Vibrant Communities Brighter Futures Patron: Her Majesty The Queen President: Dame Sarah Troughton (DVCO), HM Lord-Lieutenant of Wiltshire Community First Chair Recruitment Information Pack Details Deadline for applications: 16th November 2025 Appointment length: A 3-year term as Trustee with annual renewal as Chair and up to 2 consecutive terms. All new Trustees are initially co-opted prior to being appointed formally to the Board at the AGM in October. Time commitment: Approximately 15-25 days a year Remuneration: This is an unpaid, voluntary role but travel expenses can be claimed. Introduction Community First is a leading charity at the heart of communities in Wiltshire and Swindon. Our work has a real and lasting impact on the lives of people across the county and the need for our service has never been greater. We have an exciting opportunity for someone who ideally has existing experience as a Trustee and is looking to grow their governance experience and take on the role of Chair as we embark on the next stage of our growth, innovation and development. We are committed to equal opportunities. We are looking for someone with experience of either being a Trustee or with similar experience of operating at a board/ leadership level and the ability to support our executive as we embark on major developments including our outdoor education centre, which means so much to both past and current beneficiaries of our services. We are particularly interested in applications from people with business, Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector and partnership experience. We have created this information pack as a guide to our work and the role Trustees and specifically the Chair plays in our charity. www.communityfirst.org.uk Vibrant Communities, Brighter Futures About Us Community First is a registered charity (288117) based in Devizes and a member of Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE). Brighter Futures Community First works tirelessly to help people overcome challenges in their lives and we are passionate about brighter futures for the diverse range of people who live in the communities we serve. We support young people through our national award- winning ‘youth arm’ Youth Action Wiltshire, including Youth Action Wiltshire Young Carers Service, Splash, Project Inspire and youth club support. Many of our activities for young people take place at our dedicated outdoor education centres at Oxenwood and Linkenholt. As the managing partner for the Building Bridges Programmes in Swindon and Wiltshire, Community First is leading a partnership of organisations, who are working together to help people overcome their barriers to employment and education. The programmes are funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and The National Lottery Community Fund. As the Rural Community Council for Wiltshire and Swindon, we support communities across Wiltshire and Swindon through advisory services for village halls, community buildings and local councils. We envisage, create and manage projects to support people and places including community transport schemes, community led housing and community organising. Alongside our community development and engagement programmes, we also work with local landfill operators to distribute grant funding for community projects through the Landfill Communities Fund. Inspiring Ideas We are a champion for local enterprise and we love fresh ideas that make local communities better places to live and work. We think outside the box to develop new ideas through consultancy, trading and creative services. This includes Community Insurance and Minibus Driver Awareness (MiDAS) training. We also offer support for unpaid Carers (including Parent Carers and Young Adult Carers) through the Carers Together Wiltshire partnership which is led by Age UK Wiltshire. Find Us Online Our website: www.communityfirst.org.uk Vibrant Communities We are passionate about helping people work together to identify and find solutions to things that matter to them. From championing local grassroots causes to managing multi-million-pound projects, we are proud to support people and places in the vibrant communities we have served for 60 years. Social media: X: CommFirstWilts Facebook: CommunityFirstWiltshire Instagram: CommunityFirstWiltshire LinkedIn: uk.linkedin.com/company/community-first Page 3 The Role We’re looking for a Chair with vision and a passion for our communities in Wiltshire and Swindon who will lead the Board in the next stage of our strategic development. We have a strong and supportive Board with extensive experience across a wide range of sectors both business and voluntary. The wide range of services we offer provides a significant opportunity for a dynamic individual to develop their own and the Board’s skills sets as we continue to grow and evolve. You can find out more about the role and responsibilities of a Chair here: associationofchairs.co.uk/resources/chairs-compass The Chair The Chair is a trustee with a specific role on the Board. The Chair is elected or appointed to this role annually. The role of the Chair is to lead meetings of the Trustee Board. ✓ To ensure we comply with our governing document, charity law, company law and any other relevant legislation or regulations. ✓ To ensure we pursue the objectives outlined in our Additional roles of the chair include: governing documents. ✓ Supporting the Chief Executive and acting as a channel of communication between Board and staff ✓ Acting as a figurehead and advocate for the charity (for example, representing it at functions, meetings or in the press). ✓ Leading on the development of the Board and making sure that its decisions are carried out. ✓ To ensure that we apply our resources only in pursuance of our objectives and do not expend funds on activities which are not included, no matter how worthwhile or charitable these objectives may be. ✓ To contribute actively to the Board of Trustees’ role in supporting the CEO and Leadership team to set the strategic direction, agree overall policy, defining goals and monitoring targets. ✓ Taking urgent action (but not decision-making ✓ To monitor and evaluate our performance against unless authorised) between Board meetings when it isn’t possible or practical to hold a meeting. agreed objectives. ✓ To safeguard and uphold the good name and ✓ Undertaking the annual review of the Chief values of Community First. Executive. ✓ Chairing the Annual General Meeting. In addition to the specific responsibilities of the Chair mentioned above, as a Trustee the Chair also has the same responsibilities as other Trustees, namely: ✓ To ensure the effective and efficient administration of our charity and to ensure financial stability. ✓ To protect the property of our charity and to ensure proper investment of funds. ✓ To appoint a Chief Executive Officer and monitor performance and reward. Page 4 Chair: Person Specification Essential ✓ Able to run meetings effectively and on time. ✓ Have the necessary time available to read papers, attend planning meetings outside of the Board. ✓ Have a positive relationship with the CEO and Leadership Team fostering an environment of mutual respect, communication and trust. ✓ Able to form supportive, productive, inclusive relationships with other Board members, the CEO and the Leadership Team. ✓ Have a passion for and advocate for the activities across the whole organisation. ✓ Time and motivation to respond in a timely manner to communications, approving minutes etc. ✓ Appointing the Vice-Chair. Page 5 Terms of Appointment Appointment Length Time commitment Joining a new Board can be an exciting experience but can also be daunting. We are keen to ensure that this experience is as easy as possible. Trustees are recruited for a 3 year term with the Chair as an officer of the Company being approved on an annual basis at the AGM. All new Trustees are initially co-opted prior to being appointed formally to the Board at the AGM in October. The Chair is expected to Chair the 6 Board meetings held annually in addition to the Annual General Meeting (AGM) which is usually held in October. In addition, The Chair will need to set aside time to have regular meetings with the CEO and Chairs of the two sub-committees. Payments to Trustees This is an unpaid, voluntary role. All Trustees may claim expenses for travel, childcare while at Board meetings or support needed due to a disability. Interview Process Interviews will take place at the Community First office in Devizes or if this is not possible, by video call. We intend to interview prospective candidates in December 2025. The interview process will involve a panel consisting of a minimum of 3 existing Trustees and the CEO. Candidates will be expected to provide a presentation How to Apply of their approach to leadership and their perspective on the key areas of focus for their period in office. Following the interview, the interview panel will make a recommendation to the Board for final approval on the most suitable candidate with supporting rationale for their decision. To apply for the role as Chair of Community First, please send a short statement (no more than 2 pages) and CV addressing the person specification (on page 3) to Nicky Theobald. Email: ntheobald@communityfirst.org.uk. The deadline for applications is 16th November 2025. Page 6 Vibrant Communities Brighter Futures Patron: Her Majesty The Queen President Dame Sarah Troughton (DVCO), HM Lord-Lieutenant of Wiltshire Community First Chair Recruitment Information Pack Contact Us: Community First Unit C2, Beacon Business Centre Hopton Park, Devizes SN10 2EY 01380 722475 enquiries@communityfirst.org.uk Find us Online: Our website: www.communityfirst.org.uk Social media: Facebook: @CommunityFirstWiltshire X: @CommFirstWilts Instagram: @CommunityFirstWiltshire LinkedIn: uk.linkedin.com/company/community-first Registered Charity No: 288117 | VAT Registration No: 639 3860 06 | Company Limited by Guarantee Reg. No: 1757334 England Registered with the Financial Conduct Authority No: FRN 311971