Trustees x3
Job Introduction
Diabetes UK is the UK’s leading diabetes charity and it’s our job to tackle the diabetes crisis. One in 15 people live with diabetes and by 2030 that number is predicted to rise to 1 in 8; twice the level of 20 years ago.
We are at the forefront of the diabetes crisis, working to help 4.8 million people living with and at risk of diabetes. We do this through campaigning to put diabetes at the top of the political agenda, supporting and advising and providing services for anyone affected by diabetes, working with healthcare professionals and the NHS in each nation of the UK and funding critical research to fund new treatments and improve healthcare.
We have a generation to end the harm caused by all types of diabetes and this is our opportunity to shape the future for people living with and at risk of diabetes. At a point where technological and clinical breakthroughs could transform the quality of life for people with diabetes, we reflect back on our successes such as funding the insulin pen and showing how type 2 can be put into remission. But there is much more innovation and opportunity ahead. We launched our strategy in 2020 to help people live well and longer with diabetes, and to cure or prevent diabetes. Through innovation such as closed-loop technology, artificial pancreases, remission research and immunotherapies, we believe we can achieve our strategy, but we can only do this if we can inspire more people to raise more money and awareness and learn more from people whose voices are under-represented.
We recently partnered with the Steve Morgan Foundation and JDRF to invest the biggest-ever philanthropic gift to diabetes research; an incredible £50 million investment over five years into potential new therapies and treatments.
Alongside this, the Foundation is funding support services for children and young people with type 1 diabetes over the next 5 years.
The impacts of the pandemic on diabetes care have been wide and deep, as routine diabetes care has suffered and many have received a diagnosis of diabetes without all the support they need to manage their diabetes well. We have seen an increase in the inequalities which blight good diabetes care and leave many without all the support they need.
This year we launched our Diabetes is Serious campaign, urging the UK Government to make diabetes care and prevention a priority. We connected with our communities for the This is Diabetes campaign, showcasing a reflection of the real lived experiences of people affected by diabetes. Raising awareness and understanding of the condition of diabetes is a large part of what it will take to end the harm of diabetes in a generation.
Role Responsibility
With all this in mind, we are looking for three new Trustees to join our Board. Midway through our five-year strategy, this is an exciting time to join us as we forge new, influential partnerships and strategies to achieve our aims and help as many people as we can with diabetes.
We are looking for applicants with a strong interest in our work, who possess good independent judgement and who think strategically.
Specifically, we are looking for new Trustees with experience in each of the following areas: business development and income generation; experience in digital as a driver of customer acquisition and retention and/or experience of working with health data at scale; experience in communications, brand and marketing. We are currently establishing a new sub-committee – Brand & Income Generation, which one of our new Trustees will chair. It is important to us that our board represents the people we work with and support and those with experience of diabetes.
We are keen to continue to ensure diversity at board level in all its forms – age, ethnicity, sexual identity and disability, for these appointments we are particularly interested in people with lived experience of type 2 diabetes either personally or through a family member or loved one.
The Ideal Candidate
The Board meets 6 times a year in person during the day usually in London and this includes a Board Away Day. Our sub-committees include our newly created Brand & Income Generation, Finance, Audit & Risk and Governance & Nominations Committees. Meetings usually take place in the afternoons. We expect with reading, calls, informal conversations and other ad hoc activities, the time commitment will be up to 1 day a month.
For further information about the role, or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultants at Peridot Partners:
Jennifer Horan | jennifer@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07519 070497
Erica Ritchie | erica@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07951 078220
We wish to encourage applications regardless of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, age or religion or belief.
All applications will be considered solely on merit.
Applicants with a disability are invited to contact us in confidence at any point during the recruitment process to discuss steps that could be taken to overcome operational difficulties presented by the role, or if any adjustments or support are required regarding the recruitment process.
About the Company
For nearly 5 million people with diabetes in the UK, there’s no day off. At Diabetes UK, we fight day in, day out for better care, treatment and support. We won’t stop until diabetes can do no harm.
With more people than ever living with diabetes and millions more at risk of developing type 2, our work has never been more needed. We make sure they get the care and support needed to live well with diabetes and avoid devastating complications.
We fund critical research, which has led to life-changing discoveries – like the first insulin pen and programmes to put type 2 diabetes into remission. Now, we want to do this for everyone and find a cure.
We can’t do any of this without you. Our staff are passionate and determined about helping everyone affected by diabetes. For over 85 years, they’ve been behind vital policy changes, as well as new treatments and technologies to make living with diabetes easier every day.
But there’s more to do. And you can be part of it.
We’re a really diverse bunch and we recognise and respect your value as an individual. As well as helping people with diabetes, you’ll be part of one of the top 30 Best UK Charities to Work For, and one of the top 75 Best Large Companies in London.
We’re committed to protecting and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk, and we need our staff and volunteers to support this.
Our vision is a world where diabetes can do no harm. Join us today, and together, we can make that a reality.
To find out more about what we do, check out our website.
Diabetes UK
