Chair of Trustees - Volunteer

Room to Heal; City of London; On-site; GBP 10,000 - 40,000; Part time

Job summary

A community-focused charity in the UK seeks a Chair of Trustees to guide governance and support its mission of healing for asylum seekers and refugees. This role requires strong leadership, interpersonal skills, and a commitment to values of compassion and inclusivity. The Chair will work closely with Co-Directors and trustees during a significant transition while ensuring strategic oversight and the organisation's sustainability.

Qualifications

• Experience in leadership, governance, or board‑level roles.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Strategic thinking, sound judgment, and an inclusive leadership style.
• Commitment to promoting wellbeing and resilience in vulnerable communities.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership to the Board, ensuring governance with integrity.
• Chair Board meetings and guide strategic conversations.
• Guide long-term vision and strategy while balancing sustainability.
• Advise the Co‑Directors on planning and service evaluation.
• Oversee risk management and financial controls.
• Model the organisation’s values and foster a culture of compassion.

Skills

Leadership experience

Interpersonal skills

Strategic thinking

Empathy

Job description

Chair of Trustees - Volunteer

Join Room to Heal as Chair to support the Board and Co-Directors, guiding governance, strategy, and transition while helping the organisation continue its mission of healing and community.

What difference will you make?

Becoming Chair of Room to Heal means stepping into a role where leadership genuinely changes lives. This is an opportunity to guide a small, mission‑driven charity through an important moment of transition and to help ensure that some of the most marginalised people in our society continue to receive the care, dignity and connection they deserve.

Your leadership will help Room to Heal remain resilient, focused and true to its values. Guiding two newly appointed Co‑Directors and a dedicated board, you will help strengthen the organisation’s foundations and shape its future direction.

This is a rare opportunity to make a tangible difference at a time when strong, compassionate leadership matters most. If you are inspired by the idea of helping survivors of trauma rebuild their lives in community, we would love to hear from you. Join us in shaping the next chapter of Room to Heal.

What are we looking for?

We are seeking a Chair who can combine strong governance with compassion. We are looking for someone with:

• Experience in leadership, governance, or board‑level roles.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Strategic thinking, sound judgement, and an inclusive leadership style.
• Empathy and a commitment to promoting wellbeing and resilience in vulnerable communities.

Room to Heal was founded on principles of equality, respect, and justice, and these values continue to guide every aspect of our work. Our community includes people from many countries, languages, and faiths, and our strength lies in our diversity. We welcome applicants from all walks of life, valuing diverse perspectives that enrich our work. We are committed to offering equal opportunity for all, regardless of ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, or any other dimension of diversity.

What will you be doing?

Room to Heal is a healing community for asylum seekers and refugees who have suffered torture and gross human rights violations. Our mission is to use the restorative power of community to help people heal from torture and organised violence and build meaningful lives.

Background

• Room to Heal is entering a new chapter with the introduction of a Co‑Director leadership model. The Chair will work alongside the Co‑Directors and Board of Trustees to guide strategic decisions and ensure that governance continues to support the organisation’s mission of healing through community.
• Room to Heal’s current Chair has provided valuable support to the organisation in recent years and will continue to be involved during the period of transition.
• We therefore anticipate a collaborative handover process, with the incoming Chair working alongside the current post‑holder to ensure continuity, stability and a confident transfer of responsibilities.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide leadership to the Board, ensuring trustees uphold governance with integrity and accountability.
• Chair Board meetings, guiding strategic conversations and supporting trustee oversight.
• Guide long‑term vision and strategy, balancing ambition with financial and operational sustainability.
• Advise the Co‑Directors on organisational planning, service evaluation, and staff development.
• Oversee risk management, safeguarding, and financial controls to ensure safety and compliance.
• Model the organisation’s values, fostering a culture of compassion, inclusion, and resilience.