Being There is a well-established Greater Manchester charity and company limited by guarantee. 

We provide emotional, practical and social support to people living with cancer and other life-limiting illnesses, as well as to their families, carers and loved ones.

For more than four decades, we have helped people navigate some of life's most difficult moments. Our services include one-to-one emotional support, counselling, respite sitting, transport to medical appointments, bereavement support, social groups and practical assistance. Our work is delivered by a dedicated team of 15 staff and an exceptional volunteer network of over 200 people across Greater Manchester. 

Being There delivers services across five branches: Salford, Trafford, Tameside, North Manchester and South Manchester. Our income is deliberately diverse, drawing on NHS contracts, charitable grants, individual donations, community fundraising and legacies, giving us both resilience and flexibility. In the last financial year, our turnover exceeded £500,000, enabling us to provide thousands of hours of practical, emotional and counselling support to people living with cancer and other life-limiting illnesses, plus their families and carers. Our impact is measured not simply in numbers, but in wellbeing: reducing loneliness, supporting emotional wellbeing, helping people to remain independent, and ensuring that no one has to face serious illness alone.

In 2024/25, we delivered more than 6,800 support sessions to 970 clients, while our Being Heard counselling service provided 1,768 hours of counselling support. We also grew our volunteer base significantly, reflecting both the quality of our service and the strength of our community relationships.

As we look to the future, we remain ambitious. Demand for our services continues to grow, and we are committed to strengthening our impact, diversifying our income, and ensuring long-term sustainability.

Following the retirement of our longstanding chair, Jim Yates, Being There is seeking an exceptional individual to become our next Chair of Trustees.

This is an important appointment at a significant moment in our development. We are a respected, financially sound charity with a strong reputation, talented staff, committed volunteers, and a clear sense of purpose. At the same time, like many organisations in today's environment, we face a range of strategic, financial and organisational challenges.

We are looking for a Chair who can provide clear leadership, sound judgement and thoughtful support as we continue to develop and grow.

This role offers the opportunity to make a genuine difference to the lives of people affected by cancer and life-limiting illness across Greater Manchester.
We are particularly interested in candidates with senior leadership experience in human resources, organisational development, or workforce transformation. Experience of supporting organisational culture, managing change, and fostering healthy, high-performing teams will be especially valuable.
Frankly, every board says "people are our greatest asset." The best Chairs know that this stops being a slogan the moment things get difficult. The leadership style that we are seeking is collaborative, values driven and emotionally intelligent.