Inclusive Boards is delighted to be supporting The Girls’ Network in the search to appoint their next Chair and two Trustees.
About The Girls’ Network
At The Girls’ Network, we believe that no girl should have her future limited by her gender, ethnicity, background or parental income.
Young people from lower-income families are significantly less likely to go on to higher education than their wealthier peers, which can have a lifelong impact on opportunity and earning potential. Recent years have also seen inequalities deepen and young people’s wellbeing adversely affected, particularly following the Covid-19 pandemic. These structural and social barriers disproportionately affect girls and young women from communities of least advantage.
We exist to challenge this inequality. Our mission is to inspire and empower girls and young women from underrepresented backgrounds to realise their ambitions, discover their self-worth, and develop the confidence and capacity to shape their own futures.
We work in communities of least advantage across England to deliver programmes that provide long-term, meaningful support.
About the Opportunities
The Girls’ Network is seeking a new Chair of Trustees to lead and support The Girls’ Network through their exciting next phase of growth, supporting an exceptional, values-driven team and ensuring they remain ambitious, accountable and true to their founding mission.
We are particularly interested to hear from candidates with:
- Experience of strategic leadership and governance within a complex organisation.
- Experience or understanding of the education / schools landscape.
- Good understanding of voluntary sector governance, funding and finance management.
- Thorough understanding of the legal duties, responsibilities, and liabilities of trusteeship.
- Demonstrable financial and commercial acumen, including experience in financial planning, oversight, risk management, and the establishment and monitoring of systems of control and accountability.
- A track record of driving innovation and organisational change, with the ability to apply insight to support the charity’s achievement of its strategic objectives.
- Experience of working across sectoral boundaries, leveraging partnerships and opportunities.
The Girls’ Networks is also seeking two talented and committed Trustees to join their Board. We are particularly interested in hearing from candidates with experience in one or more of the following areas:
- Fundraising
- IT and digital
We are also seeking Trustees from the North East, Merseyside, West Midlands who can bring their lived experience to add value to the Board. We also encourage applications from young Trustees and will support first-time Trustees to bring their valuable perspectives to the Board.
We’re seeking committed new trustees to help guide a small but ambitious charity supporting children and young people with cerebral palsy, ensuring our funds deliver meaningful, life-changing impact.
Our Board is made up of a small, committed group of trustees who bring a mix of professional expertise and personal connection to our cause. Together, we oversee a grant-making charity that has a long heritage and a clear ambition: to increase our income and ensure we can support more children and young people with cerebral palsy in meaningful, practical ways.
Like many small charities, our challenge is balancing strong governance with growth. We are financially stable and well run, but we want to think more strategically about our future: how we prioritise funding, how we grow awareness and income, and how we ensure every grant we make delivers real, lasting benefit for families. The new trustee will play an active role in shaping these conversations and helping the Board move confidently from steady state to sustainable growth.
The role is hands-on and collaborative. Trustees are expected to attend four board meetings a year, contribute thoughtfully to discussion and decision-making, and engage between meetings when specific issues arise. Depending on interest and experience, the new trustee may also be invited to take a lead role in an area of work or join a small working group, for example around fundraising development, investment oversight, or grant assessment.
This is an opportunity to influence how limited charitable funds are used where they matter most. Trustees are directly involved in decisions that enable children to access therapy, specialist equipment, and support that may not otherwise be available. For someone who wants to make a tangible difference, this is a role where your contribution can be clearly seen in the lives of the children and families we support.
The Board values open discussion, shared responsibility, and a supportive culture, making this an especially rewarding role for someone who wants their time and judgement to have genuine impact.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
We are seeking an inspiring and strategic individual to lead our Board of Trustees as Chair. This is an exciting opportunity to join an organisation committed to ensure the voices of long term prisoners are heard, and to enable them to realise their potential.
The Chair is responsible for leading the Board of Trustees, ensuring that it fulfils its responsibilities for the governance of the organisation. The Chair’s role is also to work in partnership with the CEO, helping them achieve the aims of the organisation and to optimise the relationship between the Board and staff. (See also the Charity Commission’s Essential Trustee Guidance)
Key responsibilities
Strategy, Governance, and Financial Management
- Lead the Board in providing strategic direction to the Hardman Trust.
- Ensure, with Trustees, that the organisation operates efficiently and effectively to fulfil its objectives in compliance with relevant charitable and company legislation.
- Maintain careful oversight of any risk to reputation and/or financial standing of the charity and ensure that the Board regularly monitors that systems are in place to take advantage of opportunities and manage and mitigate the risks.
- Ensure that the Board fulfils its duties to ensure sound financial health of the charity, with systems in place to ensure financial accountability.
Board Leadership
- Ensure a high performing and effective Board through review of Board structure, Trustees and Board performance.
- Enhance the overall contribution of the Board, through mentoring of other Board members and encouraging participation in training/coaching/development.
- Review and ensure Trustees have the right skillsets, training and development to support effective governance of the organisation.
- Chair Board meetings inclusively, bringing impartiality and objectivity in the decision making process.
Support to Hardman Trust CEO
- Line manage The Hardman Trust CEO including annual performance reviews and regular check-ins.
- Maintain appropriate distance between the Board and the leadership team, but where necessary, provide support and guidance on operations.
- Work with The Hardman Trust CEO to support them to achieve the aims of the charity.
General Chair responsibilities
- Where appropriate, represent the Hardman Trust at meetings and events and act as spokesperson.
- Lead the Board in fostering relationships with external partners and potential funders/donors.
Person Specification
We want our Board to look like the world we serve and to have different voices within it. We know that diverse groups of people make better decisions. We are keen to hear from people who can bring perspectives or experiences often underrepresented in charity governance and how can help us progress our vision.
Essential
- Commitment to the Hardman Trust’s aims and values.
- Prior experience as a charity trustee and solid understanding of good governance practices.
- Experience (voluntary or paid) within the criminal or social justice sector at leadership level.
- Experience of chairing meetings, committees or boards.
- Robust planning and organisational skills.
- Willingness to devote time to carry out responsibilities.
- Sound independent judgment and strategic vision; ability to think creatively and challenge constructively.
- A collegiate attitude and willingness to work with others.
- Honesty, integrity and commitment to act in the best interest of the charity at all times.
Desirable
- Previous experience as a Chair in the charity sector.
- Expertise of lived experience of the justice system.
- Experience of charity fundraising and/or grant making.
- Understanding of the needs of people serving long sentences and of the systemic issues within our justice system .
- Experience of building partnerships and networks.
- Experience of public speaking and willing to represent the Hardman Trust externally.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.