NEWHAM COMMUNITY RENEWAL PROGRAMME

Chair of Trustees ROLE DESCRIPTION

  • The Renewal Programme Trustee Board is responsible for the overall direction and strategy of The Renewal Programme, and for ensuring the charity properly carries out its duties. The role of trustee Board is to:
  • Set the vision, mission and values of the charity, set objectives and a strategy to achieve those objectives.
  • Ensure the charity involves people who could benefit from our services in setting objectives and strategy
  • Ensure the charity complies with all legal and regulatory requirements.
  • Monitor the performance of the charity, both financially and in terms of service delivery.
  • Consider risks and threats to the charity and its work, and steer the charity towards a sustainable future.
  • The role of the Chair of Trustees is:
  • Hold the Board and Chief Executive to account for the delivery of the charity’s mission, vision and values, through evaluation of performance.
  • Lead the Board with a view to achieving maximum impact for the charity’s beneficiaries through sound decision making. Consider the long term interests of the charity and ensure that the Board is engaged and takes collective ownership.
  • Lead the Board of Trustees, ensuring each trustee fulfils their duties and responsibilities for effective governance of the charity. Ensure the Board functions as a unit and works closely with the executive team to achieve agreed objectives.
  • Appraise the performance of the Board and Trustees on an annual basis and work to resolve any conflicts.Support other trustees to grow the skill, knowledge or contribution as a trustee through training or development.
  • Work with the Chief Executive to plan for recruitment and succession of trustees, seeking the right balance of skills, knowledge and experience
  • Ensure the Board operates within its charitable objectives, and provides a clear strategic direction for the charity.
  • Ensure the charity has adequate systems to ensure financial accountability, transparency and monitoring of the financial health of the charity, in partnership with the Treasurer.
  • Lead regular reviews of the risks and opportunities facing the charity, and be satisfied that systems are in place to manage/mitigate against risks and identify potential opportunities.
  • Support and where appropriate, challenge the Chief Executive, in achievement of the agreed objectives. Grow a constructive and open working relationship with the Chief Executive and respect the boundaries that exist between the two roles. Ensure the Chief Executive has adequate development and external support.
  • To support the Chief Executive to support employees/volunteers so that they achieve their agreed objectives, and to optimise the relationship between the employees/volunteers and the Board.
  • To retain an overview of the charity’s affairs and lead refreshing of the charity’s long term objectives at appropriate intervals
  • Chair meetings of the Board or its sub-committees, bringing impartiality and objectivity to the decision making process. Ensure decisions are followed up.
  • Act as an ambassador and public face of the charity in partnership with the Chief Executive.
  • Skills and experience the Chair will bring to the role include:
  • To be experienced in chairing meetings of Boards – either in a trustee or management board setting.
  • Experience of managing organisations and people
  • To be knowledgeable about the governance and workings of charities.
  • Communicate effectively in writing and verbally, being able to clearly express a thought or idea, be able to communicate constructively and sensitively when there is a contradictory point of view. To operate with tact and diplomacy.
  • To bring an understanding and empathy of the challenges faced by people from all parts of the community living in Newham.
  • To seek to proactively be inclusive to all members of the community, regardless of race, faith, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic or cultural background or disability. Be prepared to challenge discrimination.

Other aspects of the role:

  • The Board of Trustees meets 10 times a year February to July and September to December, usually on the first Monday of the month (excluding Bank holidays).
  • The charity also has a Finance and Funding Committee which meets bi-monthly and which the chair usually attends.
  • The Chair of Trustees will be expected to also meet monthly with the CEO for support and supervision, and have regular contact with the CEO as required.
  • The Chair may be called upon to act as final stage adjudicator for HR processes if required, and may receive professional external support provided by the charity for this aspect of the role.
  • Represent the charity at various events and meetings with key stakeholders.
  • Successful applicants will be required to complete a Disclosure & Barring Check (DBS– formally known as CRB check) and we will take up 2 references.
  • All our trustee roles are voluntary, unremunerated, but the charity does reimburse agreed out of pocket expenses.