Chair of the Board

Chair of the Board - United St Saviour's Charity

For almost 500 years, we've supported Southwark's communities. Now we're looking for a new Chair to help lead our next chapter - including delivering the RIBA Stirling Prize-winning legacy of Appleby Blue into a bold ten-year strategy.

United St Saviour's Charity is a place-based community investor in Southwark, providing almshouses, grant-funding and community programmes that build resilience and connection across the borough. Over the last decade we've nearly doubled our housing provision and delivered Appleby Blue - a social housing development for older people that went on to win the RIBA Stirling Prize, the UK's most prestigious architecture award.

This role is for you if:

• You have board leadership experience, ideally including previous experience chairing a board or significant committee
• You've held senior leadership roles within a medium-to-large charity or purpose-driven organisation, ideally through periods of growth, complexity or strategic change
• You bring strength in one or more of: housing and property development, organisational governance, community development, or finance and accounting
• You have a genuine, lived or learned understanding of Southwark and its communities
• You're as comfortable challenging and questioning as you are supporting - leading with influence rather than authority

What you'll do

As Chair, you'll lead our Board of Trustees and work in close partnership with our Chief Executive, Martyn Craddock, providing support, guidance and constructive challenge to help the organisation deliver its strategic plan. You'll ensure the charity remains well governed, financially sustainable, and focused on delivering lasting impact for the people of Southwark - while acting as an ambassador for our values, purpose and reputation, including in situations that require urgent decision-making.

You'll be joining at a pivotal moment: we're scaling up our housing development pipeline, delivering a new Community Investment Strategy for , and increasingly being asked to share what we've learned with other boroughs and housing providers as our national influence grows.

Location and time commitment

Based in the London Borough of Southwark - Board and committee meetings take place at our offices and almshouses. This is a voluntary role (reasonable expenses met) requiring approximately 2-3 days a month, including four Board meetings a year, a Strategy and Reflection Day, and membership of one to two committees.

How to apply

Send a CV and covering letter to Alison Benzimra, Director of Strategy and Operations by 14 October 2026, setting out why you're interested and how your skills, experience and background fit what we're looking for. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview with a panel drawn from the Board in 23 November 2026.