Job Description
Chair of Trustees
Southern Hospice Group
Location: Southern Hospice Group is based at St Barnabas House, Titnore Lane, Worthing, West Sussex, BN12 6NZ. Meetings are held in person, across our 3 hospice sites (Arundel, Worthing and Brighton) and hybrid.
Voluntary role with reimbursed expenses | Approx. 12 to 15 hours per month
Southern Hospice Group is one of the largest hospice organisations in the UK. Formed through the merger of St Barnabas House, Chestnut Tree House and Martlets, we provide high quality, person centred care for people of all ages with life limiting conditions across Sussex, and SE Hants. Our work spans specialist inpatient care for adults and children, Hospice at Home and community based palliative care. We also provide patient and family well being services, including bereavement counselling, therapies, social work, spiritual and other wellbeing support, alongside respite care for children and young people. Martlets Care is a subsidiary within the group providing our regulated domiciliary homecare services. This is supported through income generation from a network of 34 retail shops, fundraising and strategic partnerships.
Our teams support thousands of patients and families each year, helping them live with dignity, comfort and choice during the most challenging periods of their lives. With over 650 employees and 1300 volunteers, we are a complex and values driven organisation with reach, impact and ambition.
We are now at a pivotal point in our journey. Post merger integration is well underway and we are focused on building long term resilience across our services, our people and our income streams. We are seeking a new Chair of Trustees to lead our Board through this next phase, offering strategic clarity, visible leadership and the ability to engage confidently with a wide range of stakeholders.
As Chair, your priorities will include
· Acting as a trusted advisor to our CEO, providing support, challenge and mentorship, while helping to align the Board around a clear strategic direction. You will bring calm authority, emotional intelligence and a commitment to open, honest leadership
· Offering a commercial perspective to complement the strength of our clinical team, helping us navigate financial pressures and explore new ways to generate sustainable income in a sector where 70 percent of hospices are currently operating at a deficit
· Representing the charity externally with credibility and impact, while also being visible and present internally. You will be someone who can engage naturally with staff, volunteers and supporters and be a unifying figure across a complex multi-site organisation
We are looking for someone with
· Previous experience chairing a Board or working at senior governance level, with a clear understanding of the responsibilities of charity trusteeship
· A leadership style that is collaborative, values driven and supportive. Someone able to guide, coach and challenge without ego
· Ideally a commercial, estates or financial background, bringing fresh insight to our funding and growth strategies
· Strong ties to Sussex or the surrounding region, with the willingness and availability to attend in person meetings across our sites
This is an opportunity to help safeguard and strengthen the future of hospice care in Sussex. As the third largest hospice group in the country, the role we play in supporting people at the most vulnerable point in their lives is critical. We need a Chair who understands the scale of this responsibility and is ready to lead with clarity, confidence and care.
To express interest or arrange a confidential conversation, please contact Sean Nicholson at Woodrow Mercer.