Chair of the Wales/Cymru Committee (Trustee)

Dyma’r fersiwn Saesneg o’r hysbyseb. I weld yr hysbyseb yn Gymraeg, cliciwch i fynd at dudalen 2.

Every life lost to suicide is a tragedy, and Samaritans’ vision is that fewer people die by suicide. That’s why we work tirelessly to reach more people and make suicide prevention a priority. As we face an extraordinarily challenging period, with many facing hardship, it has never been more important for Samaritans to be here. We are looking for a Wales/Cymru Committee Chair and Trustee who will bring exceptional skills and experience to our organisation, combined with shared values.

In April 2022 we launched a new UK & ROI strategy and accompanying strategic delivery plan for Wales. With a strong heritage from nearly 70 years of providing our Listening Service, we are now taking great strides to extend our reach within communities who need us most. We are building our influencing work and services to improve prevention and support for those at risk of suicide and self-harm.

In Wales, we are moving from strength to strength and want to build on developments in recent years to our Wales team, having enabled highly successful influencing activity and excellent external relationships with key partners and government bodies in Wales. There are great opportunities for Samaritans in Wales and we are seeking a Wales/Cymru Committee Chair who can lead effective in-nation governance and build on the success of the fast-growing work of our Wales Office.

The successful applicant will bring experience and knowledge with which to lead Samaritans, a deep commitment to our mission and values, and the ability to provide effective support and challenge to the Board of Trustees. As a Trustee, you will play a key role in shaping the means of achieving our vision and will promote and develop Samaritans, ensuring we remain accessible, relevant, available, sustainable and consistently driven to delivering our mission both in Wales and across the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland.

You’ll be based in Wales with a robust understanding of the civic and political landscape we work in. You’ll be passionate about embedded equity, diversity and inclusion in all we do. You’ll have a senior/ executive level background in a complex organisation with experience of working collaboratively to deliver change and increased impact. You will have previous governance experience with time to invest in this role.

Time commitment: As a minimum, attendance is required at four Board of Trustee meetings each year, two Board away days, two Regional Council meetings and the annual meeting of Council of Samaritans. Additional attendance at committees of the Board will also be required, including a minimum of four Wales Committee meetings. Trustees are also encouraged to attend other events where possible. Additional activity between committee meetings will also be required to develop the committee membership and Wales agenda. Including meeting time, commitment can range from 2-3 days per month.

This is a non-remunerated/voluntary role. You can download a full candidate brochure by clicking here.

To apply, please send your CV and a covering letter to Ailsa Sutherland at applications@fwbparkbrown.com For an initial confidential discussion please contact Ailsa Sutherland on 0131 539 7087

Closing date for applications is Friday 27^th January, with interviews taking place during February 2023.

If there anything we need to know in order to offer you a fair recruitment process, please let us know. We will make reasonable adjustments to the interview process, and we are committed to making reasonable adjustments communicated to us by successful candidates to support you in your role.

Samaritans is wholly committed to equal opportunities for all, and we actively and warmly encourage applications from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences. We encourage applicants from certain underrepresented backgrounds on our board, and following our recent diversity audit, we particularly welcome applications from individuals with experience of disability.