Dear Candidate,
It is our great pleasure to introduce this exciting opportunity to join our Board of Trustees at Barnardo’s. We are seeking to recruit three new Trustees, including a new Chair. The Chair vacancy arises due to John Bartlett’s retirement as Trustee in September 2023, having completed a maximum 9 year term.
Barnardo’s is a very special charity, that plays a vital role in supporting some of the most vulnerable children, young people and families in the UK.
We have a rich history, deeply rooted in UK society, starting with the pioneering work of Dr Barnardo’s over 150 years ago.
Today we work with children, families and communities to address some of the most serious challenges facing our society – from the crisis in children’s mental health, to the growing number of children entering the care system, to the risk of sexual abuse and exploitation facing children at home, online and in the community.
We have always believed in children, regardless of their background or circumstances. We work with hope, we value the unique worth of every individual, and we believe that with the right support, every child can achieve a positive future.
In 2021-22, we are proud to have worked with our partners to support over 357,000 children, young people, parents and carers, through 794 services and partnerships. This included over 80,000 through one-to-one support, over 220,000 through children’s centres and family hubs and over 50,000 through school-based programmes. Our achievements were delivered in spite of the challenges of the second year of the COVID pandemic, and the related uncertainty and disruption experienced by children and young people. In addition to our services, Barnardo’s has over 600 retail shops, and during 2022 we successfully opened our first superstores. Throughout the last 12 months, Barnardo’s has continued to adapt to meet the demands of the day, culminating in the launch of a new fund to support children and families seeking sanctuary in the UK – including from Ukraine.
This year, we will start work on a new strategy that will ensure that Barnardo’s is fit for the future and can continue to play a key role in the meeting the challenges facing vulnerable children and young people.
Barnardo’s next Chair will be an exceptional leader who is inspirational and collaborative in equal measure. It goes without saying that the values that guide the charity to achieve successful partnerships and support so many vulnerable children and young people will also be front and centre of the approach required to take Barnardo’s forward in the coming years.
We are also seeking two further Trustees to bolster the skills and experience of the Board of Trustees in the areas of children’s services and innovation.
The successful candidates will have the support of a highly committed and experienced fellow Trustees, and a high performing leadership team with deep and broad expertise.
This is a fantastic opportunity to join the Board of one of the UK’s best-loved charities; at a time when families across the UK are struggling with the cost of living crisis, our services are needed more than ever before.
John Bartlett, Avis Darzins,
Chair of Trustees Senior Independent Trustee
