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Chair of Board of Trustees

ARFID Awareness UK

Remote

Unpaid role, expenses paid

Voluntary

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Job description

Role Title

Chair of the Board of Trustees

Board/Committee

Board of Trustees

Remuneration

Travel and subsistence will be paid for attendance at meetings in accordance with the ARFID Awareness expenses policy where required. Board members are not remunerated for their Board/trustee work.

Responsible to

Board of Trustees

Regular liaison with

· Board of Trustees

· Executive Directors

Duration of appointment

Three-year term (with a possible extension of a further three years)

Overview

Established in 2019 and supporting a community of over 30,000 families ARFID Awareness UK is the only registered UK charity dedicated to raising awareness and further information about Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. As a not-for-profit, we provide individuals, parents, carers and medical professionals with up-to-date relevant information, research and support.

We are equally committed to supporting medical professionals across varying specialities, by equipping them with the information they need to ensure that their patients receive an early diagnosis and have access to appropriate care.

Our charitable aims are to:

1) Raising awareness about the condition within the medical and associated professions and the general public in such ways as the trustees shall determine;

2) Providing advice and information in such ways as the trustees shall determine to enable and empower parents and carers to advocate for the children in their care;

3) Facilitating research into the condition, the useful results of which will be published for the public benefit;

4) Potentially providing grants of financial assistance to enable economically disadvantaged families to obtain necessary treatment and medication unavailable via the NHS.

5) Advancing the education of the public in the subject of ARFID.

With regards to our structure, we are a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). As a CIO, our Charity Trustees are protected with limited liability, and whilst they are responsible for helping to manage the organisation, they do not hold dual roles of Company Director as they might with other charity structures.

Our mission is to remove the uncertainty, ambiguity and frustrations experienced by parents, carers and individuals over obtaining a diagnosis and treatment by providing general advice that may improve their journey.

Time Commitment

Trustees meet twice a year virtually. Meetings last approximately 2 hours.

The Remuneration Committee meets once per year virtually. Meetings last approximately 1 hour.

In addition, Trustees are expected to allow time for reading of papers and preparation for meetings, attending events training and induction. As a small charity there may also be a requirement for additional input of approximately 1-2 hours per month specific to your professional background and expertise as we continue through a period of growth.

Purpose of the role:

Board of Trustees

The Board of trustees (‘the Board’) is the body with the legal duty to protect the mission and vision of ARFID Awareness UK and to ensure that it is run in accordance with legal requirements.

The role of the Board is to provide good governance and leadership by:

· Shaping ARFID Awareness UK’s organisational strategy

· Approving organisational statutory policy

· Ensuring the organisation’s financial stability and sustainability

· Appointing the Executive Director/s (overseen by the Chair of the Board on behalf of the Board)

· Providing support and constructive challenge to the Executive Director/s and their staff

· Setting and monitoring procedures for assessing and managing risk

· Taking advice from Board members and external specialist advisors

· Monitoring strategy performance

· Representing ARFID Awareness UK externally where necessary

As a charity CIO, Board members are charity trustees only. They do not represent any group or organisation in this role and they must act in good faith and in the best interests of ARFID Awareness UK.

Chair duties:

· Chair and facilitate board meetings

· Provide inclusive leadership to the organisation and the Board by ensuring that everyone remains focused on the delivery of ARFID Awareness UK purpose and delivering strategic and charitable aims

· Ensure that the Board is effective in its task of setting and implementing the organisation’s direction and strategy

· Support each trustee to fulfil their duties and responsibilities for the effective governance of ARFID Awareness UK

· Support and constructively challenge the Executive Director/s to ensure that ARFID Awareness UK operates in line with statutory and legal requirements and is effective in its outputs

· Ensure financial probity and that all resources are focussed on achieving the aims and objectives of the organisation for the benefit of the membership and delivery of charitable objects

· Appoint the Executive Directors

· Appoint and support the ARFID Awareness UK Treasurer

· Act as an ambassador of ARFID Awareness UK

· Ensure the smooth running of Board meetings, fostering a collaborative and inclusive environment

· Ensure robust and compliant governance arrangements in adherence with charity and statutory regulation

· Lead Board development activities

Alongside the Executive Director:

· Planning the annual cycle of board meetings and other meetings where required

· Developing the board of trustees including induction, training, appraisal and succession planning

· Addressing conflict within the board and within the organisation,

Where staff are employed:

· Liaising with the Executive Director/s to oversee the organisation’s affairs and to provide support as appropriate

· Leading the process of supporting and appraising the performance of the Executive Director/s

Person Specification

Essential:

· Significant experience of charity governance and trusteeship, demonstrating understanding of best practice and regulatory compliance

· Proven experience of chairing boards, committees or senior leadership teams effectively

· Track record of supporting small to medium organisations through periods of growth, change and development

· Strong strategic thinking and planning skills with ability to provide vision and direction

· Excellent facilitation and interpersonal skills, able to build consensus and manage diverse perspectives

· Confident and effective communication skills including active listening and constructive challenge

· Ability to work effectively as a member of a diverse team whilst maintaining independence and accountability as Chair

· Understanding of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of charity trusteeship and Chair role

Desirable:

· Senior leadership experience in the charity or non-profit sector

· Experience of supporting and appraising Executive Directors or senior leaders

· Knowledge of the healthcare sector and/or ARFID

· Understanding of charity finance, risk management and compliance frameworks

To apply please email your CV and covering letter to XXXXX by 17 November 2025. Interviews are likely to take place the first week of December.

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ARFID Awareness UK View profile

Registered Charity

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Posted on: 20 October 2025

Closing date: 17 November 2025 at 23:00

Job ref: AAUKC

Tags: Advocacy, Health / Medical, Youth / Children

The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.

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Trustees

Vision Action

Remote

Unpaid role, expenses paid

Voluntary

Actively Interviewing

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Job description

It is an exciting and challenging time for the international development sector. Vision Action is seeking to appoint two new Trustees, one of whom will serve as Chair Designate, to bring experience, insight, and energy in support of our ambition to increase equitable access to basic eye care services in Ghana, Zambia, and Ethiopia (with plans to expand further).

Vision Action was born in 2022 out of the merger to two charities, Vision for a Nation, an award-winning charity founded by the philanthropist James Chen and operating in Rwanda which developed a unique model for providing basic eye care in under-resourced settings, and Vision Aid Overseas, founded in the 1980s to establish accessible vision centres across Africa. To learn more about our work please visit our website at Vision Action. The role of the Board of Trustees is to oversee the direction and activities of the charity, including its policies and procedures, to ensure that they are consistently in accordance with the charitable purposes defined in the objects clause in its Constitution. The Board sets and monitors the strategic direction of the charity, although the implementation of strategy is achieved through the executive team.

Terms of service

For Vision Action the Trustees are Members who have been elected to serve on the Board. Vision Action’s constitution allows for up to 12 Trustees, who can serve a maximum of three consecutive terms of three years. Vision Action is a company limited by guarantee and the Trustees are its legal directors. The Trustee role is voluntary but out of pocket expenses are paid. Trustees are appointed by the Vision Action Board of Trustees annually at the Board meeting following the Annual General Meeting. The time commitment in being a trustee involves attendance at four Board meetings per year, one of which will be an all-day strategy session. Otherwise, Board meetings are usually half a day in the afternoon of a weekday with at least half the meetings online. Papers are circulated for reading in advance. There may be other ad-hoc meetings or online events to discuss specific topics.

Main tasks

Charity Trustees have and must accept ultimate responsibility for directing the affairs of the charity and ensuring it is solvent, well-run and delivering the charitable outcomes for the benefit of the public for which it has been set up. Each Trustee will be expected to join one of the two sub-committees (Finance and Fundraising; and Programmes and Research). The Committees meet remotely at least four times per year, usually timed with or in advance of the board meetings.

General Responsibilities

Ensure that Vision Action complies with its governing document (i.e. its Constitution and Bylaws), charity law, and any other relevant legislation or regulations.
Ensure that Vision Action pursues its objects as defined in its governing document.
Ensure Vision Action applies its resources exclusively in pursuance of its objects, i.e. it must not spend money on activities which are not included in the objects, however worthwhile they may be.
Contribute actively to the Board’s role in the formulation and review of strategy, setting overall policy, defining goals, setting targets and evaluating performance against agreed targets.
Ensure that all policies are implemented, monitored and reports are acted upon, (including the policies on Harassment and Misconduct, Safeguarding, Recruitment, Child Protection and Anti- Bribery).
Appoint and support the Co-Chief Executive Officers and monitor their performance.

Additional Specific Responsibilities

In addition to the above, we are looking for a Trustee who can be the Chair Designate and assume the role of Chair in December 2025.

Person Specification

Essential Requirements

Each Trustee must demonstrate:

A commitment to the mission and values of Vision Action.
A commitment to Vision Action’s key organisational policies, including those on Harassment and Misconduct, Safeguarding, Whistleblowing, Recruitment, Child Protection, and Anti-Bribery.
Good, independent judgement.
Willingness to represent, advocate for, and support the work of the charity.

Desirable Experience

While not essential, experience in the following areas would be an advantage:

Leadership or senior management experience in business, the third sector, or civil service.
Understanding of the International Development or Global Health sectors.
Fundraising, philanthropy, or partnership development.

1. Terms of Service.

The Chair is appointed by the Board annually for a maximum of 3 consecutive terms. He/she will normally assume his/her appointment at the Board meeting following the AGM in November.

2. Main Tasks:

To lead the Board in ensuring it fulfils its responsibilities for the governance of Vision Action.
To ensure the Trustees set and regularly review policy, overall strategy and objectives.
To undertake a supportive role in achieving Vision Action’s funding target.
To guide the Co-Chief Executives, to help achieve Vision Action’s objectives.
To monitor approved strategies and business plans.

3. Specific Duties relating to:

3.1 Ensuring the Board fulfils its responsibilities for the governance of Vision Action:

To chair meetings of the Board, seeing that it functions effectively and carries out its duties.
To ensure the Board works within the framework of law, Charity Commission guidelines and management best practice.
To ensure that the policies of the Board are compliant with its charity objectives.
To ensure the Trustees set overall strategy and policy objectives and regularly review them.
In conjunction with the Treasurer, to ensure Vision Action’s financial dealings are prudently and systematically accounted for in compliance with legal requirements.
Make recommendations on the composition of the Board, with a view to succession, and future Chair.
To serve as an additional spokesman for, and promoter of Vision Action (Note: The Co-Chief Executives act as the primary spokespeople)

3.2 To ensure Trustees develop overall strategy and policy objectives and regularly review them:

To incorporate the skills and experience of the trustees and the Co-Chief Executives’ team in the development of strategic objectives and planning processes.
Identify with the Co-Chief Executives, clear objectives and key performance indicators

3.3 Helping the Co-Chief Executives achieve Vision Action’s mission:

The Chair should always adopt an attitude of strategic overview and avoid becoming immersed in the day-to- day details of running Vision Action. Such matters are the responsibility of the Co-Chief Executives.
To support and monitor the work of the Co-Chief Executives.
To assist in the promotion of Vision Action to a wider audience of potential donors and beneficiaries.
To undertake a supportive role in achieving Vision Action’s fundraising target.

3.4 Optimising the relationship between the Board, staff, volunteers and other stakeholders:

In consultation with the Co-Chief Executives, to agree the annual calendar of Board meetings and major events involving Vision Action.
To thank and encourage Vision Action volunteers, staff and other stakeholders as opportunities present themselves.
To conduct the annual appraisal of the Co-Chief Executives and agree their annual objectives and performance measures.

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