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Background: As our current Chair prepares to step down after an impactful and valued tenure, we are seeking a new Chair to lead our Board into the next phase of LCF’s journey. This is a planned transition at a pivotal time in our development. The Chair will work in close partnership with donors, the Chief Executive, trustees, and staff team to shape LCF’s future strategy and strengthen its governance. This is an opportunity to contribute to meaningful, lasting change for London’s communities — and to support the organisations at the heart of that change.
Overview of the role
The Chair of the Board of Trustees ensures that the organisation’s strategy seeks to address some of the most complex social and economic issues in London today by attracting the right partnerships and investments and ensuring that funds get to where they are needed most in the most effective, efficient and impactful manner.
The role holder ensures that this work is delivered with a strong focus on equity, diversity and inclusion and outstanding governance.
Principal Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
- Provide inspiring and inclusive leadership to the Board, helping define LCF’s strategic aims, and aligning these with its vision and values
- Lead on embedding DEI principles in Board culture and decisions, and fostering a culture of transparency, learning, collaboration, challenge, and accountability.
- Facilitate a constructive, purposeful, and productive dynamic between the Board and Executive team, supporting them in identifying and managing key organisational risks and mitigation strategies.
- Ensure the charity delivers maximum community impact through a sound strategy, strong governance, and continuous learning.
- Lead the Board in overseeing the financial resilience of the charity.
- Provide effective line management to the CEO.
Sound Governance and Compliance
- Work with the Chief Executive to shape the Board’s agenda, aligning governance with strategic priorities.
- Ensure the Board operates effectively and adheres to its legal and regulatory responsibilities and to best-practice governance principles.
- Encourage full, meaningful, and diverse participation at Board meetings and ensure Board decisions are evidence-informed, collectively owned, and implemented effectively.
- Lead on the annual appraisal of Trustees, on Board and Committee effectiveness, and on sound succession planning.
External Relations
- Act as a confident and credible representative of LCF; and support the Chief Executive in developing strategic relationships and enhancing the organisation’s profile and reputation.
- Promote external engagement and horizon scanning to identify emerging risks and opportunities for innovation.
- Engage with and listen to communities and partners across London to amplify under-represented voices.
Relationship with the Chief Executive
- Build a strong, supportive, and honest working relationship with the Chief Executive.
- Hold the Chief Executive to account for the achievement of agreed objectives and organisational health.
- Provide regular support and challenge, balancing encouragement with oversight.
- Lead the Chief Executive’s annual performance and remuneration review, with input from fellow Trustees.
Person Specification
Values and Personal Qualities
- A strong understanding of the issues facing London’s communities and commitment to LCF’s charitable objects and work.
- Deep commitment to LCF’s values, EDI focus and to lived experience and community voice.
- An inclusive leadership style, bringing people together and valuing collaboration and diversity of thought and experience.
- Credibility and authenticity to inspire confidence among a wide range of stakeholders and communities.
- Comfortable engaging with people across diverse sectors, from grassroots groups to institutional funders.
Experience
- Senior leadership experience in the voluntary, public, or private sectors.
- Experience as a trustee within a charity or similar, with experience chairing or participating in effective non-executive boards.
- Proven track record in strategy, governance, and impact-led decision-making.
- Proven experience representing an organisation publicly and engaging stakeholders.
Knowledge and Skills
- Understanding of the community foundation and philanthropic landscape.
- Strong working knowledge of charity governance and the regulatory duties of trustees, with the ability to promote and model good governance practice.
- Strong financial literacy.
Term
The Chair will serve a three-year term, renewable for up to two additional terms (maximum of nine years).
Remuneration
The role of Chair is not accompanied by any financial remuneration, although expenses for travel may be claimed.
Time Commitment
The Chair role requires an estimated commitment of 15–18 days per year. This includes preparing for and attending four Board meetings annually, each held at LCF’s London office; participating in occasional extraordinary or quarterly sub-committee meetings; holding regular meetings with the Chief Executive; and representing the Foundation at key events or external engagements.
This role is advertised as part of TPP's Free Giving Back Services. This volunteer advertisement copy has been supplied to TPP and applicants apply direct to the organisation. Please contact the organisation directly if you have any questions about this volunteer role.
Thank you!
We’re looking for volunteers with a keen interest in dementia to join our team of Trustees, contributing their experience and skills to help support, shape and develop the charity.
Who we are
Arts for Dementia uses the power of the arts to inspire people living with dementia to get creative, connect, learn new skills and most importantly, have fun.Our free workshops aim to challenge and boost confidence and wellbeing through a variety of art forms from visual arts to drama, sculpture, dance and more.
For people living with dementia and those who support them day to day, these are opportunities to make friends in a safe and friendly setting, to be part of the local community, to stay active and to enjoy the fulfilment that comes from creative activities. Our current priority locations are the London boroughs of Southwark and Camden.Our in-person workshops are all in London, while online activities are open to people across the UK.
Our regular one-day training courses provide creative facilitators across the UK with the knowledge and skills they need to support dementia-friendly activities.
The role of a trustee
Our team of trustees plays a key role in setting the strategy – the overall direction – of the charity. There are four formal board meetings each year where, together with the Chief Executive, our trustees oversee the delivery of the strategy and financial management, consider operational plans and explore what support they can provide to enable the staff team in their work.
Often this support is connected to a trustee’s expertise in a particular field, for example marketing, fundraising, I.T. or legal, or the networks they have access to such as local community groups, potential donors or arts organisations.
Specific areas of activity such as finance and fundraising are also supported by small sub-committees that bring appropriate staff and trustees together so that work can be progressed between the quarterly meetings. These are arranged at times to suit those involved.
Currently quarterly meetings of all Trustees are held in person and online alternately. Online meetings are early evening, and in-person meetings are in central London during the day. They each last for two hours. If it helps new trustees to be fully involved, we are happy to explore different timings for future meetings.
What difference could you make?
If you are reading this, it is likely you care about the lives of people living with and affected by dementia, and you may well have some personal experience. You can make a real difference to those and others affected by bringing your additional experience into the charity. This might be from involvement in your community or your understanding of dementia within a minoritized ethnic group. It might be from your work, leisure activities or your profession.
The important thing is that your experience should broaden our knowledge, help us reach a wide range of people and ensure our charity is far-sighted and well run.
What you could gain from being a Trustee
We know that dementia and its effects have no barriers, so our approach to recruiting new trustees aims to have no barriers and to be supportive and open to ideas. You may have never considered yourself as a potential trustee but feel that you do have something you could offer to a charity like ours. If so, do please contact us.
As a Trustee, you would be working with a friendly and approachable board that brings together a range of experience, which is enhanced by the skills of the staff team. The role also comes with responsibilities that incorporate legislation and good governance practice and this Charity Commission document explains these.
All new Trustees will benefit from an induction programme that allows them to get to know the staff and other trustees, meet some of the beneficiaries, learn how the charity works and understand the formal responsibilities. We would also enable you to develop your skills and confidence through access to training and information on Trustee responsibilities and skills.
There are many opportunities to broaden your own experience and develop your confidence in new skills within a supportive environment.
We also ensure no Trustee is out of pocket due to their responsibilities, so all reasonable expenses (e.g. travel to board meetings) are reimbursed.
Registered Charity
6 - 10
At Arts for Dementia we use the power of the arts to inspire people living with dementia to get creative, connect, learn new skills and have fun.
