Vacancies

Job Number: 2662

Role Title: Trustee
Charity: Katharine House Hospice
Salary Range: Voluntary
Contract: Trustees are appointed for a fixed term of three years, and normally serve two terms (a third term may be served by mutual agreement)
Location: Oxfordshire

Deadline for applications: Rolling applications

Fundraising Trustee role details

Overview:

Katharine House Hospice provides specialist palliative care for adults in Oxfordshire, South Northamptonshire and South Warwickshire.

The hospice is in Adderbury, Oxfordshire, and is the base for all activity, which includes an Inpatient Unit; a team of community nurses, who care for our patients in their homes; a Living Well service for those that are living with life-limiting conditions and a bereavement service for family and friends after the death of a loved one.

In 2021, after an extended review period, a formal agreement was entered into with the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH). This transferred the provision of the clinical services to the OUH under a contractual arrangement, requiring the charity to grant-fund the activity.

This was done to secure the future of the palliative and end-of-life service for our community, in the face of rising costs and an unpredictable philanthropic environment.

Main Responsibilities

Trustees make a significant contribution to the running of Katharine House Hospice. Through the diversity of their knowledge, skills and experience, as well as the time they give freely, they play a key role in enabling the charity to achieve its aims of ensuring all those affected by life-limiting conditions receive the support and care they need.

For a Trustee with a specific professional specialism of fundraising, the task would be to work to develop a positive and supportive relationship with the Director of Fundraising and Marketing and the Head of Retail. The Board would look to this individual to help to assure them that the Senior Leadership Team are reaching the right balance between stretching income targets and realistic results when budgeting, setting sensible expenditure budgets and achieving ROIs that are appropriate.

Person specification

All Trustees must have the ability to think strategically, be positive, supportive and able to engage Katharine House Hospice executives and stakeholders in constructive conversations.

Trustees must be willing to be ambassadorial and to use skills to actively support the organisation’s development. Trustees must be flexible and able to commit the time and attention to learn about and contribute to the charity’s work. This includes attending meetings, taking responsibility for ongoing induction and learning, as well as proactively building meaningful understanding, insight and relationships with Trustee colleagues and Katharine House Hospice executives.

Potential Fundraising Trustees should demonstrate:

• A strong commitment to the strategy and values of Katharine House Hospice, and an interest in the hospice sector more broadly.
• Experience of managing income generation across multiple income streams in a third sector organisation, and reporting to the organisation’s Board of Trustees on that activity.
• Professional experience of managing strategic issues, interpreting complex information and of contributing to business planning.
• An ability and willingness to contribute their skills in a meaningful way to further the interests of the hospice.
• An ability and willingness to act as an ambassador for Katharine House, including attending fundraising and other relevant events. An ability to work effectively as a member of a team, which includes: actively participating in discussions, respectfully listening to the points of views of others and helping the team reach decisions that are in the best interests of Katharine House.
• Excellent communication skills.

Governance

Katharine House Hospice is governed by a Board of Trustees who are responsible for the strategic direction of the hospice as well as ensuring it meets its regulatory requirements.

Responsibility for the day-to-day management of the hospice is delegated to the Chief Executive and Senior Leadership Team.

Trustee Board meetings take place four times a year. The work of the Board is supported by the following committees:

• Finance, Audit & Risk Subcommittee
• Income Generation & Marketing Subcommittee
• Clinical Subcommittee

Trustees are also expected to act as ambassadors for the hospice and may be asked to represent it at occasional fundraising and community events.

Katharine House Hospice is governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association. It is a Registered Charity in England and Wales Number 297099, and a Company Limited by Guarantee Number 2133391.

Trustees are appointed for a fixed term of three years, and normally serve two terms, but a third term may be served by mutual agreement.

The Board meetings are currently in January, March, July and October, with the subcommittees taking place in the weeks leading up to each board meeting. The Board meetings are set around the needs of the Board and key times in the year for governance activity, whilst also taking in to account and avoiding popular holiday seasons.

The Board meetings take place in person in Bloxham on a weekday 5-7pm, whilst the subcommittees (also two hours) take place online during weekdays. Dates are currently set to March 2027 and we will shortly be looking to set dates for 27-28.

Trustee positions are unremunerated, although reasonable expenses will be reimbursed.

All Trustees receive a full induction on appointment.

To find out more about this role please contact us via the form on this page to request a trustee information pack including full role details including responsibilities, future plans and terms of reference.