Make a lasting difference in your community.
Join our Board of Trustees
About us
St Cuthbert’s Hospice is seeking new Trustees to join our Board and help shape the future of our care and services. This is a unique opportunity to contribute your skills and experience to a much-loved local charity that provides compassionate, expert care to people affected by life-limiting illnesses.
We are proud to be a centre of excellence in palliative and end-of-life care, supporting individuals and families across County Durham. Guided by our values of Respect, Professionalism, Choice, Compassion, Reputation, and Integrity, we are committed to making every day count.
Who we’re looking for
We welcome applications from individuals with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, and we value fresh perspectives. We provide a full induction and ongoing support to help you settle into the role.
We will consider applicants with any skill sets, but at the moment, we are particularly interested in the following skills:
- Charity Board leadership experience or governance experience from another sector – could you be part of our succession planning for Board leadership? Are you a potential Committee Chair or even a future Vice Chair of the Board?
- Up-to-date Digital and Technology knowledge – could you help us to navigate the fast-moving world of innovation, health tech and AI, and ensure that we stay true to our founding values as we do this?
- Business development – do you have experience of income generation in a not-for-profit or charity and the ability to identify new opportunities, develop strategic partnerships and help the Hospice diversify and grow its income streams? Or could you bring us business development skills from a commercial setting?
- Finance – we support all of our Trustees to develop the understanding and skills they need to manage our charitable finances, but could you sit on the Finance Committee and really dig deep into understanding the factors at play in ensuring our sustainability and growth?
- Medical or clinical practice – are you a medical professional, a GP, or do you have a clinical practice background with an understanding of the experience of patients at the end of life? Could you provide us with a referrer’s perspective to ensure we continue to best serve our communities?
- Human Resources – are you an HR professional who could support us in being an outstanding employer?
You do not need previous Board experience. We value fresh perspectives and will provide a full induction and ongoing support.
Commitment
As a Trustee, you will be expected to:
- Attend quarterly Board of Directors meetings, where key strategic and governance matters are discussed.
- Actively participate in at least one of our Board Sub-Committees, which also meet quarterly. These include:
- Governance Committee
- People and Resources Committee
- Clinical Governance Committee
- Finance Committee
Your involvement in these meetings is essential to ensuring effective oversight, informed decision-making, and the continued success of St Cuthbert’s Hospice.
While the role is not an operational one, Trustees may sometimes be invited to join Task and Finish Groups, working alongside Hospice staff to address a specific issue or project within a set timeframe.
Key dates
Closing date for applications: 6th November 2026
Interviews: Week commencing 23rd November 2026
St Cuthbert’s Hospice will review applications on a rolling basis and reserves the right to invite successful candidates to attend meetings as a non-voting Trustee-in-Waiting/co-opted Trustee prior to the official start date of 17 December 2026.
How to apply
To apply, please submit a recent CV and covering letter to administration@stcuthbertshospice.com.
If you would like an informal conversation about the role, please contact Laura Barker at laura.barker@stcuthbertshospice.com.
