Dear applicant,
Thank you for your interest in becoming CEO of Involve.
Democracy is the bedrock for our freedom and prosperity, and our capacity as a society to act on issues of social and environmental justice. But democracy in the UK is under threat – trust in politics is low, extremism is on the rise, and the resurgence of autocracy across the world shows the route to tyranny that the UK could also follow if we are complacent.
The renewal of democracy is therefore one of the most important issues of our time, and a cornerstone of this renewal is greater participation by the public in the decisions that affect their lives. Involve is the UK’s leading organisation for designing and implementing such participation.
Over two decades, Involve has built a unique reputation for expertise and delivery in the field of participatory and deliberative techniques, with a back-catalogue of over 100 projects on a huge range of issues, commissioned by organisations across society. It has also built a deep expertise in the power dynamics that determine how public participation can lead to meaningful change.
We now want our impact to become even greater, by working with many other organisations to build coalitions and social movements that embed participatory approaches in every sector, across the UK. We aim to help catalyse a game-changing shift in our national culture, so that the spirit of democracy becomes vibrant and successful at every level of life in the UK.
This role is an extraordinary and rare opportunity for an inspiring and ambitious leader to make a major contribution, with an immensely committed team, to a cause that has recently gained huge public prominence and urgency. It is also a chance to lead an organisation that is both ready and hungry to leverage its current strengths, to bring about a massive increase in its future impact.
Involve’s mission is “a society that works for everyone” – come and help make that a reality.
We look forward to seeing your application.
With best wishes,
Kevin Steele
Chair, Involve