Chair of the Board

This is an exciting time to join the Friends of the Huntley Archives at the LMA Foundation (FHALMA) as a Trustee, as we embark on a period of strategic transformation to turn the Huntley Archives into a national digital asset. 

The Chair of the Board will: 

• Lead the charity in its future developments and help us to set and fulfil ambitious goals 
• Provide active leadership and ensure the board operates within its charitable objectives 
• Draw on their experience of raising income to help us secure a more assured and innovative future 
• Take an active role in governance and ensure all trustees fulfil their duties and responsibilities 
• Chair and facilitate board meetings and encourage trustees to engage in sub-committees 
• Protect and be a voice for the Charity  
• Work closely with and review and monitor the activities and performance of the Chief Executive 

 To be successful in this role you will bring experience in the following areas: 

• Previous experience as a Chair for a charity or not-for-profit organisation 
• A good fundraising track record 
• Demonstrable interest/involvement with the Black heritage sector 

Please review the candidate information pack via the Reach Volunteering platform for further details including planned Board meeting dates. 

This is an important time for FHALMA, as we embark on digitisation of our records and develop a more coherent online and offline presence and thereby a more accessible and impactful archive.  To achieve this goal, we will need to work on outreach and partnership development, and secure the funding which will be crucial to both our immediate and long term success.   

We look for the following attributes and experiences in all of our Trustees, in addition to remit-specific professional skills and experiences:  

• Previous (charity) governance experience – you may already have experience as a Trustee/Board member for a charitable organisation or perhaps you have worked in a regulated industry where good governance is key.   Either way, you will have first-hand experience of contributing to good governance, and be willing to actively engage in collective responsibility for the good stewardship of FHALMA.  
• Excellent communication skills including an ability to network effectively, and a willingness to deploy these skills in service of partnership/fundraising efforts for FHALMA  
• Collaborative, participative and collegial style of working  
• A track record of bringing energy and commitment to driving strategy forward  
• Strategic vision and ability to think creatively  
• Good independent judgement to make decisions for the benefit of the organisation  
• The necessary time to be an effective trustee  

We also look for alignment with FHALMA’s values and objectives:  

• A commitment to FHALMA’s objectives around education, activism, anti-racism and social justice  
• A particular interest in the heritage of the African and Caribbean diaspora sector including but not exclusively archives, publishing, community activism, schools and higher education, libraries, museums, and galleries  
• Understanding of working with volunteers and lending support and direction  
• Applies the principles of public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.  

For an informal conversation with our Chief Executive, Beverley ahead of applying, please contact us via Reach Volunteering.

Please submit your application via the Reach Volunteering portal. 

Send us a concise supporting letter and CV specifying the role you are applying for, explaining why you would like to join FHALMA’s Board of Trustees, your interest in our work and how your skills/experience relate to the role advertised. Do also include a note to confirm that there are no reasons, to your knowledge, that would disqualify you from becoming a Trustee.