Maudsley Charity is an independent mental health charity attached to the Maudsley Hospital in south London, which works with a range of partners to improve mental health. It exists to fund people and projects which strive to improve care, support recovery and prevention for mental illness. It has over 750 years of history, and can trace its roots back to 1247 and the foundation of Bethlem Royal Hospital, the oldest psychiatric institution in the world. The Maudsley Hospital itself opened in 1923, and nowadays the hospital trust which includes the Maudsley and Bethlem hospitals provides the widest range of mental health services in England, including more than 50 national and specialist services for adults and children.

In 2018, Maudsley Charity became an independent organisation. Working with South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) and the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London (KCL IoPPN) and community organisations, Maudsley Charity has committed more than £48m in its current strategic plan to making a positive and sustainable impact on mental health in south London and across the UK. You can read more about the Charity's strategy here. The unique partnership with SLaM and KCL enables Maudsley Charity to fund innovative projects and research which change lives.

In 2021 / 22, Maudsley Charity shifted its funding programme to focus on two key areas of mental health where it knows it can make the biggest impact. Over the next five years, it will be investing £20m across two themes: Living Well with Psychosis, and Young People Most at Risk of Mental Illness. Maudsley Charity's programmes are shaped by clinical and lived experience expertise and by evidence about the impact of racism, discrimination, socioeconomic disadvantage and other kinds of inequalities as it strives for greater equity in care and support. While it operates primarily within the four boroughs served by South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham, and Southwark), it believes that the work it funds has the potential for wider impact at both national and international levels.

The Charity has a fully expendable endowment held in a mix of financial and property investments, valued at c. £144m, including £47m in property assets and two investment portfolios of £42m and £55m. It gives grants, funded from its endowment and donations, which range from multi-million pound clinical and research initiatives intended to drive change across the UK, to small scale, community-based initiatives led by, and supporting, people who experience mental illness in south London. The Charity balances long and short term goals; it wants to make an immediate difference to lives, and to fund ideas which will have an impact on future generations.

Further information regarding Maudsley Charity's history, mission and endowment can be found in the recruitment information pack.

Due to natural succession on the Board, Maudsley Charity is looking to appoint a new Trustee to its main Board, who will also serve as Chair of the Investment Advisory Committee. The overall purpose of Trustees is to hold the charity “in trust” for current and future beneficiaries by:

• Ensuring that the charity has a clear vision, mission and strategic direction and is focused on achieving these.
• Being responsible for the performance of the charity and for its “corporate” behaviour; ensuring that the charity complies with all legal and regulatory requirements
• Acting as guardians of the charity’s assets, both tangible and intangible, taking all due care over their security, deployment and proper application
• Ensuring that the charity’s governance is of the highest possible standard

As well as fulfilling the Trustee’s statutory duties, any Trustee should make full use of any specific skills, knowledge or experience to help the board make good decisions. For this role, this includes taking responsibility of the Investment Advisory Committee (IAC). The remit of the Investment Advisory Committee is to:

• Maintain oversight of the investments of the Charity to ensure that the funds are managed in accordance with agreed policy, legislation and good practice
• Advise the Board on the development of an investment policy for Maudsley Charity, specifically addressing any relevant ethical considerations
• Review the policy on a regular basis to ensure that it remains compatible with the Charity’s business plan
• Make any recommendations for changes to the investment policy, portfolio and investment management arrangements to the Board
• Maintain an overview of the performance of all investments assets
• Report performance to the Board

A full list of the responsibilities of a Trustee including their statutory duties, and of the IAC Chair can be found in the recruitment information pack here. 

Maudsley Charity is seeking a new Trustee who has held senior leadership positions within Investment Management. In their executive career, they may have specialised in either financial or property investments, as the charity's endowment spans across classes. If their background is in property, then this may either have been through managing a property portfolio, or as a real estate investor. They will be able to interpret the performance of portfolios, and therefore provide recommendations to the Board and oversight of the Investment Managers (which include Knight Frank, Baillie Gifford and Veritas). Candidates with the most current / recent experience of managing investments will be preferred.

Candidates will also have held a previous non-executive role on the board of a charity. Maudsley Charity is particularly interested in those who have experience working with charity investments within these roles, and will therefore bring solid understanding around the requirements and regulations associated with charity investments. Ideally, candidates will also therefore have some experience, or interest, in value- and mission-aligned investing. Candidates with experience of ethical and responsible investment are of particular interest.

Most importantly, candidates will be able to demonstrate their commitment to improving mental health, and to the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion. They will bring a proven history of acting with impartiality, fairness, and will have the ability to respect confidences. They will be able to build and sustain successful relationships with all stakeholders and colleagues, and evidence sound judgement and effective decision-making.

A full list of the Board of Trustees can be found here.

Investment Advisory Committee members:

Trevor Goode, interim Investment Advisory Committee Chair
Frances Corner, Chair of Trustees
Peter Baffoe
Nicola Byrne
Nigel Keen
Gemma Woodward, Co-Opted Member

This role is unremunerated, and reasonable, pre-agreed travel expenses will be reimbursed, although those with a local connection are particularly encouraged to apply. There are five Board meetings, and four Investment Advisory Committee meetings, every year, plus one away day. Two board meetings per year are usually held after 5pm, with the others taking place in working hours. Board meetings usually last around four hours. IAC meetings usually last around two hours.

The appointment is for a three-year term, which can be renewed twice at the discretion of the Board for a maximum of nine years. Appointment to a committee is for a two-year term in the first instance.

The IAC is supported by Director of Finance and Operations, and Financial Accountant who acts as secretariat to the Committee.

Maudsley Charity welcomes applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, belief or disability. Applications from those with lived experience of mental illness or supporting those with mental illness, as well as those from ethnic minority groups and a range of socio-economic and educational backgrounds would be particularly encouraged. All appointments will be made on merit, following a fair and transparent process. In line with the Equality Act 2010, however, the organisation may employ positive action where candidates from underrepresented groups can demonstrate their ability to perform the role equally well.