The Kenneth Allsop Memorial Trust

Seeks New Chairperson and a Company Secretary (Unpaid Volunteers)

A fantastic opportunity to join the Board of the charity that owns and manages Steep Holm Island which sits in the Bristol Channel just off Weston-Super-Mare and is managed as a nature reserve which accommodates archaeological and military history. 

The Kenneth Allsop Memorial Trust is a Registered Charity (270059) & Private Company Limited by Guarantee (01227490).  The Kenneth Allsop Memorial Trust owns and manages the small island of Steep Holm which is a fascinating place that requires leadership and preservation.

The Island has been inhabited on and off for centuries, is full of hidden surprises and is steeped in history. Steep Holm is close to the shores of Weston-Super-Mare and it sits proudly in the Bristol Channel, a hidden, yet exposed 63-acre gem, with its limestone cliffs and caves.  Its history is told by stories of Celtic gods carved in stone, Vikings and pirates, Monks and Captain Kids Treasure. The military encampments of the recent past can still to be seen today, the Palmerston Fort and cannons of the 1860s in preparation for a Napoleon invasion, 1st and 2nd world war gun, ammunition and search light emplacements, military barracks and a historical museum.

Steep Holm is a nature reserve, bird sanctuary, and a Site of Special Scientific Interest due to its rare plants, including the May Flowering Wild Mediterranean Peony. As a charity, they seek to preserve and enhance the island’s natural beauty and landscape, together with its antiquities, wildlife and scientific interest for the public enjoyment and education of the wildlife.

The Chair will hold the Board to account for the Charity’s mission and vision, providing inclusive leadership to the Board of Trustees, ensuring that each trustee fulfils their duties and responsibilities for the effective governance of the charity.  He or she will act as an ambassador and be the public face of the charity.

The Company Secretary is to support the Chair and the Board in ensuring the smooth functioning of the Trustee Board Meetings, and the charity`s governance and compliance requirements. The Company Secretary’s role is to ensure that the charity complies with the requirements of charity and company law.  The Company Secretary is responsible for maintaining effective governance, administration and records, and for upholding the legal requirements of governing documents.      

These roles are needed to add to the charity’s existing Board of Trustees and to broaden the skills of the governing body.  These roles are voluntary, meetings are held 6 x per year usually on a Saturday afternoon.

Both roles require leadership, people management, good communications skills, and the ability to think objectively and make sound, independent judgements. Ideally previous Trustee or Chair experience would be advantageous within a charity or committee setting. 

In addition to the above, the following areas have been identified as desirable areas of expertise, we are particularly interested in recruiting to the Trust Board people with an interest in:

• Conservation

• Archaeology

• Historical Military & Religion

• Ornithology

• Palaeontology

• Education

• Natural Science

• Heritage

• An interest in the Island of Steep Holm

A candidate briefing pack is available - please contact Sandy Hinks Head of Charity Practice on 01275 371 200 or email recruit@moonexecsearch.com Quoting reference: JN2133 TKAMT Closing date of midnight 31st January 2021.