Chair

COPA is a small national registered charity run by older people for older people in Wales. We are the “national voice” for local older people’s forums and want to make sure that older people are listened to and their opinions acted on in everything that affects us.

COPA wants to recruit a new Chair to lead the Board of Trustees from across Wales. The Board of Trustees guides the direction of COPA as it develops and implements an agenda to forge a more impactful voice for older people, working closely with 50+ Forums in local authority areas. We are looking for a new Chair with the knowledge, experience, and skills of a role in a Charity or Business or Community Organisation. We are keen to attract individuals who would improve the diversity of our Board. You do not need to be an older person to apply.

COPA would like to invite any individuals who may be interested in becoming Chair of our Board to contact us. This is an opportunity to directly influence and contribute to the work of a charity that is making a difference to the lives of older people across Wales. There is no payment for being a Chair, but COPA will cover expenses. A recruitment pack is available. Information on COPA is available on our website

A key role for the new Chair will be in leading COPA as a charity through the next stage of its development. We have evolved over the last few years through a process of strategic review that has led to a new Marketing and Communications Strategy and changes to the Board structure and responsibilities. The next stage will be to implement this new direction including securing new funding sources to increase our capacity, extend our partnership with 50 plus Forums, and continue to ensure we meet the high standards established for the governance of our charity.

This is an exciting but challenging time for COPA. At a national level, the Chair will have a vital role in leading discussions with Welsh Government and the Commissioner for Older People on all of the issues important to older people and working in partnership with other organisations as a member of the Ministerial Advisory Forum on Ageing (MAFA) and other advisory groups. Our voice at the national level is always informed by the views of local 50+ Forums across Wales.

The new Chair would join COPA as a Nominated (co-opted) trustee. This is a separate category of Trustee who are required to provide knowledge, skills, and experience that the Elected Trustees do not have (or do not possess sufficiently). For example, expertise in one or more of running a charity, about age and ageing policy and professional practice, service delivery, leadership, change management, marketing, finance, law etc. The deadline for applications is 14 April 2025. We are aiming for the successful candidate to be appointed Chair of COPA by June 2025