Trustee

​Welcome from the Chair

Thank you for your interest in joining Children with Cancer UK as a Trustee.

2023 has been another year of change for Children with Cancer UK as we continue to evolve and leave COVID-19 in the past. Building on the inspirational 35-year legacy of our Founder and Chairman, Eddie O’Gorman, we’re more determined than ever to improve outcomes for children and young people with a cancer diagnosis.

With Jo Elvin leading as CEO, we are driving forwards with new initiatives and a refreshed strategy. This includes internal changes such as our Digital Transformation Project which is implementing up to date systems for data and financial processes, moving office spaces to allow for growth and our re-brand which introduces a bold new look. Our vision is the same, but it’s a new chapter.

Over the past year, we also saw the renewal of our board of trustees in coordination with Jo’s appointment. Professor Bruce Morland who recently retired as a Professor of Paediatric Oncology at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital joined the board. He has extensive experience in the development of novel new therapies for childhood cancer and we look forward to his influence on our strategic direction for research.

Similarly, Pamela Kearns joined as our new Scientific Advisor. Pamela is Professor of Clinical Paediatric Oncology at the University of Birmingham and an Honorary Consultant Paediatric Oncologist at Birmingham Women and Children’s Hospital. Her expertise will be an asset to our team as we continue to fund essential and ground-breaking research.

Looking forwards, Children with Cancer UK will be focusing on the wellbeing of families facing a childhood cancer diagnosis and how we can best support this. We continue to fund the inspiring programmes and have also begun plans for a new wellness centre that will act as a haven for young families.

With the new renewed board will come a new direction and strategy to lead the charity. This will be a challenging, but equally exciting time for the charity. The Board will begin work on a new short term and long term strategy that will set the direction of the charity for the coming years. We are looking for a Trustee who will join us on this next stage of our journey as we seek to grow our influence to ensure that our families are supported.

We are looking for an inspirational and empathetic individual who understands the challenges of leading an organisation through change and brings the skills and ability to inspire our committed staff and volunteers. You will be adept at establishing and fostering strong relationships, act as a confident figurehead for the charity.

Experience in the legal and regulatory framework of the voluntary and community sector would help strengthen and complement the existing skills of the Board. We would also welcome knowledge in fundraising and lived experience of our organization. We actively encourage applications from all backgrounds to generate a diverse voice on the Board that will advance the interests of our beneficiaries.

If you feel that you have the right blend of skills, experience and drive to create lasting change for Children with Cancer UK, we look forward to hearing from you.

David Gibbs

Chair of Trustees

The duties of a trustee are as follows.

• Ensuring that the organisation pursues its stated objects (purposes), as defined in its governing document, by developing and agreeing a long-term strategy
• Ensuring that the organisation complies with its governing document (ie its trust deed, constitution or memorandum and articles of association), charity law, company law and any other relevant legislation or regulations
• Ensuring that the organisation applies its resources exclusively in pursuance of its charitable objects (ie the charity must not spend money on activities that are not included in its own objects, however worthwhile or charitable those activities are) for the benefit of the public
• Ensuring that the organisation defines its goals and evaluates performance against agreed targets
• Safeguarding the good name and values of the organisation
• Ensuring the effective and efficient administration of the organisation, including having appropriate policies and procedures in place
• Ensuring the financial stability of the organisation
• Protecting and managing the property of the charity and ensuring the proper investment of the charity’s funds
• Following proper and formal arrangements for the appointment, supervision, support, appraisal and remuneration of the chief executive (if the charity employs staff)
• In addition to the above statutory duties, each trustee should use any specific skills, knowledge or experience they have to help the board of trustees reach sound decisions. This may involve scrutinising board papers, leading discussions, focusing on key issues, providing advice and guidance on new initiatives, or other issues in which the trustee has special expertise.

Person specification

• A commitment to the organisation
• A willingness to devote the necessary time and effort
• Strategic vision
• Good, independent judgement
• An ability to think creatively and a willingness to speak their mind
• An understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of trusteeship
• An ability to work effectively as a member of a team
• A commitment to Nolan’s seven principles of public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.

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