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Chair Opportunity

London Insight Meditation (“LIM”) is seeking to recruit a Chair of our Board of Trustees to replace the current Chair who wishes to retire in 2023 after five years as trustee.

 

About us

London Insight Meditation is a small registered charity with the important mission of ensuring that the Buddha’s teaching is readily accessible in London; supporting the efforts of Londoners at every stage of the path to understand the Dharma and realise it in their own lives and fostering the growth of the community of Londoners who are inspired by the Buddha’s Dharma.

LIM runs a yearly series of about 30 events, primarily day retreats and workshops, which support understanding and meditation practice within the Insight (vipassana) tradition. In addition to the trustees, LIM has a part time paid Director, who reports to the trustees, and a part time paid Events Manager.  Volunteers provide specialist services to LIM and ‘on the day’ services to ensure our events run smoothly.

 

Purpose and responsibilities of the role

The Chair will play a vital role in leading LIM’s Board of Trustees, which sets LIM’s strategic direction, provides effective governance and ensures that LIM complies with its obligations as a charity. The Charity Commission website has useful information and guidance about the role of trustees in running a charity.

The Chair has additional responsibilities, including:

Leadership and governance
  • Provides leadership to the charity.
  • Shares statutory and governance responsibilities of trustees as outlined by Charity Commission, for example:
    • Ensuring that the Charity pursues its stated objects (purposes), as defined in its constitution, by developing, agreeing and reviewing a strategy.
    • Ensuring that the Charity complies with its constitution, Charity law and any other relevant legislation or regulations.
    • Ensuring that the Charity applies its resources exclusively in pursuance of its charitable objects, for the benefit of its beneficiaries.
    • Ensuring that the Charity defines its goals and evaluates performance against agreed targets.
    • Ensuring the effective and efficient administration of the Charity, including having appropriate policies and procedures in place to manage and mitigate risk.
    • Ensuring the financial stability of the Charity.
  • Chairs meetings of the Board of Trustees (currently four times a year).
  • Develops the Board and guides it in helping set the vision and strategic direction.
  • Ensures that the Board provides due oversight and governance.
  • Ensures that the Board incorporates the right balance of skills, knowledge and experience needed to govern and lead the Charity effectively and which also reflects the wider population.
  • Works with the trustees and director to ensure adequate separation between governance and operational responsibilities.
Stakeholder engagement
  • Represents the charity where necessary.
  • Establishes and builds a strong and effective working relationship with the Director, ensuring they are provided with support and supervision and that they can speak openly about concerns, worries and challenges.
  • Builds and maintains relationships with other key volunteers.
  • Builds and develops relationships with other stakeholders such as teachers and affiliate organisations.

 

Who are we looking for?

We are especially interested in candidates with:

  • An understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities, and liabilities of trusteeship.
  • Experience of working within an organisation in a management, leadership or strategic position.
  • Strategic analysis skills and ability to set a vision and direction.
  • Experience of working with volunteers.
  • An understanding of the Insight meditation tradition or similar dharma traditions and the ethics and cultures of these traditions.
  • Commitment to living and working in accordance with the Five Precepts.
  • The ability to demonstrate tact and diplomacy, with the ability to listen and engage effectively.
  • Comfort with balance of control and delegation required in a charity of this size
  • Ability to recruit and develop a team.
  • Ability to foster and promote a collaborative team environment.
  • Good, independent judgement.
  • Strong networking capabilities that can be utilised for the benefit of the Charity.
  • A willingness to devote the necessary time and effort to the role.

We estimate the time requirement to comprise preparation for, and attendance at, quarterly 2.5 hour trustee meetings, as well as additional governance and operational work. The total time required is estimated to be around 4-6 days per month on average. Most meetings are currently held on Zoom.

We are very keen to ensure representation in the trustee group. We are truly committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, or what we call ‘Inclusive Sangha’, and we actively welcome applications from individuals across the diverse communities we aspire to serve.

 

What’s in it for you?

Becoming a charitable trustee at LIM:

  • provides an excellent opportunity to gain valuable experience and transferable skills. Although the role is unpaid, it is always interesting and very rewarding.
  • is a tangible way to be of service to the community of Londoners committed to the Dharma and is consistent with the concept of dana (generosity).

This role is voluntary, but all reasonable expenses will be reimbursed.

 

How to apply?

Please email expressions of interest to recruitment@londoninsight.org by 4th of August.  Your application should include a covering letter outlining the reason for your interest and your history with LIM, how you feel you could contribute, what relevant experience you have, and your relevant skills.  Please also include a CV. If you have any questions before submitting an application, please direct them to the same email address in the first instance and we will be in contact.

Since a new Chair will be an essential requirement for LIM’s continuation, we will first be conducting interviews with potential Chairs and seeking to confirm an appointment before going on to consider other Trustee applications.

With best wishes,

The LIM Trustees