

· Monitoring and evaluating the school’s progress

· Budgetary allocation and control

· Shaping plans for school improvement and overseeing their implementation

· Setting the school’s aims and values

· Appointing senior members of staff including the Head Teacher

A school governing body is made up of representatives from the school, the parents, and the local community.

What are we looking for?

This vacancy is for a Secondary School (ages 11-18). They are ideally looking for someone with experience of strategic- level leadership and/or change management in any industry but please do apply if your skills and experience lie in different areas.

You must be over 18, but you don’t need to be a parent or have children of school age. Often, it’s the outside perspective you can bring that a school needs. Professional experience in areas such as safe guarding, change management, and leadership skills are all useful to a school. Soft skills such as communication and problem solving are also great additions.

What difference will you make?

Governors make decisions that affect schools for years to come. Chair of Governors work in partnership with Head Teachers and the Senior Management Team to help deliver the best possible education, and help children realise their expectations and aspirations.

Our recent impact survey found that our volunteers bring £9.9 million worth of value to schools each year, and 9/10 volunteers would recommend being a governor to a friend.

As a chair of governors, you will be encouraged to visit the school to gain an understanding of the culture and ethos and to get the most out of the role. You’ll also have the opportunity to meet children, parents, and teachers, and see the impact of your work first-hand.

What's in it for the volunteer?

Volunteering as a chair of governors is a challenging but rewarding role. As part of the governing board, you’ll:

· Have support from the vice chair(s) and the clerk, to ensure the effective functioning of the board by keeping it focused on its core functions. You will also encourage the board to work together as an effective team, building its skills, knowledge and experience.

· help schools overcome challenges to ensure a bright future for children in your community

· work collaboratively with people from different backgrounds, challenging your own perspective and broadening your network

· gain experience outside of your job description and skills you can bring back to work

Before you apply

You will need to complete an application form and will have an interview with the school. DBS checks will be taken up.

About Governors for Schools

Objectives

Governors for Schools exists to improve educational standards so that children and young people have the chance to realise their full potential.

We believe the key to improving school performance is effective governance. By finding, nurturing and supporting a committed network of governors we help to drive systematic change in how schools operate. We have been connecting schools across England for over 20 years, and expanded our service into Wales in 2020, with skilled and committed volunteers, supported by our business and university partnerships.

Do you want to be inspired by the impact of education? Do you have the skills to lead an established board of governors? A school in Birmingham is looking for a skilled volunteer to drive school improvement by becoming a chair of governors.

What will you be doing?

Governing bodies are responsible for the strategic management of a school and will make decisions about a wide range of issues

The core responsibilities involved are:

· Ensuring accountability

· Providing support and challenge to the schools senior leadership team

· Monitoring and evaluating the school’s progress

· Budgetary allocation and control

· Shaping plans for school improvement and overseeing their implementation

· Setting the school’s aims and values

· Appointing senior members of staff including the Head Teacher

A school governing body is made up of representatives from the school, the parents, and the local community.

What are we looking for?

This vacancy is for a Primary School (ages 4-11).  The school is looking to find a Chair of Governors who has got previous chairing experience (happy to consider in another capacity).  They would love to find someone with a finance background with experience of managing teams.  It would be great if you have good ICT skills.

You must be over 18, but you don’t need to be a parent or have children of school age. Often, it’s the outside perspective you can bring that a school needs. Professional experience in areas such as safe guarding, change management, and leadership skills are all useful to a school. Soft skills such as communication and problem solving are also great additions.

What difference will you make?

Governors make decisions that affect schools for years to come. Chair of Governors work in partnership with Head Teachers and the Senior Management Team to help deliver the best possible education, and help children realise their expectations and aspirations.

Our recent impact survey found that our volunteers bring £9.9 million worth of value to schools each year, and 9/10 volunteers would recommend being a governor to a friend.

As a chair of governors, you will be encouraged to visit the school to gain an understanding of the culture and ethos and to get the most out of the role. You’ll also have the opportunity to meet children, parents, and teachers, and see the impact of your work first-hand.

What's in it for the volunteer?

Volunteering as a chair of governors is a challenging but rewarding role. As part of the governing board, you’ll:

· Have support from the vice chair(s) and the clerk, to ensure the effective functioning of the board by keeping it focused on its core functions. You will also encourage the board to work together as an effective team, building its skills, knowledge and experience.

· help schools overcome challenges to ensure a bright future for children in your community

· work collaboratively with people from different backgrounds, challenging your own perspective and broadening your network

· gain experience outside of your job description and skills you can bring back to work

Before you apply

You will need to complete an application form and will have an interview with the school. DBS checks will be taken up.

About Governors for Schools

Objectives

Governors for Schools exists to improve educational standards so that children and young people have the chance to realise their full potential.

We believe the key to improving school performance is effective governance. By finding, nurturing and supporting a committed network of governors we help to drive systematic change in how schools operate. We have been connecting schools across England for over 20 years, and expanded our service into Wales in 2020, with skilled and committed volunteers, supported by our business and university partnerships.

The BGF Foundation is looking for up to three new trustees to support our ambitious grant-making plans.

Our purpose is to support young people throughout the UK. Launched in 2022, the BGF Foundation is an independent charitable foundation. It is supported by cornerstone funding from BGF, an investment company that provides growth capital for small and mid-sized businesses in the UK and Ireland.

We harness the financial resources, leadership and expertise of BGF, its portfolio companies and talent network – collectively one of the UK’s largest and most active entrepreneurial networks. The Foundation has ambassadors in every region who work with us to identify local charities, coordinate pro bono support and build long-term partnerships with them.

To date we have provided multi-year grants to growing charities that support young people: MyBnk, Leadership Through Sport and Business and Social Enterprise Academy. We have also supported a number of charities with smaller individual grants.

We have undergone a strategic review and our focus will now be on open funding rounds for ambitious youth charities who are ready to scale their impact. We focus on areas where our funding, skills, networks and knowledge can make the most impact. These are enterprise, education, employment, mental health and physical wellbeing.

This is a pivotal time for the Foundation, and key to our future success will be up to three new trustees that can broaden our diversity and add to the skills and perspectives of the Board to support this new strategic approach.

We are especially interested in those with expertise in the charity sector (grant-making, strategy and governance), supporting growing charities, or working with young people. 

Previous board/trustee experience is not necessary.

Trustees will be appointed for a term of three years.

To apply, please submit a CV and short letter outlining your motivation for applying through our website.

Deadine for applications is 5pm on 23 May.
 

BGF is an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their gender, ethnicity, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation, age, nationality or socio-economic background. As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide personal information related to diversity and inclusiveness. The information you provide is kept confidential and will not be used to evaluate your candidacy. We collect this data to help us analyse our recruitment processes and implement the necessary interventions that promote greater equity, diversity, and inclusiveness.

Do you want to be inspired by the impact of education? Do you have the skills to lead an established board of governors? A school in Great Lowestoft is looking for a skilled volunteer to drive school improvement by becoming a chair of governors.

What will you be doing?

Governing bodies are responsible for the strategic management of a school and will make decisions about a wide range of issues

The core responsibilities involved are:

· Ensuring accountability

· Providing support and challenge to the schools senior leadership team

· Monitoring and evaluating the school’s progress

· Budgetary allocation and control

· Shaping plans for school improvement and overseeing their implementation

· Setting the school’s aims and values

· Appointing senior members of staff including the Head Teacher

A school governing body is made up of representatives from the school, the parents, and the local community.

What are we looking for?

This vacancy is for a Secondary School (ages 11-16). They are ideally looking for someone with some experience in the education sector.  Previous chairing experience in another capacity would be appreciated as would people management skills along.

You must be over 18, but you don’t need to be a parent or have children of school age. Often, it’s the outside perspective you can bring that a school needs. Professional experience in areas such as safe guarding, change management, and leadership skills are all useful to a school. Soft skills such as communication and problem solving are also great additions.

What difference will you make?

Governors make decisions that affect schools for years to come. Chair of Governors work in partnership with Head Teachers and the Senior Management Team to help deliver the best possible education, and help children realise their expectations and aspirations.

Our recent impact survey found that our volunteers bring £9.9 million worth of value to schools each year, and 9/10 volunteers would recommend being a governor to a friend.

As a chair of governors, you will be encouraged to visit the school to gain an understanding of the culture and ethos and to get the most out of the role. You’ll also have the opportunity to meet children, parents, and teachers, and see the impact of your work first-hand.

What's in it for the volunteer?

Volunteering as a chair of governors is a challenging but rewarding role. As part of the governing board, you’ll:

· Have support from the vice chair(s) and the clerk, to ensure the effective functioning of the board by keeping it focused on its core functions. You will also encourage the board to work together as an effective team, building its skills, knowledge and experience.

· help schools overcome challenges to ensure a bright future for children in your community

· work collaboratively with people from different backgrounds, challenging your own perspective and broadening your network

· gain experience outside of your job description and skills you can bring back to work

Before you apply

You will need to complete an application form and will have an interview with the school. DBS checks will be taken up.

About Governors for Schools

Objectives

Governors for Schools exists to improve educational standards so that children and young people have the chance to realise their full potential.

We believe the key to improving school performance is effective governance. By finding, nurturing and supporting a committed network of governors we help to drive systematic change in how schools operate. We have been connecting schools across England for over 20 years, and expanded our service into Wales in 2020, with skilled and committed volunteers, supported by our business and university partnerships.