Board of Trustees

Trustee – Board of Trustees

Organisation: Needed Foundation

Role Title: Trustee (Unpaid / Volunteer Role)

Location: Hybrid / Flexible (Board meetings held virtually with occasional in-person meetings; national candidates welcomed)

Time Commitment: Approximately 4–6 hours per month (quarterly board meetings, plus committee work and strategic advising as needed)

About Needed Foundation

Established in 2026, Needed Foundation exists for the prevention of homelessness and hardship.

Rising living costs are pushing thousands into severe financial crisis and housing instability. While national attention often focuses on major cities, we are opening our doors to homeless people, the insecurely-housed, and those facing severe hardship in coastal and rural communities—places where support services are sparse, transport is limited, and individuals are far too easily left behind.

We are currently making our first footprints in the coastal town of Newhaven, Sussex. But our vision extends much further: we have national ambition to expand our model and bring vital support to under-resourced coastal and rural regions across the UK, tackling the root causes of homelessness at their source.

The Opportunity

As we establish our foundational governance and prepare for national growth, we are seeking Trustees to join our inaugural Board.

This is an extraordinary opportunity to shape an ambitious, early-stage foundation from the ground up. Working alongside fellow board members and executive leadership, you will provide strategic oversight, robust governance, and passionate advocacy to help us scale our impact.

What We Are Looking For

We want to build a diverse, dynamic, and skill-rich Board that reflects the communities we serve. We are looking for leaders and experienced professionals who share our relentless passion for ending homelessness and hardship.

While we welcome applications from leaders across all professional domains, we are particularly keen to hear from individuals with expertise in one or more of the following areas:

• Governance & Legal: Strategic oversight, compliance, risk management, or legal frameworks.
• Finance & Audit: Financial strategy, accounting, budgeting, and financial oversight for growing organisations.
• Fundraising & Income Generation: Strategic fundraising, bid writing, major donor cultivation, or corporate partnerships.
• Lived Experience: Personal insight into homelessness, housing insecurity, rural poverty, or navigating social care/welfare systems.
• Housing, Policy & Social Impact: Expertise in housing sector policy, social housing, community outreach, or local government relations.
• PR, Marketing & Communications: Brand building, national campaigns, digital media, and strategic positioning.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide clear strategic direction, ensuring the foundation to its core mission and values.
• Ensure robust financial stewardship, legal compliance, and effective risk management.
• Act as an ambassador for Needed Foundation, leveraging your network to support our growth and funding initiatives.
• Support and constructively challenge the executive/leadership team to achieve maximum impact.
• Attend quarterly Board meetings, prepare thoroughly, and actively contribute to strategic discussions.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Needed Foundation is deeply committed to building an inclusive Board. We believe that diverse perspectives drive better decision-making and better outcomes for the communities we support. We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, ethnicities, genders, ages, disabilities, sexual orientations, and social backgrounds—including those with lived experience of homelessness or hardship.

How to Apply

If you share our passion for tackling the root causes of homelessness and want to help us build a national movement starting from coastal and rural communities, we would love to hear from you.

To apply, please submit your CV along with a covering letter (no more than 2 pages) outlining why you are interested in joining the Needed Foundation Board and how your skills and experience meet the role requirements.

For an informal conversation about the role, or to request the candidate application pack in an alternative format, please contact us: chair@needed.org