Vice-Chair (Voluntary)

RECRUITMENT OF VICE-CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Voluntary Role

Hackney Migrant Centre (HMC) is seeking to recruit a Vice-Chair to support our work and ensure financial and organisational stability as we implement our newly developed Strategic Plan for 2025-2028. This is an opportunity for someone with previous Board experience to support the Chair to coordinate and lead the Board of Trustees and make an important contribution to the work of this well-respected local charity at a crucial time in its development.

HMC was established in 2007 to provide advice and support to migrants to help them overcome problems with their immigration status and in accessing services. We welcome all migrants, of any immigration status or nationality. As the environment facing migrants has become ever more challenging, we have expanded the scope of our work. Our staff team has increased from one part-time worker in 2007 to a team of eight people, some part-time, and we now have a budget just under £450,000 a year.

We provide legal advice and casework support on immigration, housing and welfare, working with visitors to resolve the problems forcing them into destitution and homelessness, such as insecure immigration status and lack of access the public funds. We also, in partnership with local organisations and a team of volunteers, provide wellbeing support and regular community building sessions, including advice and support on accessing a GP and dealing with charges for hospital care.

We welcome applications from people from a range of backgrounds and experience who would be happy to take up this exciting challenge. We are particularly keen to recruit trustees from the Global Majority, those with lived experience of migration and/or the UK’s hostile immigration environment.

If you would like to be considered, please email us at recruitment@hackneymigrantcentre.org.uk by Monday 16th June 2025, attaching a CV and a covering letter outlining why you are interested in the role, how you qualify for the position, and what you could bring to it (in no more than two sides of A4). You are welcome to contact HMC’s chair, Augusta Itua at augusta@hackneymigrantcentre.og.uk if you would like to discuss this informally before applying.

See the job description below for further details and for more information about HMC visit www.hackneymgirantcentre.org.uk

The role of Vice-Chair

The Vice-Chair of the trustee board supports the Chair in fulfilling their responsibilities and provides leadership to the board in the Chair’s absence. This is a developmental role for someone who is interested in transitioning into the Chair role in future, and who can provide additional capacity, insight, and leadership to the organisation as it navigates an increasingly challenging environment for migrants and the voluntary sector.

The Vice-Chair has the general responsibilities of a trustee to ensure the financial sustainability of HMC and that it is carrying out its work for the public benefit in line with its charitable objects. Decisions affecting the running of HMC and its finances will be taken by the board as a whole, either at the board meeting or if urgent via email. The Vice-Chair does not have individual decision-making responsibility or power (but does have a deciding vote at board meetings).

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