Trustees

The National Park City Foundation is looking for several new Trustees to join our board in 2026. Our Trustees volunteer their time and bring their experience and expertise to support our long term grassroots movement for everyone making our cities greener, healthier, and wilder.

In this round of recruitment we’d like to appoint several new Trustees, each of whom will be comfortable with building a growing organisation, supporting income growth and diversification, and some with experience of building an international or local organisation, growing citizen-led movements, and a good understanding of how policy and communities are intertwined.

The National Park City Foundation (Charity no. 1173267) is a fast growing, impactful and dynamic charity and we’re looking for passionate and committed Trustees who share our vision of cities teeming with wildlife, where everyone can benefit from exploring, playing and learning outdoors.

London became the world’s first National Park City in 2019 and our Charter – co-created with contributions from people in 50 counties – sets out how we collectively share the ambition, responsibility, and power to make our cities places where people and nature are better connected.

Across London we celebrate and support the work of hundreds of grassroots organisations, and convene our community of volunteer Rangers who lead efforts to connect people and nature in their own neighbourhoods.

The Foundation actively supports other cities to become National Park Cities including Adelaide in Australia in 2021, Breda in the Netherlands, and Chattanooga in the USA in 2025. Our growing global movement encompasses another dozen cities on the journey including Rotterdam, Southampton, Glasgow, Cardiff, Johannesburg, Belfast, and Wellington.

You’ll be part of an energised and experienced Board of Trustees full of ambition, supported by a motivated staff team, hundreds of committed volunteers and growing support from people and organisations around the globe.

This is an exciting opportunity to help shape the ongoing development of the global National Park City movement at a time of increasing momentum in London and rapidly growing interest from other cities in undertaking the journey.

No recruiters please – direct applications only.

Responsibilities

As a Trustee on our Board you will be passionate about, believe in and help lead our vision. You will be joining and fully participating in a unique and inspirational community of changemakers and storytellers, active across London and increasingly around the world.

You will be collectively responsible for ensuring that we deliver on our charitable objectives and that we meet and comply with our legal and governance requirements.

You don’t need to have a university degree or particular qualifications to apply for this role, and we’ll provide you with additional training and mentoring in how to deliver your obligations as a Trustee, especially if this is your first time in such a role.

You’ll be expected to attend up to six board meetings a year, either in-person at our central London visitor centre or occasionally online. We estimate that you’d need to spend between 12 and 18 days per year on National Park City Foundation work.

You’ll also have the opportunity to participate in and contribute to one or more of our working groups, and occasional task groups, which include Fundraising, Governance and Finance, Movement Building, Research and Learning, Partnerships, and International.

You’ll work closely with our staff team, and support and engage with our volunteers including our amazing Ranger community across London.

We’ll look to you for occasional help and guidance on the subject matter and experience you bring to the board, and there will be ample opportunity to represent the Foundation externally through attendance at events, talks, and networking.

Trustee appointments are usually for two consecutive terms of three years each.

These roles are unpaid, however we can cover expenses including travel, subsistence, and the costs of childcare to attend meetings. We offer flexibility around your other work or family commitments.

Trustee Requirements

For this round of recruitment we aim to appoint up to four Trustees with a mix of skills and experience essential for the ongoing development and growth of our charity.

You should have a good grasp or interest in how organisations work, and be willing to chip in with your experience and be prepared to roll your sleeves up and learn when you are confronted with new challenges.

You need to be comfortable being presented with financial information, and be willing to help in any practical ways that you can to assist in wider income generation activity for the charity; reviewing and contributing to proposals, making connections, and promoting our fundraising and impact campaigns.

In this round we are particularly looking for Trustees with the following experience:

International Perspective

We are looking for at least one of our new Trustees to bring extensive international experience and understanding, especially in how to manage an organisation that has international reach combined with local operations and impact.

• To assist in shaping our future governance, operations, and collaboration amongst emerging and established National Park Cities.

• To bring a strong understanding and experience of working in global movements or organisations, with a practical understanding of wider environmental and nature movement.

• A willingness to fully participate in our International Committee and support the ongoing recognition of new National Park Cities.

Supporting Communities

​Over the next two years we’ll see at least four or five new UK-based National Park Cities, and to support each of them in their journey we are looking for at least one Trustee who brings a deep understanding of how public and private organisations collaborate and support city-scale initiatives supporting local communities.

• To bring a broad based understanding of how local and national government support local communities, including understanding the shortcomings and challenges involved in such.

• A good understanding of how public policy and political affairs may impact or benefit the National Park City movement.

• A willingness to provide help and advice on what’s required to establish broad-based participation within local communities.

Movement building

​We would very much like to find a Trustee with direct experience of building a participatory membership organisation who can help advise on strategies for engaging a larger cross-section of citizens within the work of each National Park City.

• Ideally with real hands-on experience of building or substantially growing and expanding a grassroots, citizen-led movement, with the scars and stories to prove it.

• Practical skills that will help us to sharpen our campaigning, movement building, and storytelling.

• Familiarity with a justice-led approach to movement building, driving diversity, equity, access and inclusion.

Diversity is key to the success of our movement and we’re keen to hear from people with different perspectives, backgrounds, skills and experience. We believe everyone should have an equal voice in the future of our cities and everyone should benefit from easy access to high-quality urban greenspaces.

We will seek to reach as many people as possible with this call for Trustees and will review and consider all applications received. We’ll brief our selection panel in best practice recruitment and will set up a check and challenge to counter any discrimination or unconscious bias.

Not sure you tick all our boxes? Please apply anyway as we want to hear from a wide range of potential candidates.

How to Apply

The application deadline is 12 noon on Wednesday 27th May 2026 and we’ll contact shortlisted applicants by Friday 5th June.

We will then carry out initial short interviews online, followed by full interviews in the two weeks following 8th June with a view to appointing up to four candidates by mid June.

To apply please send us a copy of your CV, along with a cover letter of no more than two A4 pages outlining your suitability for this role and also please include answers to the following three questions:

Question 1: Considering your own skills and experience which of the Trustee roles are you most suited to and why?

Question 2: How would you explain the benefits of connecting with urban nature to a friend or colleague?

Question 3: Why should more cities seek to become National Park Cities?

We would ask you to please fill out our anonymous Diversity Questionnaire along with your application.

Selection Process

Initial shortlisting will be carried out by our Trustee and staff panel, who will score candidates’ CVs and responses to the application questions and agree a shortlist of candidates for interview.

Interviews will be conducted by a panel of current Trustees, initially via video conference, and then in-person for second round interviews. Unfortunately we may not be able to provide feedback to all applicants.

We will do our best to accommodate any adjustments requested by candidates.

We will keep shortlisted and interviewed candidates up to date throughout the process as we determine how many Trustee roles we expect to fill in this round.

We will run reference / background checks for each of the shortlisted successful candidates with the aim of joining our next scheduled board meeting on 9th July 2026.