Thank you for your interest in leading our Board of Trustees at Samaritans as our next Chair. We have benefitted from strong leadership from our outgoing Chair, Keith Leslie, and, as Keith comes to the end of his six-year tenure, we are now seeking an exceptional person to lead this incredible charity through its next stage of evolution.
For over seven decades, Samaritans has striven to ensure that fewer people die by suicide, ever since the very first call was answered in 1953. From those humble beginnings, we have grown into one of the UK and Ireland’s most trusted charities. With 23,000 volunteers and 300 staff, we provide a 24/7/365 service. Samaritans never closes.
This is an exciting and pivotal time to join our Trustee Board. We are seeking a Chair to help lead us through a transformational ‘future proofing’ programme. Despite volunteers answering a call for help every 10 seconds and in 2024 responding to 3.3 million calls, there are still times when people in crisis cannot get through. We are determined to change this and ensure that no call goes unanswered, and that no one waits longer than five minutes to speak to a volunteer – day or night.
Our change programme will include a focus on finding the best service model for the future, major expansion of our online chat service, and exploring new innovative ways of volunteering to provide our life-saving service. Alongside this, we will continue to build on our influential voice across the UK and Ireland for maximum impact. All this needs to be done in the current challenging financial environment, meaning effective decision-making and prioritisation are paramount.
We cannot achieve our vision – that fewer people die by suicide – without an inspirational, low ego, values-driven Chair. We are looking for someone with a combination of strong strategic leadership skills, emotional intelligence and exceptional communications skills. You will be able to influence key external stakeholders, build a strong partnership with our CEO and engage compellingly with our volunteer and staff community. Above all, you will ensure we remain trusted and recognised as a well-run, well-governed organisation through a period of significant change.
If you feel inspired by this opportunity and believe you have the skills to lead our Board, we would be delighted to receive your application. You will lead a dedicated and talented Board of Trustees and work in partnership with our committed staff and volunteer leadership – all united in achieving our vision. I hope that you will be excited by this opportunity to shape the future of Samaritans.
Annie Kent
Chair of Selection Panel