Thank you for your interest in the position of Chief Executive of the Vegetarian Society.

At the Vegetarian Society we are proud of our heritage and our challenging mission to represent, support and increase the number of vegetarians in the country. The position of Chief Executive is pivotal to achieving our far-reaching objectives. We are looking to appoint a high-calibre leader who shares both our objectives and values and can make our business plan a reality. The Trustees of the society believe this is an exciting time to join as Chief Executive. Whilst ensuring sufficient long-term funding is an issue for any charity, we believe we are well placed to make significant progress towards our objectives, benefiting both our members and the wider vegetarian population.

The Governing Council is keen to ensure that you have all the appropriate information to help you with your application. We have therefore compiled this pack, which contains information about our mission, business strategy and current organisational position. You can also find the charity’s annual report and accounts on the Charity Commission’s website:

If you feel it would be helpful, you are also welcome to telephone me or the current Chief Executive, Annette Pinner, for an informal discussion. We can both be reached via the Society’s main number on 0161 925 2000.

Once again, thank you for your interest and I hope that you decide to apply. Please note the closing date for applications is 5th September. Interviews have been scheduled for 22nd or 24th September, when there will be an opportunity to meet the Management Team.

Kind regards

Clare Crowther

Chair, Recruitment Committee of the Vegetarian Society

Chief Executive Recruitment

Information Pack

INDEX

  1. Person specification
  2. Job description
  3. Public benefit document
  4. 5 year strategy
  5. The Vegetarian Society's core values, beliefs and identity
  6. Business plan 2010-11
  7. Position statement on vegetarianism and veganism
  8. The role of Council
  9. Staffing structure

Item 1

Person Specification

The following is a list of experiences and attributes that the CEO needs to demonstrate. They are defined as either essential or desirable.

Values

  • Should be a vegetarian or be willing to become a vegetarian as defined by the

Society – essential.

Contextual Knowledge

  • Commitment to and knowledge of vegetarianism and the Society's values – desirable.
  • Experience of working with or within the Food industry – desirable.
  • Proven ability of working with complex and technical information often related to government policy or research material – desirable.

Leadership skills

  • Demonstrates the ability to lead an organisation into new areas not just managing the status quo. Ensuring that all key stakeholders are engaged – essential.
  • Experience of working with a broad range of stakeholders, demonstrable experience of cross organisational working at senior level– essential.
  • Demonstrate experience of leading a team in a senior capacity – essential.
  • Be a creative thinker and problem solver – essential.
  • Sound skills in creating and implementing strategies - essential.
  • Understands the complexities of working within a Charity, specifically how their role dove-tails with that of the Trustees and the Chair – desirable.
  • Able to balance flexibility with rigour – desirable.

Public Relations experience

  • Experienced in working with contentious messages and dealing with negativity –essential.
  • Proven experience of representing a charity or similar body – essential.
  • Able to be confident in public – essential.

Functional Experience

  • Proven experience of business planning gained in a senior position– essential.
  • Proven experience of human resource management gained in a senior position – essential.
  • Proven experience of financial management gained in a senior position – essential.
  • Practical experience of fundraising including major donor giving – essential.

Item 2

The Vegetarian Society

Job Description

Designation:Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Reports to:Council

Supervises:Heads of DepartmentsandPersonal Assistant

Overall Purpose

To lead The Vegetarian Society’s mission to represent, support and increase the number of vegetarians in the UK by:

  • Directing an ongoing process of strategic planning and execution against the plan
  • Acting as the external face of the charity
  • Supporting, developing and inspiring managers and staff
  • Effectively reporting to Council and advising trustees
  • Ensuring financial stability through effective use of available resources
  • Overseeing effective and efficient internal systems including personnel, financial and operational management

......

Duties and Responsibilities

The principal duties and responsibilities are listed below, however this is not an exhaustive list and other duties/ projects as may be considered appropriate may be added from time to time.

  1. Strategic Development
  • To work with the trustees and staff of the Society to develop both the long and short term strategy for the Society to achieve its mission.
  • To work with the trustees and staff to develop practical five year business plans (on a rolling basis) that reflects the Society’s overall strategic goals and to develop an execution strategy to realise these.
  • To ensure such a plan is monitored, evaluated and updated as necessary and at least annually.
  • To ensure any new projects and proposals brought forward are a good fit with the business plan and an efficient use of limited resources.
  1. Public Relations
  • To act as an official spokesperson for the Society in the media (in conjunction with the Head of Communications and Press Officer).
  • To liase with industrial bodies, commercial organisations, affinity groups, government bodies, sponsors and any other relevant organisations and individuals to increase the profile of the Society and all its work.
  • To act as an interface with the Society’s members, potential members and donors ensuring good customer care at all times.
  • To attend meetings, presentations, exhibitions, conferences etc. as a representative and/or speaker for the Society, including international events as appropriate.
  • To produce material for the Society’s magazine and external publications and other such material as may be required from time to time.
  • In conjunction with the Corporate Relations section to take advantage of any marketing opportunity for the Society’s Seedling Trademark.
  1. General Management
  • To lead all aspects of the Society’s work.
  • In conjunction with the Office Manager be responsible for the management of the Society’s property and general assets.
  • To oversee the development of policy and procedure guides for all aspects of the Society’s work.
  • To participate in all appropriate aspects of training and development and to use all learning opportunities to develop personal skills necessary to improve effectiveness, efficiency and service delivery.
  1. Finance
  • To approve and sign all major contracts.
  • To ensure the Society achieves maximum effectiveness within stringent financial constraints.
  • To ensure that all managers liase with the Head of Finance and work strictly within their allocated budgets and to proper financial procedures.
  • Work in conjunction with the Head of Finance to prepare annual budgets and ensure monthly management accounts and such forecasts as required are produced in a timely and appropriate manner.
  • To produce annual reports to Council with salary recommendations for approval and incorporation into the annual budget.
  1. Human Resources
  • To manage directly and indirectly all members of the Society’s staff ensuring high standards of staff recruitment, training and procedures and regular performance review and development.
  • To ensure the Society complies with both employment law and good practice in the field of human resource management and to keep up to date on all applicable legislation.
  • To direct the Society’s Management Team by conducting regular meetings and ensuring that managers understand and contribute to the Society’s activities and projects and are able to cover duties in the absence of the Chief Executive.

Item 3

The Vegetarian Society

Public Benefit

Approved by GSC 20th November 2009

The Vegetarian Society provides a benefit to practising and aspiring vegetarians, and people that sympathise with the cause of vegetarianism.

In doing so the Society also provides an incidental benefit to the following beneficiaries:

  • Businesses that supply vegetarians.
  • Caterers that provide for vegetarians.
  • Families with vegetarian dependents.
  • Educators.
  • Carers of vegetarians.
  • Healthcare professionals.

The Vegetarian Society responds to the needs of beneficiaries by:

  • Promoting and celebrating the benefits of vegetarianism.
  • Representing the interests of vegetarians.
  • Providing information & resources for the press.
  • Providing information & resources to educators.
  • Running campaigns on issues that matter to vegetarians.
  • Providing support that will assist in the running of services & businesses providing for vegetarians.
  • Meeting the specific information and communication needs of young vegetarians & their families.

Item 4

The Vegetarian Society

5 year strategy

The Vegetarian Society aims to represent, support, and increase the number of, vegetarians in the UK.

Our strategy

Promote and celebrate the benefits of vegetarianism

Develop and provide information to support vegetarians

Make it easier to be vegetarian

Develop a sustainable organisation

Issue 1: 7th April 2009

PROMOTE AND CELEBRATE THE BENEFITS OF VEGETARIANISM

Understand and engage with the vegetarian community and a broad range of users: we will increase our understanding of those who use our services and use this information to improve our response to them. Although our primary commitment is to vegetarians we recognise that people have different motivations for contacting us or choosing to be vegetarian and will be welcoming and receptive to our entire range of users. We will reach out and engage more closely with members, local groups and cultural groups that practise vegetarianism, so that they know they are acting with others who share their values and beliefs.

Build positive interest in vegetarianism through education and campaigning: we will present vegetarianism to well defined and understood target groups as a practical, relevant and compassionate personal choice. We will demonstrate how animal welfare, environmental impact, sustainability and human wellbeing are all reasons to be vegetarian and help people experience a sense of being able to make a difference by going vegetarian. Our style will be inclusive and we will present vegetarianism and meat reduction as a mainstream lifestyle choice. We will develop our e-communications and media function, with the focus on simple clear messages, and maintaining high profile campaigns throughout the year including National Vegetarian Week. We will particularly develop our work with schools and young people.

Be the voice of vegetarians: we will support and represent the interests of vegetarians and vegetarianism with Government and other agencies, partnering with other organisations where this adds strength to our arguments. We will guard and celebrate the charity’s pioneering heritage. We will develop our capacity to represent vegetarianism to a wide audience skilfully and creatively. The charity will lead by example on vegetarianism in all aspects of its activities.

DEVELOP AND PROVIDE INFORMATION TO SUPPORT VEGETARIANS

Be the centre of excellence for vegetarianism in the UK: we will retain and strengthen our position as the foremost national authority on vegetarianism We will build stronger links with academic organisations and ensure that we have the information required to support our objectives. We will generate, collect and interpret technical information in the areas of nutrition, health, animal welfare, environmental impact and sustainability and social information including why people become, remain, stop or avoid being vegetarian and people’s experience of living as a vegetarian. We will be the centre of excellence for vegetarian cookery and be informed technical advisors to the food manufacturing industry.

Make our information easily accessible: we will make our information available through a variety of channels and, in particular, develop our website and e-communications to improve users’ experience of the organisation. We will ensure that information is of a high standard, consistent and easy to understand and available in formats that respect the needs of disadvantaged groups. We will continue to provide a free enquiry service.

MAKE IT EASIER TO BE VEGETARIAN

Protect and raise the standard of vegetarian products and services: we will work with the Food Standards Agency to ensure clear and accurate labelling so that vegetarians can be confident in the quality of the products and services they buy. Longer term we will campaign for a legally binding definition of vegetarianism. We will develop our Seedling Symbol and the Food and Drink Guild as the most trusted sources of accreditation and information on what to buy and where to eat good vegetarian food. We will expand our current client base and retain consumer trust by responding to concerns about animal welfare standards. We will campaign to improve the welfare of farm animals that provide food for vegetarians.

Lead the training of professionals in vegetarian catering across all sectors: our cookery school will focus on training catering professionals across the whole catering sector so that vegetarians can enjoy high quality and varied food when eating out and within public services such as hospitals, schools and care homes. We will also offer consultancy to help catering establishments and food manufacturers improve their provision for vegetarians. We will continue to provide a range of leisure cookery courses at Parkdale for home cooks.

Encourage the development of the vegetarian sector: we will be at the centre of the development of the vegetarian sector, bringing commercial organisations together to grow and create sound drivers for the market so that vegetarians have the products and services they want and need. We will recognise excellence in the industry through our awards and meet the differing economic needs of small and large businesses through our Seedling Symbol and Food and Drink Guild schemes. We will encourage restaurants and chefs to cater well for vegetarians. We will develop our work with catering colleges and their students.

DEVELOP A SUSTAINABLE ORGANISATION

A sustainable financial structure: We will operate within the financial resources that are available to us, backed by clear medium-term financial plans that reflect our strategy. We will seek to maintain the real value of our reserves and investments, investing ethically. We will use our current strong financial position to secure the long-term future for the charity’s core work.

Diversify income: we will grow and diversify our income where possible with attention to membership subscriptions, individual donations and legacies as well as advertising, corporate sponsorship and the involvement of business in our activities. We will aim to attract significantly more grant funding for projects. Our cookery courses will operate on a break-even basis and our accreditation schemes will operate at a profit to help fund our charitable work. We will take care to balance our independence with the needs of corporate clients and sponsors.

Governance: Council will be democratically elected by a vote of the membership. Council will aim to have the right balance of skills and experience to run the charity effectively. It will act in the best interests of the charity and its beneficiaries at all times. It will understand its responsibilities, have systems in place to exercise them effectively and to be informed of developments within related organisations and the voluntary and charitable sector. We will seek to work openly and transparently, involving and consulting with the membership as much as possible.

Develop our supporter base: we will increase the number of supporters through a range of membership options and encourage more supporters to be active ambassadors for vegetarianism. We will improve our consultation with supporters and keep them better informed of our work. We will give particular priority to encouraging young vegetarians.

Take care of ourselves: we will provide for our collective and individual well being, growth and development and ensure that we have sufficient skilled and experienced staff to deliver this strategy. We will reduce our environmental impact and ensure that Parkdale is a pleasant and safe place to work and visit.

Item 5

The Vegetarian Society’s core values, beliefs and identity

  1. Values and beliefs

Compassion: we work to alleviate suffering and create a more compassionate society for people and animals.

Commitment to vegetarianism: as apractical way of improving animal welfare,

human well being, the environment and global sustainability and thereby benefiting all life on this planet.

Respect:we believe that people thrive best in an environment of

support, openness, honesty and freedom of expression. And we understand that what we expect individually needs to take account of what is needed for the success of the charity as a whole.

Creativity: we welcome new ideas and fresh perspectives while remaining focused on those concepts that most help us to achieve our objectives. In being creative we remain true to the pioneering spirit of the Society’s founders and past members who spread the idea and practice of vegetarianism in the UK

Rationality:we believe that, as far as practical, we should base what we say

and do on sound evidence.

2. Identity

PersuasiveWe want people to become more aware of the importance of vegetarianism and change their behaviour.

PassionateWe need to be enthusiastic and energetic and remain true to our values and core beliefs, especially under challenge.

Authoritative Our arguments must be robust and able to withstand challenge and will often need to be based on sound evidence. We need to be seen as the experts in our field.

InclusiveWe want more people to be vegetarian so we need to be able to relate to the wider community and diverse groups including people who currently eat meat and fish.

ProfessionalWe need to organise ourselves and operate in an efficient and effective manner so that we make the best use of our resources and provide useful and meaningful services.

Item 6

2010/11 ANNUAL BUSINESS PLAN

Approved by Council 21st March 2010

Key to business plan

O = Outcomes

W= Ways of working