Trustee and chair of governance and finance committee

Thank you for your interest in becoming a board trustee of Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby Limited (GBWR), and chair of its governance and finance committee (GFC). 

Wheelchair rugby is an exhilarating sport played by athletes with often severe physical impairments. It has grown rapidly in recent years, overseen by a dedicated team of GBWR staff, trustees, and volunteers.

The board is now looking to appoint a new trustee to join us and help steer the sport through to the LA28 Paralympic Games and beyond. This follows the departure of our longest-serving board member at the end of her third term, and the current GFC chair stepping into her role of senior independent director. This new appointee will have responsibility at board level for matters relating to finance and governance.

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

In addition to the duties and responsibilities imposed on all charity trustees by charity and company law:

• Chair the GFC
• Report to the board of trustees and to the GFC on all matters relating to the oversight of GBWR’s financial performance and position (actual and against budget), preparation and agreement of annual budget, developments in financial reporting, and elements of governance which relate to the role
• Liaise with the CEO, head of business operations, outsourced financial services provider, and external auditor in respect of all the above
• Supervise preparation of the annual report and financial statements for the GBWR group of companies, where the charity is the parent company of a trading subsidiary which is being wound down with a view to being made dormant in financial year 2025/26
• Act as a signatory, alongside the chair of the board, on the annual statutory accounts
• Ensure that high standards of governance, robust internal control systems, and risk management procedures are maintained and regularly reviewed, and compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements
• Participate as a signatory in procedures for incurring expenditure and authorising payments to suppliers in accordance with established tiers of responsibility
• Support and challenge the CEO and the senior leadership team as necessary and appropriate
• Meet with the CEO and chair of the board as and when required
  
  

PERSON SPECIFICATION

 All successful candidates will need to demonstrate how they meet the following essential criteria:

• Hold a relevant qualification(s) demonstrating financial skills relevant to the role, or be able to demonstrate skills through experience
• Current or recent experience of working, or as a board member, within a corporate or charitable environment
• Thorough knowledge and experience of governance and regulatory framework for corporates and charities
• Be able to demonstrate governance skills through experience; a relevant qualification, eg ICSA, would also be desirable
• Exhibit the highest standards of personal integrity
• Ability to support and challenge the CEO and senior leadership team
• Excellent communication skills (both verbal and written) 

It would be desirable for candidates to have knowledge, understanding, and/or experience in a sporting and/or disability environment.

TERMS OF APPOINTMENT

Time commitment

 It is expected that the chair of the GFC will undertake the following: 

• Attend four board meetings per year
• Attend a board strategy day
• Chair four GFC meetings per year
• Attend one subsidiary board meeting per year
• Engage in regular communications with, and support of, the chair, both in person and by phone
• Attend events in an ambassadorial capacity
• Be available for other meetings and/or functions where representation on behalf of GBWR is required

Remuneration and expenses

The role is non-remunerated. Reasonable expenses incurred on official GBWR business will be reimbursed according to the GBWR expense policy.

Term of appointment

The term of appointment is for three years, with a maximum of three terms permitted.

Location

Board and GFC meetings take place in central London. The head office of GBWR is at Twickenham Stadium, Greater London.

RECRUITMENT PROCESS

The closing date for applications is Friday, 2 August 2024.

In order to shortlist, the nominations committee of GBWR will assess each application against the person specification and select who to invite for interview.

Candidates will be notified that they have been shortlisted for interview by email no later than Friday, 16 August 2024.

Further details about the date(s) and format of the interview will be provided to shortlisted candidates.

References will be taken up for the successful candidate.

If you would like an informal discussion about the role, please email nas.al-sabaeiova@gbwr.org.uk to arrange for the chair of GBWR or a member of the nominations committee to speak to you in confidence.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, please submit: 

• A CV of no more than two sides of A4;
• A supporting statement of no more than two sides of A4, giving specific evidence of your ability to meet the key responsibilities and person specification and your reason for application;
• Names and contact details, including email addresses, for two referees and in what capacity you know them; and
• A completed diversity monitoring form: click here to complete 

Completed applications should be sent to: nas.al-sabaeiova@gbwr.org.uk by Friday, 2 August 2024. Please put ‘Trustee appointment’ in the subject title.

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

You must provide details in your supporting statement if you have any interests that might be relevant to the work of GBWR and which could lead to a real or perceived conflict of interest should you be appointed.

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION

GBWR is an equal opportunities organisation and we welcome applications from all suitably qualified and experienced people regardless of race, religion/belief, gender, gender reassignment, disability, sexual orientation, age, marital/civil partnership status, or pregnancy/maternity.