At this exciting time, the Base71 Youth Zone team is seeking to strengthen its Board of Trustees, expanding to bring in fresh perspectives, skills, and experience. We are currently looking to appoint a Vice Chair.
This is a rare opportunity to be part of a project of real scale and ambition. As Base71 continues to grow and make a lasting impact, you’ll play a key role in shaping its future—helping to create meaningful, positive change for young people across Barnsley, both now and for years to come.
We’re looking for someone with a strong understanding of governance, alongside the ability to provide strategic oversight and support. Just as important is your commitment to inclusion, safeguarding, and ensuring that young people’s voices remain at the heart of everything the organisation does.
In this role, you will:
- Ensure the charity operates within the requirements and rules set out in its governing document, remaining true to its charitable purpose and objectives
- Support compliance with relevant legislation and any regulatory bodies overseeing the charity’s activities
- Work closely with the Chair to review Board skills and diversity, implement annual reviews and trustee self-assessments, and identify development needs
- Oversee the recruitment, registration, and induction of new trustees
- Deputise for the Chair when required, acting as a trusted sounding board and intermediary for fellow trustees where appropriate
If you’re ready to bring your expertise, insight, and passion to a forward-thinking organisation, we would love you to consider finding out more about the difference you could make in Barnsley—for today and for tomorrow.
Please access the additional information and submit your CV and a brief covering letter stating why you want to be a part of our journey, and why you feel your skill set would be ideal to fulfil the role of for which you are applying to
If you have what we are looking for, we will arrange for a conversation with the Chair and the Chief Executive. This will be a chance for us to get to know you and also give you the opportunity to ask any questions you may have.
Registered Charity The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
The Willats Trust is a grant-making, cross-denominational Christian charity with a vision to see our estates and most deprived communities around the UK transformed by the love of Jesus.
Our mission is to fund relational evangelism through local expressions of church, by working with like-hearted partners to share the good news of Jesus in the areas of greatest deprivation across the UK.
Since our establishment in 1858, sharing the Gospel in these communities has always been our priority. Thanks to the generosity of Mr Willats, who gifted a significant property portfolio to the charity at its inception, we have been able to use funds generated from this property portfolio to finance grant-making to support evangelists, church planters, or other activities related to evangelism and making disciples in the top 20% areas of deprivation across the UK.
Following a strategic review in 2025, we have an ambition to more than double the amount we award in grants from £500,000 to £1m a year. Over the next ten years, we want to see more thriving Jesus-centric churches planted in our areas of greatest deprivation and led by people who look like the communities they are serving. This means part of our grant-making supports immediate tactical needs, but part of our grant-making also seeks to influence the underlying factors which will enable the long-term fulfilment of our vision.
We believe the kingdom of God works best when we all bring what is in our hand and let God do the multiplication. Our posture is to come alongside like-hearted partners who share the same vision and work together in partnership to support and equip those God has called to these communities.
We are seeking to make two Trustee appointments. Individuals who bring expertise in one or more of the following areas:
- Mission-related: someone with lived experience of planting, leading or supporting Jesus-centric churches in communities experiencing significant deprivation. You will probably also carry a sense of calling that is bigger than a single geographic area and will be able help us think strategically about how we use our resources to contribute to increased church planting and evangelism in our areas of greatest deprivation, alongside others, over the next decade and bring deep relationships with others already serving in this space.
- Commercial property: someone with professional property expertise relating to exiting portfolios of residential and non-purpose-built HMO properties, or property development, who can advise on asset optimisation and property exits over the coming years, which will enable us to give more money away.
- Legal, financial or HR: individuals with strategic leadership skills and a passion to see resources deployed for Kingdom-purpose.
The time commitment required of a Trustee is usually likely to equate to approximately 6-8 days per year.
It’s a crucial and exciting time in the history and further development of The Willats Trust. By being a Trustee you will be able to make a difference across the UK and get to have a ringside seat to see what God is doing, as we know his heart is always for the most overlooked and forgotten. We are full of expectancy for what God is going to do in this current season and want to play our small part in this, alongside others.
We appreciate the rich diversity of our Trustees and Staff and seek to create a culture where everyone develops and fulfils their potential. We recognise the immense value of different perspectives brought by those with varied backgrounds, characteristics and experiences. We particularly welcome applications from under-represented sections of the community (specifically in our context, women, individuals of Global Majority Heritage and those from non-Anglican church worshipping backgrounds).
Please note that this role has an Occupational Requirement to be a committed Christian as permitted under Schedule 9, Part 1, of the Equality Act 2010.
Closing date: 12 noon BST on Friday 8th May 2026.
