Wirral Ark is looking for an experienced, proactive innovator as its new Chief Executive to help us both consolidate and build upon our current provision. Your experience might come from the charity, homelessness or housing sectors – but it is your personality that will be important to us.

The overall purpose of the role is to work with the Chair, Board and staff to maintain a clear and compelling vision for the organisation whilst effectively delivering our mission to reduce the impact of homelessness on the Wirral.

The new CEO will also be responsible for growing our business by developing an asset base and services that can help the organisation achieve its strategic objective to become substantially independent from government income streams in the medium to long term.

History of the charity 

Wirral Churches’ Ark Project, known as Wirral Ark, is a registered charity that exists to provide accommodation for the homeless, under the MainStay framework, as well as providing support and guidance for individuals to secure long-term accommodation.  We offer services throughout the region. 

We started life in 1991 as a temporary shelter. The service was set up by the Wallasey Council of Christian Churches with the aim of offering emergency accommodation for those who found themselves homeless.

Wirral Ark has evolved enormously over the years and now offers a whole range of support provision for homeless people. These include isolated people with mental health or substance problems, current and ex-offenders, former rough sleepers and people who are begging or street drinking. 

Through our work, we have become experts at working with, and supportively housing, people with complex problems – for example, people with severe mental health problems, a lifelong alcohol addiction, very challenging behaviour, or a combination of these and other issues. Our support pathway is designed for people with particularly complex needs. Its function is to help them into securing a permanent and sustainable home which they will remain in.

New leadership

Wirral Ark has undergone a significant period of growth in the last 4 years, increasing turnover from around £875K in 2017 to £1.2M in 2020, with a budget for around £1.3M in 2021.

Wirral Ark has successfully diversified its income during this period. It has done so in a climate of continuous cost cutting of welfare and homelessness support - both at a local and national level. The income of the charity is derived largely from Wirral Borough Council and primarily from  its Supporting People Contracts and Housing Benefit. Wirral Ark has targets to grow its own independent income from fundraising activities and the creation of income streams derived from its subsidiary, the Wirral Ark Trading CIC.

We believe this strategy is putting Wirral Ark into a robust position and will gives us a strong platform to further improve and build rounds our services. There are several important aspects of the work for Wirral Ark are still under development. We are now looking for an excellent leader to take us to the next level.

The charity have a stakeholder pension open to all employees satisfying the auto-enrolment criteria with employees currently contributing 5% and the charity 3%. Other options could be negotiated within the package.

To apply, please download the attached application form and job pack - including application guidance notes, person specification, job description and other key information.