Volunteer Chair of the Board of TransWilts

What will you be doing?

Are you our new Chair for TransWilts CIC, the non-profit social enterprise for community, environment and transport in Wiltshire & Berkshire? Do you have skills and enthusiasm to cooperatively govern and help us bring our growth strategy into action? If so, you could be the next Chair of our community rail social enterprise that connects and educates communities. TransWilts (potentially changing our name to reflect our growth) is the Community Rail Partnership currently based in Wiltshire, and expanding into Berkshire, that is looking for a new Chair of our Board. We’re a Community Interest Company, a not-for-personal-profit organisation, with a mission to maintain sustainable and environmentally-important connections between local communities. About our Board and our expectations Our Directors are a collective body, with everyone equally responsible for all aspects of governance of our organisation. As our Chair, you will work closely with our other Directors to lead meetings and provide direction to our Board. The role is strategic in representing our  vision and purpose, ensuring the Board and all its meetings functions properly, are inclusive and participatory, and that effective decisions are made that benefit the wider community. We work closely with Great Western Rail, Local Authorities and the Department for Transport, but we are independent and community-focused. “Community Rail is about 90% community and 10% rail.” This is a high-profile appointment, for someone with strong commitment to the value of environmentally-focused local transport connections, plus an understanding of the potential of sustainable community rail or the environment. Our Directors are the people who make the top-level decisions for our organisation. Our Board includes people with experience in community rail, and we’d expect our new Chair to have empathy with our cause.  You don’t necessarily need prior experience of rail, but skills in Chairing meetings will be important. Some experience of committee or similar work, and a strong focus to cooperatively work with and shape the forward-looking Board are also useful qualities we are looking for.

What are we looking for?

Here is some of what we would expect. We know that you may also need training and support from other Directors and from external organisations, and that that will be forthcoming, within our resources, to build on any area.

Understanding of the needs of our the communities we serve is desirable; an empathy with community rail as one of the resources for those communities is essential Interest in and knowledge of community development is important; an understanding of the rail industry and sustainable travel would be welcome but not a prerequisite Strategic vision; good, independent judgement; ability to think creatively, tempered by pragmatism and reality Clear commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, valuing differences to make better decisions and deliver better outcomes Ability to cooperatively lead the team of Directors, bringing impartiality and objectivity to decision-making, with the ability to bring people together to build consensus Ability and skills to effectively manage meetings Skills and ability to listen, even to dissenting views Willingness to speak your mind and to challenge other Directors, our Community Rail Officer and volunteers, with good intent; able to make unpopular recommendations to the Board, if necessary Skills to analyse proposals, examine their strategic consequences and make concise recommendations Secure personal access to digital communication and able to competently use those resources Commitment to the organisation; willingness and ability to devote the necessary time & effort Experience of committee work, with an understanding of the role of the Chair in effective corporate governance, would be highly-valued Availability to meet the Community Rail Officer on a scheduled and ad-hoc basis to provide advice and support, including as part of an appraisal process; willingness to be available to meet volunteers to provide advice and support, as needed Having appropriate personal and professional contacts & networks, with willingness to draw on those as needed

What difference will you make?

What do we get?

Your leadership skills coupled to your strategic vision Your cooperative communication skills Effective Board meetings leading to our organisation’s further development Enhancement to our overall governance and to our Board Your participation in our collective decision-making, contributing to all areas of our work Your enthusiasm

  What do our beneficiaries get

The ability to continue our support to the communities of Wiltshire and Berkshire, and for the local environment A well-governed organisation, sustainable for the future A forward-looking and agile organisation, with a well-informed Board