Chair

Friends Without Borders (Portsmouth) CIO. The relief of immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees who are suffering hardship or distress or in need, particularly, but not exclusively, in the City of Portsmouth, by the provision of financial and other assistance and raising the awareness of the general public.

As the new Chair your role will be pivotal within our team and we are excited to learn from the unique skills you bring. Your contribution will help Friends Without Borders to flourish and grow and we are excited to welcome you into our dedicated team.

What will you be doing?

Now is an exciting time to join the Board of Trustees at Friends Without Borders and help shape the charity’s future.

This role will allow you to put your professional skills and charity expertise to great use for the benefit of individuals who have had to flee their homes and livelihoods.

The Chair provides leadership to the board, ensuring effective governance, strategic direction and a strong public profile for Friends Without Borders. The Chair will engage trustees, support staff and oversee the charity’s mission in line with legal and regulatory requirements.

What are we looking for?

The ideal Chair will demonstrate:

Experience & Knowledge

• Board level experience, ideally in the charity sector either as a Trustee or a CEO (You do not need to have been a Chair before).
• Knowledge of charity law, governance and reporting requirements.
• Understanding of strategic planning, policy development and risk management.
• Commitment to developing a familiarity with the client group and relevant social/political context.

At Friends Without Borders, we believe that diversity strengthens our work. We warmly welcome applications from individuals who bring a wide range of experiences and perspectives to our Board. We particularly welcome applications from individuals with lived experience of the asylum system, as well as candidates from underrepresented communities. 

What difference will you make?

This is an exciting time to join the Trustee Board at Friends Without Borders and a fantastic opportunity to Influence the growth and future of a dynamic charity

As Chair, you will play a key role in enabling us to continue supporting refugees and asylum seekers in the UK, empowering them to rebuild their lives in safety here in Portsmouth.

This role offers a valuable opportunity to:

• Use your professional skills and experience to make a meaningful difference to individuals who have been forced to flee their homes and livelihoods.
• Contribute strategically to the management and development of a growing charity.
• Deepen your insight and expertise in charity governance, financial oversight, and organisational leadership.

Before you apply

Reach Volunteering are supporting Friends Without Borders with their Board recruitment.

Please submit your CV along with a covering letter stating why you wish to join the organisation and how your skills would add value to the board. Please do also supply the details of two Referees (no contact will be made with Referees without your express permission and only at the point that a Trustee role has been offered and accepted).

At Friends Without Borders, we are committed to meeting the aims set out in our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) policies.  As part of this commitment, we invite you to complete an anonymous and voluntary EDI monitoring form. This form is not part of your application and will remain confidential. Please get in touch to request the form.

If you would like to have an informal initial conversation either with the TrusteeWorks team of with a member of Friends Without Borders, please do contact TrusteeWorks who would be happy to arrange this for you.