COMMUNITY FIRST

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:

31st December 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.

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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.

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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 early
2026.

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 31st December 2025.

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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

Recruitment Pack
Community Grants Manager

Job Title:

Community Grants Manager

Hours:

22.5 hours per week, includes occasional evening and weekends

Salary:

£28,203 FTE gross per annum (Actual salary £17,385.41) with 7% employers
pension contribution

Contract:

Permanent

Location:

The role will be a combination of office,
with some home working. Office based in Hopton Park, Devizes.

This recruitment pack contains:

Information about the role (page 2)
•
Job description (page 3)
•
• Person specification (page 5)

To apply for the role, please complete the application form and return to Nicky Theobald by email:
ntheobald@communityfirst.org.uk or by post: Community First, Unit C2 Beacon Business Centre,
Hopton Park, Devizes, SN10 2EY

Application Deadline
28th January 2026 at Midday

Community First is an equal opportunities employer.

About the Role

Job Title: Community Grants Manager

Hours: 22.5 hours per week, includes occasional evening and weekends

Salary: £28,203 FTE gross per annum (actual salary £17,385.41) with 7% employers pension
contribution

Location: The role will be a combination of office, with some home working. Office based in
Hopton Park, Devizes.

Supervisor: Deputy CEO | Head of Community & Partnership Development

Community First

Community First is a registered charity (288117) based in Devizes. As a member of Action with
Communities in Rural England, we support communities across Wiltshire and Swindon. Our Patron
is Her Majesty The Queen.

Community First manages a range of community-focused grant programmes across Wiltshire and
Swindon. This includes the Landfill Communities Fund, which provides capital funding for
community, environmental and heritage projects near landfill operator sites, and the Wiltshire
Community Transport Development Fund, designed to strengthen and expand community and
voluntary transport services, trial new provision and support the development of new groups.

Community First also administers community benefit funds for projects such as the Bradenstoke
Solar Park Community Benefit Fund.

Together, these programmes represent a substantial and long-term investment in local community
growth, environmental improvement and resilience.

Due to the nature of the work, you will be required to undertake a satisfactory DBS check.

If you would like to find out more about this position, please contact Harry Tipple, Deputy CEO on:
htipple@communityfirst.org.uk or 07802688038.

Closing date: 26th of January at Midday

Interview dates: 3rd of February 2026

Community First is an equal opportunities employer. Registered Charity No. 288117.
Please contact us if you would like a hard copy application form, or if you require any assistance in
applying for this post.

Community First is an equal opportunities employer. Registered Charity No. 288117.

Community First – Recruitment Pack

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Job Description
Community Grants Manager

Job Purpose

The post holder will be responsible for the administration and operation of the Landfill Communities
Fund,  Community Transport  Development  Fund,  and  the  administration  of  other  community  funds
such as the Bradenstoke Solar Park Community Benefit Fund (BSPCBF).

Main Responsibilities

•

Liaise with groups/organisations as required to provide advice and support on the various grants
programmes.

• Manage the administration of the Landfill Grants Fund, the Community Transport Development

Fund and community funds such as the BSPCBF.

• Prepare the budgets for the programmes.

• Monitor the expenditure of the budgets and report to the Deputy CEO | Head of Community and
Partnership Development on a regular basis to update on any deviation from the budgets.

• Prepare and present reports on the programmes to funders, decision panel members and

Community First Board of Trustees.

• Develop good working relationships with ENTRUST staff, respond to any enquiries that arise,
cooperate fully in the annual audit, and advice Community First of any additional requirements
and changes.

•

•

Liaise with ENTRUST regarding any issues that arise in the preparation and during any grant
life.

Liaise with the Community Transport staff within Community First and the Passenger Transport
Unit of Wiltshire Council in the delivery of the Community Transport Development Fund.

• Ensure that Community First is made aware of any changes to the rules/legislation with regard

to any of the grants programmes and that appropriate changes are made to any procedures and
paperwork.

•

Lead the support for community groups in identifying and developing eligible projects which will
meet with the grant giving policies of both programmes and will meet all regulatory
requirements.

• Develop and present eligible applications and funding proposals for the consideration of Landfill

Communities Fund Panel.

• Assist and generally advise community groups in finding additional sources of funding for their

projects.

• Develop and organise events to publicise the landfill tax grants scheme.

•

Identify, develop and recommend new lines of work for Community First.

Community First – Recruitment Pack

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• Develop close working relationships and good communication with local authorities, funding

partners, voluntary organisations, and staff at Community First.

• Maintain contact with other grant advisers in the county e.g. The Community Foundation for
Wiltshire and Swindon, and Wiltshire Council, to help identify and develop suitable LCF
proposals.

• Attend Wiltshire and Swindon Funders network meetings.

• Attend ENTRUST Communication Forum meetings.

• Provide administration support for Community funds such as the BSPCBF annually and report to

the committee any concerns that may arise.

General Duties

The post-holder will contribute to achieving the overall mission of Community First.

• Budget holders assume financial responsibility for own operational budget. Non-budget holders

ensure expenditure is necessary and within budget constraints.

• Participate in the team working approach of Community First
• Take responsibility for their own development, inform the line manager of any development needs,

and take part in prescribed development activities.

• Work within the agreed policies and procedures of Community First.
• Carry out such other general duties as shall be determined by the Chief Executive or Deputy CEO.
• Support  other  members  of  staff  as  required  by  the  workload  and  by  absences  due  to  leave,

sickness etc.

• Ensure that office security is maintained and confidences are not breached.

Community First is committed to Equal Opportunities and the post holder is expected to be familiar
with the Equal Opportunities Policy and to complete his or her duties in a manner consistent with this
policy.

This job description does not form part of the contract of employment but indicates how the contract
should be performed.  The job description will be subject to review and amendment in the light of
experience  and  in  consultation  with  the  post  as  part  of  the  annual  appraisal  process.    The
responsibilities attached to the post may vary from time to time without changing the general character
of the duties or the level of responsibility entailed.  Such variations are a common occurrence and
would not in themselves justify the re-evaluation of a post.  In cases, however, where a permanent
and substantial change in the duties of the post occurs, consistent with a higher level of responsibility,
then the post would be eligible for re-evaluation.

Community First – Recruitment Pack

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Person Specification
Community Grants Manager

Essential

Experience of awarding, managing or applying
for grants.

Strong knowledge of legislation, accounting
requirements and good practice relating to
grant awarding and reporting.

Desirable

Experience within the
voluntary / community
sector.

Experience of working with
and managing collaborative
groups, ensuring that all
parties are supported to
contribute.

Experience of planning and working towards
targets.

Experience of developing a
grant monitoring database.

Experience of efficiently managing and
delivering a demanding and varied workload.

Experience of developing
grant terms and conditions

Ability to advise and support community
groups and other stakeholders on effective
community engagement

Good knowledge of GDPR compliance and
data protection best practice.

Strong knowledge or
working with Microsoft 365.

Excellent all-round
communication skills and
the ability to communicate
clearly and concisely to a
range of audiences.

Ability to plan and manage budgets effectively.  Strong administration skills.

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well as independently

Good written and verbal communication skills

Community First – Recruitment Pack

Page 5