Trustee - National Football Trust

The National Football Trust (the Trust) was created in 2021, to allow football to have more responsibility and involvement in the management of grassroots facilities.

The Trust’s purpose is to promote community participation in healthy recreation, which it does by managing football hub sites and providing communities with a great place to play football and other sports and activities, within safe, inclusive and welcoming facilities. The Trust then reinvests surplus income back into grassroots football to help make the game more sustainable.

The Trust is currently responsible for managing 14 hubs across Sheffield, Liverpool, Sunderland, Newcastle, and Wigan, with a further three sites to open in Barking & Dagenham, Sheffield, and Derby before April 2024. We are working with partners to add a further 11 sites over the next two years.  To support this growth and our charitable ambitions, we are looking for new Trustees to join the Trust Board.

Trustees will be required to work collectively to ensure that the Trust operates effectively and efficiently; that the Trust’s property and facilities portfolio is managed appropriately; and that the Trust complies with charity law and other relevant legislation. 

Trustees will be required to attend four Board meetings per calendar year.

This is an exciting time for the Trust as it embarks on a period of significant growth. We are looking for applications from candidates that can demonstrate sound business judgement, effective communication and interpersonal skills, and a willingness to work as part of a team to help the Trust achieve its aims.  

A working knowledge and a genuine interest in the charitable sector and, the role sport and leisure facilities can play in bringing communities together, will be advantageous. 
A background in any of the following would be particularly welcomed:

• Education and training
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)
• Finance
• IT/ digital development and infrastructure

An interest and understanding of the inter-relationships between Sports Governing Bodies in the UK is welcomed, but not essential.

For more information, please see the recruitment pack for the role.

The Trust is striving to do everything we can to ensure that our Board is representative of the communities using our facilities and are committed to, and value, the principles of diversity, equality and inclusion. We encourage and welcome applications from all, regardless of background and are particularly interested to hear from individuals belonging to under-represented groups including diverse ethnic communities, individuals with a disability and those from the LGBTQI+ community.

To apply, please send the following to NFT@footballfoundation.org.uk:

• CV
• Cover letter (of no more than two sides of A4) explaining why you are interested in becoming a Trustee of the National Football Trust, how you meet the criteria set out in the person specification and the level of commitment you can make in this voluntary role

The closing date for applications is: 5pm on Wednesday 8 November 2023. 

Thursday 30 November has been provisionally identified for interviews, to take place in person at Wembley Stadium. 

Due to the expected volume of applications, only candidates shortlisted for interview will be contacted. If you do not hear from us within two weeks of the closing date, you should assume your application has not been successful.

Please note that you must be eligible to work in the UK to apply.