Chair Designate

Description

Lead the next chapter for a charity with a powerful legacy and an ambitious future

A diagnosis of cancer at 13, 17 or 22 lands at a moment when life should be expanding. Education, friendships, independence and identity are suddenly disrupted. Teenage Cancer Trust exists so that no young person has to face that shock alone. Through specialist units, nurses and youth workers, we help young people stay connected, supported and hopeful at the most frightening point in their lives.

We are now entering a defining period. Over the next two years we will refresh our Board, strengthen partnerships across the NHS, and continue shaping how specialist teenage and young adult cancer care is delivered across the UK. We are seeking a new Trustee to join us as Chair Designate – someone who understands the responsibility of leadership during transition and who is unwavering in their commitment to young people’s voices, rights and experiences.

You will work closely with our current Chair before succeeding them in 2027, ensuring continuity, clarity and purpose at a pivotal moment for the charity.

Why this role matters

Young people with cancer need more than treatment. They need care designed for their age and stage of life – environments where they feel understood, specialist clinical and psychological support, and the reassurance of adults they can trust outside their family. Too often, young people are placed in services built for children or older adults, leaving their needs overlooked and their voices unheard.

Teenage Cancer Trust is determined to change this. We champion earlier diagnosis, fair access to specialist care, and services that recognise the unique emotional and developmental needs of this age group.

The years ahead will involve significant leadership change, renewed NHS partnerships, work to secure long‑term funding of specialist services, and continued focus on tackling inequalities in access. As Chair Designate, you will help guide the Board through this landscape – ensuring decisions are timely, focused and grounded in the lived experience of the young people we serve.

Your contribution

From your first year, you will:

• Help shape the future composition of the Board and support ongoing trustee recruitment
• Sit as a standing member of key committees, building deep understanding of performance, risk, safeguarding and culture
• Strengthen the Board’s clarity, cohesion and readiness for change
• Build trusted relationships with the executive, Founders, Patron, Youth Advisory Group, clinical partners and major supporters

As you prepare to assume the role of Chair, you will ensure that our governance reflects the charity’s ambition, that our influence across the NHS continues to grow, and that young people’s voices remain central to every decision we take.

What you will help shape

You will play a central role in ensuring:

• A Board that is strategic, inclusive and grounded in lived experience
• A sustainable financial model that protects specialist services in a challenging external environment
• Stronger national visibility for the needs and rights of young people with cancer
• Governance and decision‑making that reflect the complexity of our partnerships and the aspirations of our future strategy
• A culture that values diversity, equity, youth voice and transparent, evidence‑based decisions

About Teenage Cancer Trust

Teenage Cancer Trust is the only UK charity dedicated to providing specialist nursing care and youth support for young people with cancer. Our units create safe, age‑appropriate spaces at a time of enormous disruption. Our nurses and youth teams help young people stay connected to their friendships, their education and their futures. We also lead national advocacy on earlier diagnosis, targeted research and equitable access to specialist care, wherever young people live.

Despite wider sector pressures, the charity is financially secure and performing strongly as we move through 2025. With renewed leadership and a strategy focused on impact and partnership, we are entering this next chapter with energy and confidence.

About you

You will bring:

• Board‑level leadership, ideally including Chair or Committee Chair experience
• Senior executive or non‑executive experience in complex, high‑profile or multi‑stakeholder environments
• Sound judgement, emotional intelligence and resilience during organisational change
• The ability to build trusted, respectful relationships across a wide range of partners
• A strong awareness of safeguarding, reputation and risk
• A deep commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion
• A belief that young people’s perspectives should shape – not simply inform – the future of this charity

You will understand the boundaries of non‑executive leadership while offering constructive challenge and support to the executive, ensuring governance is both responsible and ambitious.

A rare opportunity

This role offers the chance to influence the future of specialist cancer care for young people across the UK. Your leadership will help protect vital services, strengthen national partnerships and ensure that every young person facing cancer receives the care, support and understanding they deserve.

If you are motivated by impact, driven by purpose and ready to help lead a charity with a powerful legacy and an ambitious future, we would be very pleased to hear from you.

For an informal conversation please contact:

• Michelle Sander: michelle.sander@gatenbysanderson.com
• Liz Dean: liz.dean@gatenbysanderson.com

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