Volunteer Chair of Trustees | Young People First (Midlands)

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Young People First are looking for a Chair of Trustees to lead the Board of the well-established youth organisation in its mission to assist disadvantaged young people transition confidently into adulthood.What will you be doing?Young People First is committed to no young person being limited by disadvantage and works to help young people to overcome their problems and succeed in life. The charity is recognised and respected as a specialist, early intervention service, and they provide activities, opportunities and holistic support to young people and their families in the Leamington Spa area.Main duties of the Chair of Trustees include

• Ensuring the effective functioning of the Board,
• Identifying skills required to build and maintain a successful Board and making recommendations on its composition,
• Annually reviewing the structure of the Board and its’ role within the Charity,
• Chairing meetings efficiently using structured agendas and briefing papers,
• Providing strategic support to the Chief Officer,
• Ensuring the financial security of the Charity and supporting the Chief Officer to manage financial risk,
• Ensuring that organisational performance evaluation is completed regularly,
• Helping to promote the Charity to the wider community,
• Visiting the offices regularly and representing the Charity.

Our ideal candidate will have the following

• A strong interest and understanding of youth work and the Charity sector,
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills,
• Ability to lead a Board and chair effective meetings,
• Ability to think and plan ahead, balancing needs and constraints,
• Substantial senior or Board level experience, preferably in the Charity sector,
• Ability to attend meetings and the Charity offices in person.

As Chair of Trustees, there is an expectation to attend Board meetings every 2 months. The total commitment including the meeting and preparation is expected to be 1 day per month.Like most Trustee roles, this role is unremunerated. We hope that you will find the opportunity to be involved with the Charity to be incredibly rewarding.Young People First welcome applicants who share our values of passion, care, the young person, trust and professional, and we look forward to receiving your application.SAFER RECRUITMENT- Young People First is committed to safeguarding and protecting children and young people and therefore we will require an enhanced Disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service for the successful candidate.What are we looking for?Knowledge

• Demonstrates a strong interest and understanding of youth work and the Charity sector.
• Demonstrates a strong interest in equality and diversity, and the inclusion agenda.

Skills & Abilities

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to lead a Board and manage their contribution to the Charity.
• Ability to chair effective meetings and formulate an agenda.
• Ability to question, constructively challenge, influence, and be independent minded to ensure decisions reflect consideration to overall benefit of the Charity.
• Ability to analyse and understand information and situations before reaching an objective conclusion.
• Ability to see the “wood for the trees”.
• Ability to think and plan ahead, balancing needs and constraints.
• Ability to work as a team to meet common goals and facilitate use of the skills and experience of the Board for the good of the Charity.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality.

Attributes

• Willing to maintain and uphold accountability of self and others. A high level of probity, integrity, discretion, and fairness. Able to uphold the principles of effective governance.

Experience

• Substantial senior or Board level (or equivalent) experience, preferably in the Charity sector.
• Evidence of providing effective strategic direction supported by knowledge of governance and how Boards should add value.

Work Related Circumstances

• Ability to meet relevant time commitment.
• Ability to attend meetings and the Charity offices in person.

What difference will you make?The role of the Chair of Trustees is to ensure that Young People First fulfils its mission to provide support to disadvantaged young people effectively and efficiently, by working in cooperation with the Chief Officer to maximise the contribution of the Trustees to the Charity.Our vision is ‘No Young Person limited by disadvantage.’Our mission is to deliver activities, create opportunities and provide support to help disadvantaged young people transition to a self-assured adulthood.To work towards this vision, we provide activities, opportunities and holistic support to young people and their families in the area. Our aim is to increase young people’s life chances and resilience and enable them to transition into a self-assured adulthood. We work in collaboration with local community partners and schools to provide open access youth clubs, support groups, residential weekends, one-to-one mentoring, mental health support, advocacy at professional meetings, holiday schemes and lunch clubs, and investment in families in the area.Through effective leadership of the Trustees, the Chair will ensure that Young People First fulfils its mission to provide support to disadvantaged young people effectively and efficiently. The Chair will work in close co-operation with the Chief Officer, in a manner which maximises the contribution of the Trustees to the Charity and ensures that all involved remain focused on achieving the Charity’s mission.Before you applyPotential candidates who may be interested in the role are welcome to arrange an informal call to discuss the role and ask any questions before applying.Applicants who are shortlisted following their initial application will be invited to a Zoom interview.The recommended candidates will then be forwarded to the Chief Officer and Board of Trustees at Young People First for their decision on who they would be interested in interviewing.Candidates will then be invited to the final stage interview at the Charity’s offices, in mid-December.The successful applicant will then be invited to shadow the Board from January and will be formally appointed at the A. G. M. in March 2023.Causes

• Children / families
• Education
• Local / community
• Mental health
• Poverty relief
• Sports
• Young people

Organisation typeCharityYoung People First has supported young people for over 65 years. Our vision is ’No young person limited by disadvantage’. Our mission is to provide positive activities, create meaningful ...