Chair of Trustees

Chair of Trustees

 

Help guide a founder-led charity into its next phase of impact

 

Lagan’s Foundation is an award-winning, founder-led charity at a defining moment.

While navigating significant sector-wide challenges, we are on the cusp of consistently generating a surplus that will unlock an exciting new phase of growth and impact for children and families.

 

We are now seeking a Chair of Trustees to work in close partnership with our Founder and CEO, supporting both the individual and the organisation as we shape the next chapter of our journey.

 

About Lagan’s Foundation

 

Our Vision
To become a national leader in children’s community respite care, offering families with children diagnosed with heart defects or feeding issues a dedicated place of support, empowering them to thrive alongside their loved ones.

 

Our Mission
To bridge the gap between hospital and home, guiding families through the challenging transition with compassion and expertise. We are dedicated to delivering high-quality support that empowers parents and fosters resilience in the face of adversity.

 

Our Values

·        Passion

·        Resilience

·        Integrity

·        Communication

·        Empathy

 

Our values underpin everything we do. They shape how we lead, how we care and how we support one another and the families we serve.

 

We are passionate about our mission, driven by a shared commitment to improving the lives of children, young people and families. We show resilience in the face of challenge, understanding that our work is often complex, emotional and demanding, yet deeply meaningful.

 

We act with strong integrity and transparency, ensuring trust, honesty and accountability guide every decision we make. Clear, compassionate communication is central to how we work, enabling strong relationships, accurate information sharing and effective collaboration across teams and with families.

 

Above all, we lead with empathy, recognising the needs of our workforce and the families who rely on us.

 

By living these values every day, we create a culture of respect, professionalism and continuous improvement, ensuring high-quality care and support remains at the heart of Lagan’s Foundation.

 

The Opportunity

 

We operate in a complex and challenging care environment, responding to workforce shortages, commissioning pressures and rising demand. Alongside this, we are building a sustainable, values-led model of commercial respite that enables us to reinvest surpluses directly into the families and communities we serve.

As a founder-led charity entering a new phase, this is a unique opportunity for a Chair who enjoys supporting, guiding and empowering leadership, while helping ensure strong governance and long-term sustainability.

 

The Role of Chair

 

The Chair will play a vital, collaborative role by:

 

• Acting as a trusted sounding partner to the Founder and CEO
• Supporting the CEO’s leadership, wellbeing and strategic thinking
• Helping the Board and executive team work effectively together
• Ensuring governance, oversight and decision-making remain proportionate, robust and values-led
• Supporting the charity as it balances commercial activity with mission-driven impact
• Acting as an ambassador for Lagan’s Foundation and its work

 

This is a relationship-led role, grounded in trust, empathy and shared purpose.

 

About You

 

We are ideally looking for someone who:

 

• Has previous experience as a Chair or significant experience operating at Board level in a range of roles
• Is comfortable working with and supporting a founder-led organisation
• Brings calm, inclusive leadership and sound judgement
• Understands the importance of both challenge and support
• Shares our values and commitment to improving outcomes for children and families

 

Experience in healthcare, governance, legal, risk, growth or complex organisations would be beneficial, but mindset and approach are just as important.

 

Time Commitment

 

• 4–6 Board meetings per year (approximately 3 hours each)
• Additional ad hoc support to the CEO and Board, agreed flexibly
• Trustee role is voluntary; reasonable expenses are covered

 

Our Commitment to Inclusion

 

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and warmly encourage applications from individuals from under-represented backgrounds. Lived experience is welcomed but not required.

 

Our Board Culture

 

Our Board is collaborative, supportive and constructive. We value open communication, empathy, thoughtful challenge and we are committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for all Trustees.

 

How to Apply

 

If you are motivated by values-led leadership, collaborative working and the opportunity to support a charity at a pivotal moment, we would love to hear from you. Please email a CV and a cover letter answering the following questions  by 11th January 2026.

 

Cover Letter Questions:

 

1.       Why Lagan’s Foundation and why now?

2.      What perspectives, skills of experience would you bring?

3.      How do you approach challenge, support and collaboration?

4.      As Chair how would you approach working with and supporting a founder-CEO while ensuring effective governance?