The Organisation
Family Fund is the UK’s largest charity supporting low-income families raising disabled or seriously ill children and young people.
We help thousands of families every year with essential grants, services and practical support. But we do much more than that. We champion families’ voices, challenge inequality and help shape the conversation on disability, childhood illness and disadvantage.
The Roles
The need for our support has never been greater. Maintaining and growing that support requires us to find ever more creative and innovative ways to increase funding, communicate our work, and strengthen our brand profile so that we can continue to reach the families who need us most. Alongside this, we must ensure we are working efficiently so that every £1 of funding goes further for the benefit of those we support.
Trustees play an active role in governing the charity and are responsible for setting the vision and strategic priorities, while ensuring we comply with all legal, charitable, and financial requirements. We are now seeking two Trustees to join our Board and help shape the next stage of our development and impact.
Trustee – Income Growth
We are seeking a Trustee with the knowledge and experience to help us grow and diversify our income streams across both the Charity and Family Fund Business Services, working seamlessly and efficiently as one Group. We want to maximise the income streams, partnerships, and relationships we already have, while also exploring and moving at pace into new areas that align with our strategy and goals. This will require courage, resolve, and teamwork, and we are seeking a Trustee who can advise and work with us on this exciting journey.
Trustee – Fundraising & Philanthropy
We hope to find a Trustee with experience in major fundraising to advise us on strategies to strengthen and broaden our fundraised income. We want to enhance and grow our core fundraising functions, focusing on individual giving, legacies, and community engagement, to sustain current delivery and unlock new income streams that enable the development of future services and support. We will have clear plans for major donors and high-net-worth individuals, trusts and foundations, and corporate partnerships to build unrestricted and core funding.
For both roles, we are seeking Trustees who can bring thought leadership, constructive challenge, and fresh ideas as we strengthen and diversify our income base by growing existing and developing new income sources across fundraising, philanthropy, government, and commercial ventures.
This is a fantastic opportunity to develop skills and experience while giving back to a nationwide charity that makes a real and practical difference to the lives of families every day.
The Person
We are looking for Trustees who can demonstrate:
- Commitment to the organisation and its mission
- Integrity, strategic vision, and good independent judgement
- The ability to make decisions in the best interests of the organisation
- A willingness to devote the necessary time and effort to the role
- Strong communication skills, including the confidence to speak constructively and listen to the views of others
- Tact, diplomacy, and the ability to build positive relationships
- The ability to work effectively and collaboratively as part of a team
- An understanding of the legal responsibilities and liabilities of being a trustee
We welcome candidates from all backgrounds who have the skills and experience required to be a Trustee. We would particularly encourage applications from people with disabilities or long-term conditions, and from parents or carers of children and young adults with disabilities or serious illnesses, to help bring valuable lived experience and fresh perspectives to our Board.
Could your leadership skills help shape the future of a charity that supports the UK’s nursing and midwifery workforce?
Charity People is excited to be partnering with Cavell, the UK’s largest funder of nurses and midwives in hardship and crisis, as they recruit a new Trustee with experience in the commercial sector experience to join their Board at an exciting point in the charity’s growth journey.
Location: UK-wide, head office Birmingham with key meetings in London
Time Commitment: Approx. 4 Board meetings + 1 strategy day per year
Term: Initially four years, with option for renewal
Renumeration: Voluntary, with reasonable expenses covered
With an ambitious new vision and mission, underpinned by a three-year strategy, Cavell is entering a significant new phase of development, strengthening its role in supporting the wellbeing of nurses and midwives and contributing to the resilience and retention of the UK healthcare workforce.
As living costs rise and workforce pressures grow, more people are turning to Cavell for help. Through person-centred emotional support, financial guidance, grants and wellbeing conversations, Cavell provides vital support when it is needed most. By helping nurses and midwives stay in the profession they care deeply about, Cavell also strengthens the workforce that underpins patient care across the UK, and ultimately improving care for everyone.
About the role
Trustees play an active role in shaping strategy, addressing key opportunities and risks, and offering support and constructive challenge to the Executive Team. You will join a supportive, engaged and professionally diverse Board to provide strong governance and strategic leadership, working closely with a talented internal team.
We want to be crystal clear that previous Trustee experience is not required – Cavell welcomes both first-time Trustees and experienced Board members. They are committed to building a Board that reflects the diversity of the UK nursing and midwifery workforce. Applications are warmly welcomed from people of all backgrounds, particularly those currently under-represented on charity boards.
Who are we looking for?
The Board already benefits from the significant expertise of medical professionals and qualified nurses. For these vacancies, we would particularly welcome applications that strengthen the Board’s commercial capability, especially from individuals with experience in banking and finance, legal practice – particularly within healthcare – and construction, especially in hospital environments.
Personal attributes matter just as much. Cavell is looking for people with:
- A strong and visible passion for the charity’s purpose and mission
- An open, collaborative and inclusive leadership style
- Excellent judgement, independence of thought and the highest levels of integrity
- Ability to build a collegiate board environment, always valuing diverse perspectives
How to apply
A short CV or profile is a great starting point, but not essential. If you’d like the full application details or to arrange an informal conversation about the role, please get in touch.
Our Regional Director, Amelia Lee, is leading this opportunity and an exploratory call with her forms part of the process ahead of shortlisting.
Deadline: 9am on Monday 22nd June
Interview dates to be confirmed soon, likely to be happening early July.
Charity People is a forward thinking, inclusive organisation that actively and deliberately promotes equity, diversity and inclusion. We know organisations thrive when inclusion is at the forefront. We evidence our commitment by matching charity needs with the skills and experience of candidates irrespective of background e.g. age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. We do this because we believe that greater diversity leads to greater results for the charities we work with.