Chair of Trustees - Education Charity - Volunteer in Harrow

We are seeking an experienced and values-led Chair of Trustees to guide our education charity through its next phase of growth. You will lead a committed board, strengthen governance, and support the Foundation’s long-term vision and impact.

The Chair of Trustees will play a pivotal role in shaping the next phase of Blue Magpie Foundation’s development. As the Foundation grows and delivers increasingly ambitious education and digital inclusion programmes, strong, confident governance is essential to ensure that impact is sustained, risks are managed, and opportunities are pursued responsibly.

By providing effective leadership to the Board, the Chair will help ensure that trustees are focused on the right strategic questions and able to offer constructive challenge and support. This will strengthen decision-making and allow the organisation to move forward with clarity and confidence, particularly as it engages with larger funders, partners, and public bodies.

The Chair will help embed good governance practices that are proportionate and practical, rather than bureaucratic. This includes supporting well-structured trustee meetings, clear oversight of finances and risk, and a shared understanding of the Foundation’s priorities. Over time, this will reduce dependency on any one individual and create a more resilient organisation.

At a delivery level, the Chair’s work will indirectly but powerfully support the Foundation’s beneficiaries. Strong governance enables the operational team to focus on high-quality programme delivery, knowing that strategic direction, accountability, and sustainability are being held at board level. This creates the conditions for programmes to grow without compromising quality or values.

The role will also be influential in supporting the Foundation’s longer-term vision. As the board refreshes and evolves, the Chair will help shape a culture of thoughtful stewardship, bringing in new perspectives and experience where needed. This will support future expansion, stronger partnerships, and continued success in securing grant funding.

For the communities the Foundation serves, the impact of this role is significant. A well‑led board helps ensure that resources are used effectively, programmes remain aligned to real needs, and the Foundation can continue to deliver meaningful educational opportunities for children and families over the long term.

In short, the Chair’s contribution will help Blue Magpie Foundation move from founder‑led growth to a sustainable, well‑governed organisation, capable of delivering lasting impact at greater scale.

We are seeking a Chair of Trustees who brings both sound judgement and lived experience relevant to the communities the Foundation serves. This role is for someone who understands, at a personal level, the realities of inequality, displacement, educational barriers, or social disadvantage, and who can help ensure that governance decisions remain grounded in real lives and real needs.

The ideal candidate will have experience operating at board or senior leadership level, within the charity sector, education, public services, or a values‑led commercial environment. Previous trustee or chair experience is welcome but not essential, provided the individual has a strong understanding of governance, accountability, and strategic oversight. Lived experience is essential for this role. This may include, for example, experience of growing up in underserved communities, navigating barriers to education, migration or refugee experience, digital exclusion, or other forms of structural disadvantage.

We value trustees who can bring insight that cannot be learned solely through professional experience. Alongside lived experience, the Chair should be comfortable providing strategic leadership at board level. This includes guiding trustee discussions, supporting clear decision‑making, and ensuring the board remains focused on long‑term sustainability, impact, and risk.

The Chair will work closely with the Founder and operational team, acting as a critical friend who can offer challenge with empathy and support with clarity. Strong interpersonal and facilitation skills are important. The Chair should be able to create an inclusive board environment where different perspectives are welcomed, discussion is respectful, and decisions are reached thoughtfully. Emotional intelligence, integrity, and the ability to balance authority with humility are key qualities.

Financial literacy is important, though not necessarily technical expertise. The Chair should feel confident engaging with financial information, asking appropriate questions, and ensuring that trustees collectively maintain oversight of the Foundation’s financial health. A genuine commitment to education, digital inclusion, and improving life chances for children and families is central to this role.

We are particularly keen to hear from candidates whose lived experience informs a deep understanding of why this work matters, and who wish to contribute that perspective at a strategic level. We are committed to building a board that reflects the communities we serve and welcome applications from individuals who may not have followed traditional leadership pathways but who bring insight, resilience, and credibility to the role.

Blue Magpie Foundation is at an important point in its development. Founded to deliver high‑quality education, digital inclusion, and community‑based learning programmes, the Foundation has grown organically through strong founder leadership and hands‑on delivery. We are now intentionally strengthening our governance as we prepare for the next phase of maturity, sustainability, and scale.

Our current board is small, committed, and supportive, but relatively light‑touch in its operation. The Founder has historically held both executive and governance responsibilities, and we are now separating these roles to align more clearly with best practice and Charity Commission guidance. Appointing a new Chair of Trustees is a key part of this transition.

The new Chair will play a central role in shaping a confident, well‑functioning board that provides effective oversight, strategic challenge, and long‑term stewardship of the Foundation’s mission. You will work closely with the Founder, who continues to lead delivery and vision, while ensuring that governance, decision‑making, and accountability are appropriately balanced.

Over the next 12–24 months, the Foundation expects to focus on:

• Strengthening governance structures and board processes
• Improving financial oversight and planning to support grant funding and sustainability
• Supporting programme growth while managing capacity and risk responsibly
• Refreshing and expanding the trustee board to bring in complementary experience

The Chair will help guide the board through these priorities, ensuring meetings are purposeful, well‑structured, and focused on the right issues. This includes setting agendas, facilitating constructive discussion, and helping trustees engage at the right strategic level rather than drifting into operational detail.

This role is particularly important at a time when the Foundation is engaging with funders, partners, and stakeholders who expect strong, visible governance. The Chair will help ensure that the board is able to demonstrate clarity of oversight, confidence in financial management, and thoughtful consideration of risk and impact.

What makes this role exciting is the timing. The Foundation has a clear mission, active programmes, and real‑world impact, but is still at a stage where good governance can meaningfully shape its future. The incoming Chair will not be inheriting a rigid or over‑bureaucratic board, but will have the opportunity to help build a thoughtful, proportionate governance culture that protects the mission while allowing the organisation to grow with confidence. This is a chance to make a lasting contribution to an education charity at a pivotal moment, where the right leadership at board level will directly influence long‑term impact.