The Henry Smith Charity

With around £1.2bn invested and £55m a year to provide to charities across the UK, The Henry Smith Charity is one of the UK’s largest independent grant-making charities. For almost 400 years, we have been giving grants to organisations who focus on reducing the impact of social and economic disadvantage on their beneficiaries.

We are looking for our next Chair who shares our collective ambition to make a positive difference to society at scale. As we work towards our 400 year anniversary in five years’ time, you will help us govern a charity with a remarkable legacy and longevity and take us forward into our next phase. It is an exciting time for a new Chair to join with a new Chief Executive, Anand Shukla, recently appointed and the development of a new strategy underway. Immediate priorities for our new Chair will include working with Anand and trustees to implement the strategy review outcomes, reviewing the Board skills and capabilities, leading the recruitment for new trustees, and undertaking a governance review.

You will bring substantial chairing experience and a commitment to inclusivity. You will have strategic leadership experience at both executive and non-executive level; financial literacy; and internal and external stakeholder management experience. You will bring an understanding of the charity sector, as well as an appreciation for the challenges we face in trying to drive social change and achieve social justice. We are looking for a Chair who is ambitious for us to make a bigger impact and someone with high presence and low ego.

The Henry Smith Charity highly values the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion and this is central to how we approach all aspects of our work. We welcome applications from people with a wide range of backgrounds and experience including people with disabilities, Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic backgrounds, people who identify as LGBTQI+ and individuals from different socio-economic and educational backgrounds.

Saxton Bampfylde Ltd is acting as an employment agency advisor to The Henry Smith Charity on this appointment. For further information about the role, including details about how to apply, please visit www.saxbam.com/appointments using reference RHSB. Alternatively telephone +44 (0)20 7227 0880 (during office hours). Applications should be received by noon on Wednesday 12th April.