Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust is dedicated to supporting innovation in patient care at Addenbrooke's and the Rosie hospitals. It is the only registered charity dedicated to supporting innovation in patient care across Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Whether it's treatment for an emergency, acute condition, pregnancy or long term illness, Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust believes that every patient deserves the highest quality of care available.

Thanks to the immensely generous support of its donors, Addenbrooke's and the Rosie hospitals can provide a level of patient care beyond that which can be delivered by NHS funding alone and make projects happen sooner or to a greater degree than might have otherwise been possible.

These charitable donations fund high-tech equipment, specialist staff, extra comforts and vital research to find potential cures and help save lives locally, nationally and worldwide. Over the next 5 years, Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust is focused on its commitment to fund two new hospitals in Cambridge: a children's hospital and a cancer research hospital. 

The Chair of the Board will provide strong leadership to the Charity and be responsible for agreeing the strategy and areas of activity for the Charity, including consideration of fundraising, investments, and performance. It is expected that the appointed candidate will also act as the Chair of the Nominations Committee.

Responsibilities of the Chair include:

• Chairing the Trustee Board, facilitating discussion at trustee board meetings, ensuring appropriate decisions are made and implemented
• Ensuring that the Trustee Board has sufficient time dedicated to develop and continuously review, debate and discuss, in collaboration with the chief executive and the SMT, the strategic direction for the charity including its vision, mission, values, aims, ethics and strategic plans
• Ensuring the charity achieves its core mission and objectives and considers its future direction and evolution of strategy
• Ensuring the Board fulfils its responsibilities for the proper governance of the charity and delivers effective oversight of all the charity’s activities including its effective management and financial stability
• Ensuring that meetings of the trustee board are conducted efficiently and effectively; that agenda / reports are timely and sufficient; and encourage all members to contribute constructively to deliberations and to assure access to appropriate professional advice
• Ensuring that members of the trustee board, collectively understand their roles and responsibilities, and act in accordance with Nolan’s seven principles of public life, the trustee handbook including the trustee code of conduct, the values of the charity, and all other relevant laws and regulations
• Working with the chief executive – be available to the chief executive, make time to listen, give constructive advice, provide support and guidance
• Safeguarding the good name of the charity, to be an ambassador for the charity, assisting other key members of the trustee board and senior management team in fronting development events and attending and being visible at the charity's events

Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust is seeking to appoint a goal focused Chair who will have senior leadership experience with the drive and determination to support the delivery of lasting results in a high-profile role, surrounded by a very supportive Board of Trustees. 

The successful candidate will have prior board or committee chair experience and has the ability to draw support from a wide range of relevant networks in order to further the charity’s aims and objectives, boosting its profile locally, regionally and nationally. 

It is preferred if the successful candidate has prior experience of overseeing finances and resources or has been involved in charity fundraising or business development activities. Current or recent knowledge or experience in the public health sector is not essential for this role, however, the appointed candidate is expected to spend sufficient time building significant understanding of the sector.

Above all, candidates need to have empathy with the vision, values and aspirations of the charity.

Dr Mike Knapton, Acting Chair
Chris Rees
Lindsay Dodsworth
Dr Fiona Cornish
Dr Hugo Ford (NHS Link Trustee)
Prof Helen Howe
Claire Smith
Simon Thorley
Christopher Walkinshaw
William Fox
James Stevens

This role is unremunerated, but reasonable pre-agree travel expenses may be reimbursed. It is expected that the role will require a time commitment of at least two days a month. This includes six annual Board meetings, quarterly subcommittee meetings, meetings with the executive team, and preparation time. Board and subcommittee meetings will follow a hybrid model of in-person and virtual meetings depending on hospital guidance.

In accordance with the Articles of Association the Chair must be a trustee of the charity, will be a member of the charity and serve for a term of three years. An outgoing chair may be reappointed for further such terms of three years but may not serve for more than the maximum term of a trustee of ten years in total. It is also expected that the Chair will resign as a trustee at the point at which they step down as Chair.