Volunteer Chair of Trustees

What will you be doing?

Our six-strong (currently) team of trustees has brought immense energy, wisdom and experience to the job of establishing Natural Neighbours and seeing its first real-world impact. As we pass our first birthday and work towards the milestone of submitting our first annual reports and accounts we are looking for an experienced trustee to take on the role of Chair and guide the charity as we begin the next phase of our planning and development.  You will be someone who shares our commitment to bringing the health and wellbeing benefits of daily, up-close experience of nature to especially the most marginalised of urban communities. Your energy, enthusiasm and clarity of leadership will guide and support your fellow Trustees in sharing their knowledge, skills and expertise to oversee the development and implementation of our strategic and business plans, as well as the charity’s finances and work programme direction. You will play a key role in supporting, guiding and advising the founder/director and new team members as the charity grows under your co-leadership. We estimate that the Chair of the Board may spend an average two days a month carrying out their duties but you will bring your own style, experience and innovations to bear in shaping the role so that it best delivers its regulatory, advisory and supporting commitments.

What are we looking for?

The Chair is first amongst equals and leads and facilitates our wider team of Trustees to act as ambassadors for all aspects of our work, ensuring the Board provides outstanding governance, strategic oversight and support and guidance to the director’s day to day running of the organisation.

Genuine interest in the vision and purpose of Natural Neighbours, with commitment to expanding daily experience of nature to urban communities, especially those most marginalised and nature deprived. A strategic thinker who shares Natural Neighbours’s vision and is able to understand and respond wisely to the complex challenges of meeting it. Ideally with experience as a Board or Committee Chair, and certainly with a good understanding of the role of the Chair and Trustees, the role of the Executive Team and where they intersect, respectful of Executive responsibility.  Experienced at a senior level in their field of expertise, clearly demonstrating an ability to work effectively as a member of a team and to develop a Board of diverse and representative members to operate at its best. Astute financial and business acumen. Exceptional leadership skills, with the ability to motivate fellow trustees, staff, partners and supporters and bring people together to foster urban wildlife and end nature-poverty. An inspiring, confident and engaging advocate and networker, able to develop and introduce new networks and alliances to Natural Neighbours to enhance our work in support of nature-connected urban communities.

Time Commitment The estimated time commitment required is eight to ten days per year. Board meetings usually last 2 hours and take place quarterly. We recognise you will have other commitments - being our Board Chair does not have to mean an onerous time commitment, and our culture of hybrid working means you do not have to be in London to contribute.

What difference will you make?

The Chair of Trustees is a key role in any organisation but will perhaps feel all the more so with us given this pivotal phase in the establishment and development of our innovative new charity. Your leadership and energy will bind and inspire a committed, passionate and talented but busy team of Trustees whose experience in the role ranges from total novice to spanning years and organisations. Your working relationship with the founder/director will be absolutely central to the success of your Chairship. You will provide vital support to the challenge of balancing delivery of both practical and visionary aspects of developing Natural Neighbours and transforming nature-deprived communities into wildlife hotspots.