Trustee Recruitment Pack
Trustee Recruitment Pack
Contents
1.
Advertisement .................................................................................................................... 2
2.
Recruitment Process ........................................................................................................... 3
3.
Description of the Charity and its Activities ....................................................................... 4
4.
Objects and Aims of Richard Cloudesley’s Charity ............................................................. 5
5.
Role Description for a Trustee ............................................................................................ 6
6.
What we are looking for in our New Trustee ..................................................................... 9
7.
Structure, Governance and Management ........................................................................ 11
8.
Trustee Vacancies – Further Information ......................................................................... 13
9.
Application to join the Board of Trustees ........................................................................ 14
10. Equal Opportunities Monitoring (Optional) ..................................................................... 17
Trustee Recruitment Pack – February 2015
1
1.
Advertisement
Trustee Required for Charity in Islington (Voluntary)
Richard Cloudesley’s Charity was endowed by the will of Richard Cloudesley made on
13th January 1517 and for nearly 500 years has worked to carry out his original
intentions through serving the churches and the needs of sick and poor people in the
Ancient Parish of Islington.
The Charity gives grants to address poverty and ill health - including mental ill health
and disability - both to local organisations working with people who are in ill health
and financial need and to help individual local residents. Grants are also made to 21
Church of England Churches in the “area of benefit”, i.e. what was the ancient parish
of St Mary, Islington and is now the present London Borough of Islington excluding
areas south of Chapel Market and City Road. More about this can be found on our
website: http://www.richardcloudesleyscharity.org.uk/
We believe it to be very important that all trustees have a professional or strong
personal interest in the Charity’s mission and can contribute to this through their
knowledge and experience. The Charity’s governing documents require all trustees
to have a good knowledge of Islington and its communities through living or working
in the area.
The Charity has a corporate trustee, Richard Cloudesley Trustee Ltd. Board members
are called Trustees, and we are now seeking to recruit at least one new Trustee. The
Charity is particularly keen to appoint someone with strong financial services
experience who is likely to be currently, or have recently been, involved with
investment management, to add to the existing investment experience on the Board.
Richard Cloudesley’s Charity values diversity and is keen to achieve a more diverse
body of Trustees.
Successful applicants will be expected to have a good understanding of the principles
which govern UK charities, experience of strategic planning (in the business or notfor-profit sector), as well as experience of setting goals and monitoring their
achievement. Other details are set out elsewhere in the recruitment pack.
You will find more information about the Charity, details of the appointment and
how to apply on our website: http://www.richardcloudesleyscharity.org.uk/ or by
email from melanie.griffiths@richardcloudesleyscharity.org.uk, or by telephone on
020 7697 4220.
Closing date for receipt of applications: Thursday 26th February 2015, 9.00am
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2.
Recruitment Process
All applicants are requested to submit a completed application form (see Section 9)
and current CV. The deadline for receipt of applications is 9.00am on Thursday 26th
February 2015. Please submit your application by email, if possible, to the Charity’s
Director at:
melanie.griffiths@richardcloudesleyscharity.org.uk.
Following shortlisting, selected applicants will be invited to an interview with the
Charity’s Appointments Group on Monday 9th March at the Charity’s office. Before
the formal interview, shortlisted applicants are encouraged to contact the Director if
they have any questions about the role or the Charity.
We are currently seeking to recruit at least one elected Trustee. Following interview,
we may invite selected applicants to join the Board immediately. It is also possible
that an applicant may be invited to serve on one of the Charity’s committees in an
advisory capacity, either on an ongoing basis or until another elected trustee vacancy
becomes available. This could be explored further at interview.
All applications will be acknowledged, whether the applicant is invited to an
interview or not.
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3.
Description of the Charity and its Activities
In 1517 the will of Richard Cloudesley bequeathed the Stoney Field of 14 acres to
Trustees, the proceeds of which were to be charitably bestowed. This original
bequest has been maintained over nearly 500 years to become what is today Richard
Cloudesley's Charity. Using the fascinating will as a guide, the Trustees have sought
over the years to uphold Richard Cloudesley’s wishes, which included bequests to
the poor as well as providing for prayers to be said for his soul.
Today the Charity operates under a Charity Commission Scheme and is a significant
grant-making charity in the Borough of Islington, which demonstrates extremes of
wealth and poverty. In keeping with its purposes, the Charity seeks to address the
effects of poverty and ill-health within the borough, not simply through the giving of
money, but as a catalytic and creative grant maker.
The Charity's grant-making activities are split into two equal halves. Through its
Health and Welfare Grants programmes, it continues to help sick residents living in
poverty. Through its Church Grants programme, it supports the Church of England
churches in the area of benefit. In its grant-making, the Charity seeks to be strategic
and also to ensure its funding makes a positive impact. As an independent grant
maker it seeks to be a supportive and creative funder of local organisations – for
instance, by providing initial funding that may allow an organisation to attract
additional resources or by granting core funding that a small local charity may have
difficulty raising.
The Charity is a founder member of Islington Giving, a campaign started by a group
of Islington-based charities to promote local philanthropy. Islington Giving asks
residents and businesses to give what they can, be it money or time, to make a real
difference to the borough's community. This successful joint activity has already
raised a very considerable amount of extra resources for the borough. The three
themes of the campaign — tackling poverty, combating isolation and investing in
young people — parallel the aims and objectives of the Charity.
In its nearly 500 years of operation in Islington, the Charity has worked to meet the
wishes of Richard Cloudesley. It expects to continue to work strategically and
creatively to tackle these issues into the future.
In recent years, the Charity has undergone a period of considerable change: setting
up an office in the borough and employing its own staff for the first time. Over the
past two years, the Charity has been reviewing a number of areas of its operation,
including grant-making programmes, financial systems, estate management and
investments.
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4.
Objects and Aims of Richard Cloudesley’s Charity
Rather unusually for a modern Charity the Scheme which governs it does not set out
objectives but merely describes how the net income is to be distributed.
Clause 28 of the Governing Scheme of 2 July 1980 reads as follows:
28. Application of income. - (1) Subject as aforesaid the Trustees shall apply the
income of the investments for the time being representing the investments and
cash specified in Part II of the schedule hereto and one half of the residue of the
yearly income of the Charity for relief in sickness in accordance with the
provisions hereinafter contained.
(2) The Trustees shall apply the other half of the residue of the said yearly
income in making grants of such amount as the Trustees think fit towards the
upkeep and repair of the fabric of, and the maintenance of the services in, the
Parish Church of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St. Silas Pentonville and any
churches of the Church of England in the area of the Ancient Parish of Islington.
Clause 29 makes it clear that the payments made under clause 28(1) have to be
made for the benefit of those who are in financial need. There is an attachment to
the Scheme which, whilst it has no legal force, was agreed with the Charity
Commission at the same time and sets out a wide range of things which can be done
to support those who are sick and poor, both directly and indirectly through
organisations.
Over the last two years, the Trustees have been working to develop programmes for
both its funding areas which clearly describe what the Charity expects to be achieved
with each grant. Programmes will continue to be reviewed in line with changing
circumstances and local needs.
At 30th June 2014, the Charity held assets of over £44 million. During 2014/15, the
Charity has a grants budget of £900,000.
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5.
Role Description for a Trustee
Richard Cloudesley Trustee Ltd is the sole corporate trustee of Richard Cloudesley’s
Charity, and is responsible for the proper management and administration of the
Charity. As members of the Company’s Board of Trustees, the Trustees have the
roles and responsibilities set below.
The following is an extract from the Trustees’ Standing Orders:
Part 1 – General Role Description of a member of the Board of Trustees
A. Strategic: This involves:
 ensuring that the Charity pursues its charitable objectives as set out in
the governing instruments;
 defining and approving the Charity’s Mission and Values, the Aims and
Objectives arising from these, and arriving at appropriate strategic
and policy decisions to take them forward;
B. Stewardship – to have responsibility for the Charity’s assets, their
presentation and exploitation, and assessing and managing risks;
C. Monitoring – to oversee the effective management of the Charity and the
delivery of its activity including selecting and supporting the Director or
other managers of any executive functions of the Charity;
D. Governance – ensuring that the Charity’s business is effectively conducted,
that appropriate standards of governance are in place and that, if one is
adopted, the Code of Governance is followed; and
E. Promotion of and advocacy for the Charity to external partners/stakeholders.
Part 2 – The Charity’s Expectations of a Trustee
The Trustees, and committees acting on their behalf, act together as a group and
what follows is intended to reinforce this.
Members of the Charity’s Board of Trustees will be expected to:
1. Ensure the Trustee Company and the Charity comply with the law and Charity
Commission requirements;
2. Know, understand and support the Charity’s mission, goals, policies,
programmes, services, strengths, and needs;
3. At all times when acting as a Trustee to act exclusively in the best interests of
the Charity and to the exclusion of the interests of any nominator, beneficiary or
any other person or body;
4. Participate in the decision making of the Company to:
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a. Ensure that all decisions comply with the framework of the governing
documents of the Company and the Charity;
b. Subject to such compliance, to support the majority decision on issues
decided by the board;
c. Ensure the financial strength of the Charity and oversee the investment of
its assets;
5. When there is a vacancy to be filled:
a. Assist in whatever way appropriate to help fill that vacancy with people
knowledgeable about Islington and its issues;
b. Bring the vacancy to the attentions of people who might be qualified to fill it
and organisation who might be able to nominate qualified personnel; assist in
any reasonable way to ensure that the Company has available to it at Trustee
level the skills it needs and that the board maintains reasonable diversity.
6. Avoid prejudiced judgements on the basis of incomplete information;
7. Avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest, and disclose any possible
conflicts to the board in a timely fashion and in accordance with the Conflicts of
Interest Policy;
8. Avoid pursuance of personal agenda through membership of the board;
9. Participate fully in at least one of the committees set up by the board;
10. Regularly attend meetings of the board and any committee to which that
member is appointed and:
a. give apologies when not able to attend any such meeting;
b. prepare for meetings, including reading in advance the papers submitted;
c. participate fully in them including by asking timely and substantive questions
and giving views on issues to be decided;
d. contribute to the preparation for any meeting or the follow up afterwards in
any way reasonably requested.
11. Advise the Chair and/or other members of the board and/or others working for
the Charity about:
a. matters relating to the Charity where this is useful based on personal
expertise and knowledge; and
b. information or interactions which have been received;
12. Maintain independence and objectivity, and act with a sense of fairness, and
personal integrity;
13. Maintain the confidentiality of the details of the Charity’s business and not to
purport to speak on behalf of the Charity unless authorised to so;
14. Bring a sense of humour to the board's meetings and generally behave in a way
which encourages others to participate fruitfully;
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15. Show appropriate respect and politeness to other members, the Director and all
others with whom the members may deal in connection with the Charity;
16. Be fully aware of the Code of Governance if adopted (as updated from time to
time) and use all reasonable endeavours to ensure that the business of the
Charity is conducted in the way required by it.
(Note: As yet a Code of Governance has not been adopted.)
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6.
What we are looking for in a New Trustee
Introduction
The formal role description and expectations are set out in Section 5 above. What
follows is intended to give more detail of what we are seeking. The Trustee Board
has a wide range of skills, experience and attributes and many of those involved hold
or have held senior positions in various walks of life. Trustees are keen to see that
the group encompasses the range of experience and skills needed to fulfil their
general responsibilities as Trustees and is also equipped to identify key challenges
and solve problems within the Charity’s areas of operation.
General requirements
Anyone who becomes a trustee is likely to have several of the following:

A good understanding of the principles which govern UK charities

Experience of strategic planning in the business or not-for-profit sectors

Experience of setting goals and monitoring their achievement

Experience of working in groups to develop and implement plans.

A good knowledge of Islington and its communities through living or
working in the borough
Individual trustees will have a wide range of skills of a more specialist kind to support
the diverse needs of the charity as a whole.
Each Trustee must also be capable of being an enthusiastic ambassador for the
Charity. This involves building up knowledge of the work of the Charity and of how it
relates to the community it serves.
We value diversity and the Board of Trustees is keen that it reflects the diversity of
those who are supported by the Charity and of the area it serves.
Because of the Charity’s size and the responsibilities that its Trustees carry, it is
expected that Trustees will have previous experience of having served as a Trustee
elsewhere and have a good awareness of what the role entails.
There are normally four Board meetings every year. There are Trustees’ Awaydays
every two years, and extra meetings may be called if there is a need. Trustees are
expected to attend and participate fully in these. Each Trustee is also expected to
serve on and participate fully in at least one of the committees of the Board and to
contribute to any working party set up from time to time where his or her skills and
interests may be helpful.
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A Trustee is a member and director of the company which is the corporate trustee of
the underlying charity.
Specific skills needed
Having reviewed the skills and experience of current Trustees we are now hoping to
recruit an additional member who has substantial financial services experience,
preferably working on investment policies and investment management to add to
the existing investment experience already on the Charity’s Board. However, we
intend to fill the elected trustee vacancy with the best candidate taking account of
everything overall.
In your application, we would like to see evidence of how you meet the general
requirements mentioned for any trustee and, if relevant, the specific skill area
described above. We will be looking for evidence of your own experience, talents
and achievements and at any interview will want to explore this with you. In this
connection, it would be helpful if at least one of your referees is in a position to
confirm specifically from his or her own knowledge some of the information that you
provide.
Process
Consideration of applications and the interview process will be directed to making an
objective decision as to who, within this broad framework, can make the greatest
contribution to the Charity’s current and longer term needs at trustee level.
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7.
Structure, Governance and Management
The Charity of Richard Cloudesley, which operates under the name Richard
Cloudesley’s Charity, is an unincorporated endowed charity registered at the Charity
Commission under registration number 205959. The trustee, appointed by a Charity
Commission Scheme of 15 November 2010 is Richard Cloudesley Trustee Limited,
company registered under number 7425897.
Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees consists of the following:

Two ex-officio trustees (being the Mayor of Islington and the Vicar of St
Mary’s Church, Upper Street, Islington). The term of office lasts for as long
as the individual remains in office.

Eight Nominated Trustees, four nominated by the Islington Borough Council
and four by the Islington Deanery Synod.

Five Elected trustees appointed by the Trustees.
The nominated and elected Trustees serve for four years and may serve up to three
terms.
The Board has four regular meeting times a year (normally in the late afternoon on a
Wednesday in March, June, September and December). The dates of these will
normally be fixed in July for the following calendar year. Trustees are expected to
attend these save in special circumstances. Extra meetings will be convened if
needed and there is likely to be a Trustees’ Awayday every other year.
Board Committees
The Board of Trustees has established two main standing committees to discharge
functions relating to the direction and monitoring of various areas of the Charity:


Finance & Endowment Committee (normally meets quarterly). It has an
Estate Sub-Committee which also meets quarterly
Grants Committee (normally meets quarterly)
The Committees will have extra meetings if their business requires it.
Other sub-committees and working groups, such as the Church Grants, Welfare
Grants and Governance Working Parties are constituted on a time limited or an adhoc basis as required. These groups or sub-committees meet when business requires
it.
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Each Trustee is expected to serve on at least one Committee and many serve on
more than one. In addition, it is hoped that, subject to other commitments, trustees
will be willing to contribute to any sub-committee or working party which may be set
up as well as offering their knowledge and experience on an informal basis to the
Director and other staff where this is helpful.
Management
The staff team, led by the Director, is responsible for the efficient running and
development of the Charity in accordance with the strategy, policies and decisions of
the Board of Trustees. At the moment this consists of the Director, Office and Grants
Assistant, and Welfare Grants Programme Officer/Finance Officer. Staffing is
currently under review.
The Charity’s office is at Resource for London, 356 Holloway Road, London N7 6PA.
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8.
Trustee Vacancies – Further Information
The following documents are also available:

Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 June 2014.

The 1980 Scheme both as originally passed and edited to show the sections which
remain effectively in force.

The Articles of Association of the Trustee Company

The Board’s Standing Orders
Please contact the Charity’s office if you would like a copy of any of these documents.
Information relating to the grants is available both in the Report and Accounts and also on
the Charity’s website. Further information about the Charity may be obtained via the
Charity Commission website.
9.
Application to join Richard Cloudesley’s Charity Board of Trustees
Please complete the following form indicating how your knowledge, skills and experience
meet the general requirements for a Trustee of the Charity and, if relevant, the specific
skills currently sought. Applications can only be considered if this form is completed and a
full CV attached. Please expand this form as required, but not beyond six pages (excluding
the Monitoring Form).
Application forms and CVs should be sent as attachments by email to
melanie.griffiths@richardcloudesleyscharity.org.uk before 9.00am on Thursday 26th
February 2015.
Name
Address
Email address
Phone numbers: Day
Evening
Part 1 Knowledge, Skills and Experience
General requirements – anyone who becomes a Trustee is likely to have skills/experience in
several of the areas set out below
A good understanding of the principles which govern UK charities
Experience of strategic planning in the business or not-for-profit sectors
Experience of setting goals and monitoring their achievement
Experience of working in groups to develop and implement plans
A good knowledge of Islington and its communities through living or working in the
borough
Specific skills (desirable)
Financial services and investment management experience
Part 2 Reasons for applying
Please tell us why this voluntary Trustee position appeals to you and what you feel you
could bring to the Charity (maximum of one page)
Part 3 Referees
Please provide contact details (name, job title and organisation (if applicable), address,
email address, and daytime phone number) of two people who can provide references for
you, explaining briefly how you know them.
Referee 1.
Referee 2.
Part 4 Availability
We would like to appoint someone who is available to join the Board of Trustees as soon
as possible. If you were asked to join the Charity when would you be able to start?
Part 5 Confirmation
I wish to be considered for the voluntary post of Trustee and confirm that this information
is accurate, and understand that any false or incorrect information may affect my
trusteeship if appointed.
Name
(Appointed Trustees will be asked to sign an original copy of this statement)
Date
Publicity information
Please tell us how you found out about this role, e.g., website or mailing (please specify),
newspaper (please specify) or word of mouth.
10. Equal Opportunities Monitoring (Optional)
Richard Cloudesley’s Charity is committed to developing positive policies to promote equal
opportunities. This optional information is completely confidential and is used purely for
monitoring purposes. The information you give will not be shown to any member of the
Appointments Group.
Please indicate your ethnicity (2011 census categories)
White
English/Welsh/Scottish/Northern Irish/British
Irish
Gypsy or Irish Traveller
Any other White background, please specify:
Mixed/multiple
ethnic groups
White and Black Caribbean
White and Black African
White and Asian
Any other Mixed/multiple ethnic background, please specify:
Asian/Asian British
Indian
Pakistani
Bangladeshi
Chinese
Any other Asian background, please specify:
Black/African/Caribbean/Black British
Other ethnic group
African
Caribbean
Any other Black/African/Caribbean background,
please specify:
Arab
Any other background, please specify:
Prefer not to say
Gender
Male
Female
If you have an impairment that disables you in society (as defined by the Disability
Discrimination Act 1995) please specify below
Please indicate your age by selecting one of the ranges below
18 – 29
30 – 39
50 – 59
60 – 65
40 – 49
66 or above