British Orienteering Non Executive Independent Director

This is an exciting opportunity to become a non executive Director with British Orienteering, the national governing body for the sport of orienteering in the UKs.

About British Orienteering

British Orienteering is the national sports governing body for the sport of orienteering in the United Kingdom.  It was founded in 1967 and currently has around 9,000 members and approximately 150,000 people run in one of the registered competitions each year.

We are a growing sport, striving to build on our past success by expanding our participation base into new markets and aiming to continue our record of punching above our weight in international competitions.

However, we recognise that we are working in a challenging environment both environmentally and financially, therefore will have to develop the long-term strategy to develop our income streams and ensure the long-term sustainability of the sport against the background of an aging volunteer base.

The Board

The Board is made up of six directors elected from and by our membership, three independent directors, the CEO, and the Chair.

We hold approximately five full-day board meetings each year. These are usually hybrid, alternating between different city-centre venues (currently Birmingham, London and Manchester) and with online participation possible. Together, they bring a wide range of skills, perspectives and expertise.

It is vital that the Board represents the diversity of the community that we are seeking to attract to the sport, including (but not limited to) in respect to gender, age, ethnicity, and disability. We are hoping to attract a diverse range of candidates and would welcome applications from all communities, in particular people from ethnic minority communities and disabled people.

The Role

Sports governing bodies, such as British Orienteering, need a wide range of skills from their Directors, to understand and address the many challenges governing bodies face and navigate.

We need a board that can challenge one another and the status quo, that bring different experiences, knowledge and ideas, but are able to work constructively and enthusiastically as a team for the benefit of the sport.

British Orienteering is seeking additional Independent Non-Executive Directors to join its Board, led by its Chair and supported by Elected Non-Executive Directors, Independent Non-Executive Directors and the CEO.

The individual will provide inclusive and inspirational leadership and guidance to the Board of the national governing body for orienteering. In particular, the board would welcome expressions of interest from anyone who has specialist knowledge and practical experience in the following areas:

• Marketing/Commercial Partnerships
• Safeguarding
• Diversity
• Legal

We hold approximately five full-day board meetings a year. These are usually hybrid, alternating between different city-centre venues (currently Birmingham, London and Manchester) and with online participation possible.

Term:

This appointment is for a term of three years but the successful candidate may stand for up to a total of three terms (total 9 years) but must then stand down.

Information Pack

Full details can be found here.

How to apply/Timetable

To apply, please submit an up-to-date curriculum vitae, including details of relevant achievements and responsibilities, along with a covering letter of application (no more than two sides of A4) addressing the person specification, to:

ceo@britishorienteering.org.uk

by midday on 31 October 2024

Candidates are asked to provide an email address and suitable daytime and evening phone numbers.

If you would like to discuss this opportunity further, please contact: Drew Vanbeck, Chair of British Orienteering, by email at drew.vanbeck@britishorienteering.org.uk; or Peter Hart, by email at peter.hart@britishorienteering.org.uk or on 07581 479297.