The Angling Trust is a not-for-profit organisation, representing anglers, fighting for fish, fishing and the environment. It is a member-based organisation made up of anglers of all disciplines providing a united front to protect, promote and develop angling for all. The Trust is funded by its members and external funding partners, with over 2,500 member clubs and fisheries representing over 500,000 anglers, and over 20,000 individual members.

The Trust's wide ranging role includes:

• Campaigning and lobbying to protect the water environment, fish stocks and anglers’ rights
• Promoting participation in angling, particularly to under-represented groups and people from deprived backgrounds
• Delivering a market-leading programme of around 200 competitive events per year
  
• Organising, management and administration of representative England Teams across over 30 disciplines
  
• Developing infrastructure to support a regular angling habit in more than two million individuals annually
  

The Trust's impact is spread across different spheres in the UK:

• Economic: Angling contributes over £4bn per year to the UK's economy, providing thousands of permanent and seasonal jobs. Recreational sea angling alone contributes double that of the commercial fishing sector to the UK's economy. Freshwater fishing licences contribute over £24m annually to the treasury and angling delivers sustainable investment into coastal and rural communities, providing economic injection during tourist low seasons.
• Social: English botanist David Bellamy described anglers as "custodians of our waterways, without whom our rivers would be treated as sewers" indicating the role angling plays in community-led environmental activity. As an activity and sport which relies upon a healthy aquatic environment, 57% of anglers engage in environmental volunteering annually.
• Political, environmental and legal: The Trust has excellent political links and advocacy structure – it is secretariat of two All Party Parliamentary Groups. It is bound in a collaborative relationship with Fish Legal and is linked directly to the ACA, which has been making polluters pay for environmental damage since 1948.

Overall, the Trust's mission is ‘to fight for fish, fishing and the environment, championing the joy of angling and all its benefits from grassroots to elite levels’. It is a financially stable organisation which has experienced significant growth in the past three years. The organisation has clear goals and a vision with a new five-year strategy to be published imminently.

The Angling Trust seeks a Chair who, in partnership with the rest of the Board and executive team, will shape the next exciting phase for the Trust.

The new Chair will be responsible, as part of the Board, for:

• Providing guidance on the overall governance and strategic direction of the Angling Trust
• Developing the organisation’s objectives and goals in accordance with legal and regulatory guidelines
• Providing leadership to the Board and working with the Chief Executive in guiding the strategic direction of the Angling Trust and in overseeing and supporting the work of the Senior Management Team, delivering the annually-agreed business plan
• Safeguarding and promoting the good name and values of the organisation, promoting its work and acting as a spokesperson

It is expected that, in order to achieve success, the Chair will:

• Oversee the continuous review and development of a long-term strategy for the organisation within the vision, mission and values established by the Board
• Set ‘the tone at the top’ and be a personal role model for the behaviours of the organisation
• Take a leading role in promoting and increasing diversity and inclusion within the sport of angling
• Ensure that the Board has and maintains the optimum blend of skills, diversity and experience
• Provide ongoing review of the performance of Directors and the Chief Executive
• Oversee the protection and enhancement of the reputation of the organisation
• Oversee the fulfilment by the executive of the organisation’s constitutional, regulatory and legal obligations
• Represent the organisation appropriately and effectively
• Maintain and extend links with government departments, for example: DCMS, DEFRA, Environment Agency, MMO, Natural England and Sport England

The Angling Trust is united in a collaborative relationship with Fish Legal (previously known as the Anglers’ Conservation Association, founded in 1948). Fish Legal was set up to protect all inland and coastal waters in the United Kingdom from pollutions and other damage. The broad policy, managerial and financial concerns of Fish Legal are managed by the Fish Legal Committee and the Chair of the Angling Trust is also a member of the Fish Legal Committee. All members of the Fish Legal Committee must be willing and eligible to act as a Director of the A.C.A. Trustee Company Limited.

The Angling Trust is seeking a new Chair with the experience and gravitas to lead the Trust through its next phase of growth. The ideal candidate will be able to deal with government, quasi-government departments, and regulatory bodies. They will appreciate the political landscape which affects the sport of angling. They should be able to guide the Trust in advocating for anglers at the highest levels of government and be able to articulate the views and concerns of the angling community in a compelling and effective manner.

The successful candidate should have the ability to build strong relationships with key stakeholders and influencers in the angling community, and be able to work collaboratively with them to achieve shared goals. The Chair will bring a proven ability to network effectively and be able to identify and engage with relevant decision-makers in the political and environmental spheres.

The new Chair will have an interest in engaging in environmental issues and be committed to improving the state of the environment and the UK's water bodies. They will be able to understand the importance of a positive public perception of angling to develop the sport further. They should be passionate about promoting sustainable fishing practices and be able to work with stakeholders to develop policies and strategies that protect the environment while also supporting the angling community.

Lastly, it will be beneficial if the new Chair brings experience of good governance practices.

Jamie Cook, Chief Executive
Stephen Beverley, Interim Chair
Tim Macpherson
Sarah Collins
George Graham
Peter Neale
Jonathan Calcutt
Mark Summerfield, SID
Peter Emery
Neville Fickling
John Ellis

More information about the Trust Board can be found here

This role is unremunerated, but reasonable, pre-agreed travel expenses will be reimbursed. The appointment is for a three-year term, which may be renewed twice. There are four Angling Trust Board meetings, four Fish Legal Committee meetings, one Annual General Meeting and sub-committees as required. There will be ad hoc and regular engagement throughout.

The Angling Trust board meets four times per year and the Fish Legal Committee meets four times per year, usually February, May, September and November. These meetings are held in person, in London, either on the same day or consecutive days. When the meetings are held on the same day, it is an opportunity for the Angling Trust Board and Fish Legal Committee to hold a joint meeting – this would normally happen twice a year. The meetings usually start around 10:30am and end at 4:30pm, with lunch provided. The AGMs of the Angling Trust and Fish Legal are held jointly in November, usually in the Midlands on a Saturday, starting at 10:30am and followed by an informative conference for members.

Sub-committee meetings of the Nomination Committee (as required) and Governance Committee (twice yearly) are held via video-conference and last approximately 2.5 hours per meeting.

The Chair is also invited to attend the quarterly Audit, Risk and Assurance Committee, which also meets via video call and lasts 3-4 hours.

The estimate is a total of 15 meetings per year.