Current vacancies:

Trustee Board Chair - voluntary

About the Role:

York Neighbours is seeking an accomplished, organised, and passionate individual to serve as the Chair of its Trustee Board.
This role involves steering the strategic direction of our charity, ensuring its effective governance and financial health, assisting the Board with supporting our Executive Officer and wider staff team when required, occasionally acting as a public face for the organisation, as well as organising and running the Board’s minimum of six meetings a year.

Overview of the organisation:

York Neighbours is a small, but growing, volunteer-led charity which exists to support independence, reduce loneliness, and tackle isolation for older people in York aged over 65.  We do this in three main ways; help with one-off tasks and errands, regular wellbeing phone calls, and social outings.
At the time of writing we have 533 registered service users - who we describe as our “Neighbours” - across all areas of the city.
This number has continued to rise since our charity’s establishment as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in 2015.  This came following the success of an informal initiative by members of the St Michael le Belfrey Church titled the “Belfrey Neighbours”.
The charity has four part-time staff members (totalling to just over 2 FTE) made up of an Executive Officer, and three Assistant Coordinators.  It has seven Trustees who each bring with them professional experience and support from various backgrounds; working with older people, health care, HR, ICT, Legal, mental health, experience of working for the charity, and finance.

What we need our Chair to do:

-  Provide leadership, direction, and support to the Board of Trustees; fostering a collaborative and inclusive environment.
-  Oversee the charity’s work and ensuring alignment with its aims.
-  Uphold high standards of governance, compliance, and legal obligations; acting as a custodian of the charity's reputation and assets.
-  Facilitate productive Board meetings; encouraging open dialogue, constructive debate, and decision-making that reflects the best interests of York Neighbours and its beneficiaries.
-  Occasionally represent York Neighbours externally - for example at our annual meeting/celebration event, and in the media - helping to cultivate strategic partnerships, promoting the charity's objectives, and advocating for the needs of our Neighbours.
-  Support the recruitment, induction, and development of Trustees and staff, nurturing a diverse and skilled Board reflective of the community we serve.

What we’d like our Chair to have:

-  First and foremost, passions for supporting older people, volunteerism, and tackling the social ills of loneliness and isolation.
-  Experience in leadership or governance roles, preferably within one or more of the following areas:  health / social care / voluntary / not for profit / fundraising.
-  The ability to envision and execute long-term objectives while navigating complex challenges.
-  Good communication, interpersonal, and diplomatic skills; with the capacity to engage and inspire stakeholders at all levels.
-  An understanding of the regulatory framework governing charities and a commitment to upholding ethical standards and best practices.

How to apply:

Please send your CV, together with a covering letter (of no more than two sides of A4) outlining your interest and suitability for the role, and a completed equal opportunities monitoring form, to careers@yorkneighbours.org.uk.

York Neighbours is an equal opportunities organisation, committed to diversity and inclusion.  We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, or disability status.

If you are considering this role but have some initial questions before applying then we would be very happy to speak with you beforehand.  Please contact us on info@yorkneighbours.org.uk or 01904 891 627 to do this.

Deadline for applications:

9am Friday 10 May with interviews to be arranged to take place in the week commencing Monday 13 May.