Trustee

Welcome

Dear Candidate,

Thank you for your interest in becoming a Trustee of Food Bank Aid. This is an important
moment for our charity and a genuinely exciting time to join our Board.

We are a dynamic and committed organisation, full of people who care deeply about the
impact of poverty on the lives of Londoners.

•  Poverty rates in London have been higher than in the rest of England for at least

the last two decades

•  Latest reports have also captured that London has the highest child poverty rate

in England with 1 in 3 children (700,000) living in poverty.

Poverty Hurts More Than Just Pockets. It steals health. It erodes confidence.  It causes
stigma. It isolates. Now is our time to act.

Food Bank Aid is a young charity with a clear sense of purpose of keeping the food
banks fed, and we want to reach even more food banks in the years ahead.

Strengthening our Board is key to this work.

We are recruiting three new Trustees who will bring fresh insight, skills and positive
challenge to help guide our next chapter. We value curiosity, integrity, thoughtful
judgement and a genuine commitment and passion to our mission.

One of these roles is the future Chair of Food Bank Aid as I will be stepping down as
Chair this year at the end of my term, whilst remaining as Trustee and Treasurer and
supporting a managed transition to our new Chair.

If our purpose resonates with you and you want to make a meaningful difference for
food banks and their clients in London, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Chris Goodgame
Chair
FOOD BANK AID

About Food Bank Aid

Our Vision

Food Bank Aid strives for a future where no-one goes to bed hungry, and food banks are
no longer needed. Until then, we are steadfast in our fight to combat food poverty
across London, ensuring that food banks have the resources they need. Committed to
'Keeping the Food Banks Fed', we aim not only to support those in need today but at the
same time, to sow the seeds and inspire the next generation of compassionate
philanthropists.

The Food Bank Aid Story

Food Bank Aid began life in April 2020 (during the Covid-19 pandemic) when our founder
Naomi Russell, started a collection for her local food banks.

Today, Food Bank Aid distributes food, toiletries, and household goods to 33 food banks
across north London and Hertfordshire, from Watford to Tottenham and everywhere in
between. The food banks we support in turn serve an estimated 20,000 people every
week. We have provided food banks with £7.5 million worth of goods since we opened.

Our mission

Our mission is to empower food banks by providing exactly what they need, from
providing the basics to filling the gaps of food, household and toiletry items that
otherwise can’t be sourced reliably.

Our comprehensive offer includes targeted cultural and dietary foodstuffs, limiting
waste and ensuring that clients have the ingredients to cook the meals that they and
their families enjoy the most.

Through our Food Poverty Schools Education programme, we inspire children and young
adults to take action and build a foundation of empathy and kindness, shaping their
futures in social responsibility and philanthropy.

Our approach brings communities together across ages, faiths and backgrounds,
fostering connections that build confidence, purpose, and a sense of belonging. By
uniting people, we create a stronger, more supportive community that helps reduce
isolation, builds confidence and allows individuals to thrive.

www.foodbankaid.org.uk

What makes Food Bank Aid different

Ingredients: We provide essential ingredients to encourage home cooking as
well as other essential household items and toiletries.

•  Needs-Based Support: We communicate weekly with our food banks, providing

only what they need, when they need it. This way, nothing is wasted.

•  Community Driven: Community sits at the heart of our organisation, whether that’s
utilising our local community to pack, distribute, and deliver to the food banks or
running our Schools’ programme to reach future generations of community-minded
adults. Currently, 400 dynamic volunteers support the work of Food Bank Aid.

•  Networking: We connect our food bank managers to create a network where they
can share expertise. This network is also used to redistribute excess items, offload
fresh goods, and share best practices and technology.

Food Bank Aid’s Values

Our values are at the heart of everything we do, including the way our Trustee Board
works.

•  Compassion and Empathy: We listen with empathy and respect for each other,

valuing individual experiences and feelings while treating people with kindness and
dignity.

•

Integrity: We always act with honesty and transparency. We respect and adhere to
the Charity’s objective of the prevention or relief of poverty, particularly food poverty.

•  Diversity and Inclusion: We foster an environment that embraces and celebrates
differences. As a non-denominational charity, we create a place and community
where everyone feels welcome and valued, and where differences are embraced.

•  Collaboration: We deeply value the contributions of our entire team, whether

volunteers, community groups, supporters and suppliers.

•  Resilience and Learning: We are resilient and adaptable in the face of challenges
and continuously seek innovative solutions to secure the charity's long-term
success

•

Impact: We endeavour to deliver tangible support for sustainable solutions.

These values reflect our objective to engage and uplift our communities to support their
neighbouring communities, whilst ensuring dignity and respect for all.

www.foodbankaid.org.uk

Governance and Board Culture

Food Bank Aid is governed by a Board of up to 11 Trustees. Our Board is warm,
collaborative and deeply committed to fighting food poverty.

The Board is accountable to its stakeholders which includes the Charity Commission
and determines the strategic direction, performance and management of risk whilst
maintaining a high standard of governance.  To assist the Board in meeting these
objectives, it has established several Task Forces which meet at least once a year,
report to the Board and consist of Trustees, Staff and Volunteers.

The current members of the Board are:

Trustee biographies can be found online at: The Food Bank Aid Family - Food Bank Aid

www.foodbankaid.org.uk

About the Roles

We are appointing three new Trustees to strengthen our Board, broaden our expertise
and support the setting and delivery of our strategy for the next phase of the charity’s
development.  These appointments reflect our ambition for Food Bank Aid’s future and
our commitment to building a Board that reflects the diversity of the communities we
serve.

We are recruiting for:

1.  A Chair (with previous leadership experience ideally in the not-for-profit sector)
2.  A Trustee with income generation experience and expertise
3.  A Trustee with Charity Governance experience

www.foodbankaid.org.uk

All Trustees share responsibility for:
Role Overview: What All Trustees Do

•  Setting and overseeing Food Bank Aid’s strategy, exercising sound independent

judgement

•  As a Board, ensure delivery of our mission is at the heart of everything we do
•  Work collaboratively as a team and act in the best interests of the charity
•  Monitor performance, finance, risk and organisational effectiveness
•  Support and constructively challenge the Executive Leadership Team
•  Ensure strong governance, compliance and accountability to our stakeholders
•  Promote our values and commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion
•  Act as an ambassador and advocate for the Charity, promoting its work and

helping to raise its profile, including fundraising opportunities

•  Use their skills, knowledge and experience to further the Charity’s work, putting
aside any personal interest and declaring any conflict of interest if/when they
arise

Trustees’ term of appointment is three years with the possibility of reappointment for a
further term; our Trustees also sit on at least one of our Task Forces.

Person Specification

Essential

Integrity, good judgement and confidence to ask thoughtful questions

•  Commitment to our mission and values
•
•  Ability to work collaboratively and inclusively
•  Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion
•  Willingness to learn about charity governance
•  Respect for confidentiality and accountability
•  Ability to build constructive relationships at all levels, with trustees and the

executive team.

Chair Trustee

•  Provide strategic leadership to the Board, ensuring clarity of purpose, effective
oversight, and alignment with the organisation’s vision and long-term goals.
•  Act as a trusted, supportive and constructively challenging partner to the Chief

Executive.

•  Foster a culture of trust, inclusion and shared purpose among trustees, and a

non-micromanaging relationship with the executive team.

www.foodbankaid.org.uk

•  Champion robust governance, ensuring that the Board operates effectively and

transparently and so that any potential conflicts of interest are managed
appropriately

•  Chair Board meetings, making sure that follow up actions are monitored
•  Conduct annual appraisal of the CEO
•  Relate any concerns of the Board to the CEO/Executive Leadership Team
•  Represent Food Bank Aid with authority and credibility, strengthening our public
profile and fostering relationships with partners, funders, and policymakers.
•  Support financial sustainability alongside the Treasurer and all other trustees,

advocating for a diverse and resilient income base.

•  Demonstrate a deep commitment to Food Bank Aid’s mission and integrated

model of food bank empowerment and continuous improvement.

Income Generation Trustee

•  Provide advice and support on fundraising strategy, ensuring income generation

is realistic and compliant with regulations.

•  Act as a fundraising champion on Food Bank Aid’s board, working with and

supporting other trustees to explore fundraising possibilities.

•  Leveraging existing networks to support fundraising where possible.
•  Support the development of diverse fundraising streams (e.g. individual giving,
trusts and foundations, community fundraising, corporate support) including
 appeals and major fundraising events/campaigns.

•  Ensure compliance with fundraising regulation and best practice, including the

Code of Fundraising Practice, and Food Bank Aid’s policies.

This Trustee will join the Fundraising Task Force.

Governance Trustee

•  Support the Chair and Board of Trustees with maintaining high standards of
governance and following the Charity Governance Code of best practice.

•  Provide oversight to the charity’s compliance with Charity Commission and

Companies House filing requirements.

•  Ensure that Board meetings and their proceedings are properly convened and

run in accordance with the Charity’s Articles of Association.

•  Provide oversight to the Board Meeting Calendar and Agenda for Strategic

themes/topics.

•  Provide oversight to the Charity’s Schedule, Review and Creation of Policies.

www.foodbankaid.org.uk

Time Commitment and Practical
Details

•  Usually 11 Board meetings per year (in-person and occasionally online and held

at 18.30 until 20.30)

•  Minimum of 1 Task Force meeting per year (online)
•  One annual away day
•  Occasional involvement in events or ad hoc meetings
•  Term length:  term of three years with possibility of reappointment for a further

term

We offer a structured induction, ongoing learning and full support for all Trustees. All
reasonable expenses are reimbursed. We are happy to discuss adjustments to ensure
meetings and materials are accessible. Please note that this is a voluntary unpaid role.

How to Apply

In line with the Charity Governance Code, the Board of Trustees seeks to encourage and
demonstrate an equal and inclusive leadership culture.  To apply, please submit the
following documents: Your CV*, and

1.  A supporting statement of no more than two pages outlining:

o  Which role(s) you are applying for
o  How your skills and experience meet the essential criteria
o  Why you want to join Food Bank Aid at this point in our journey

Please send both documents to Mandy Salter at governance@foodbankaid.org.uk by 2
March 2026.

Interview and Appointment Process

Stage One: Panel interview

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to visit our hub and meet the team and one or
more trustees to learn more about our charity.  Then you will be invited to attend a
formal interview with a panel from our Board of Trustees. These interviews will take
place in-person in London on either 9 or 23 March.

www.foodbankaid.org.uk

Stage Two: Informal conversation

Candidates progressing to the next stage may be invited to an informal one to one
conversation with the Chair. This is a relaxed discussion and an opportunity to ask any
further questions, learn more about Food Bank Aid’s priorities and explore the role in
more depth.

Stage Three:

Final approval of proposed appointments will be made at the next full Board meeting on
21 April 2026 to which proposed new Trustees will be invited to attend in person as
observers.

After this meeting, successful candidates will receive formal confirmation and next
steps including details for new trustee induction.

www.foodbankaid.org.uk