Chair of trustees - Friends of Burnage Library

Lead an inclusive board, strengthen local partnerships and help our community hub thrive.

We’re looking for a collaborative, community-minded chair to help Burnage Library deliver today while also planning confidently for tomorrow. The chair will oversee the running of the trustee board, develop key relationships and enhance our presence in the local area. Could it be you?

https://burnageactivityhub.org.uk/ 

About Burnage Library

Burnage Library is a community-powered hub connecting people across one of South Manchester’s greenest and most welcoming suburbs. 

It’s our library’s mission to educate, inform and inspire the community. So whether someone wants to get lost in a good book, join for storytime, lead an art class or get to know their neighbours, it’s the oasis of Burnage they need to visit.

Our inclusive library and activity space is led by our local volunteers who saved us from closure over 10 years ago. We’re a community incubator, too, offering free or low-priced room hire for people who want to benefit local people. 

Burnage Library: open because of the community and for the community, bringing to life the very best of Burnage all under one roof.

Burnage Library is run by the Friends of Burnage Library volunteer group. We’re supported by our partners at Manchester Libraries, who provide our library services, and Southway Housing, who kindly maintain our Burnage home.

About the role

Our Friends of Burnage Library chair leads the board of trustees, helping us provide clear, inclusive and effective leadership. Like every trustee, the chair shares legal responsibility for good governance, strategic direction and the stewardship of our resources. The chair also has a distinct role in enabling our board to do our best work, representing Friends of Burnage Library with credibility and warmth.

This is a practical leadership role in a small, volunteer-powered charity. It calls for someone who can bring structure, encourage shared ownership, and stay closely connected to the people and partnerships that make the library possible.

The chair’s priorities

1. Lead and manage the Board of Trustees

• Work with the secretary and wider board to set an annual schedule of board meetings and agree focused agendas with the trustees and team members.
• Chair monthly meetings so they are welcoming, well prepared, purposeful and inclusive, with space for constructive challenge and different perspectives.
• Make sure actions, decisions and responsibilities are clear, followed through and reviewed.

2. Build relationships with key partners

• Act as a senior ambassador for the Friends of Burnage Library with our local partners, Manchester Libraries and Southway Housing.
• Develop trusted relationships based on openness, shared purpose and a clear understanding of where the library can add value.
• Create opportunities for partnership, collaboration and income that further our mission without overstretching capacity.
• Represent the board in important external conversations and make sure learning and commitments are brought back into collective decision-making.

3. Grow our local community footprint

• Promote volunteer engagement and recognition, ensuring that Burnage Library’s volunteer community feels informed, valued, connected and able to contribute to our success.
• Champion Burnage Library as a welcoming community anchor and help more local people understand, use and support what it offers.
• Stay connected to library users, volunteers and communities that are currently less visible or represented in our work.
• Help the board listen well and use community insight to shape strategy, activities and partnerships.
• Support opportunities that strengthen belonging, community leadership and Burnage’s profile, while keeping the library’s core service strong.

4. Enable good governance and collective leadership

• Make sure the board has timely information and pays appropriate attention to finance, safeguarding, risk, policy, compliance and organisational sustainability.
• Build a healthy board culture in which trustees understand their roles, contribute their skills and share responsibility.
• Support the recruitment, induction and development of trustees, including succession planning for board leadership.
• Build effective relationships with the treasurer and development worker, while maintaining the distinction between governance and day-to-day delivery.
• Address tensions or underperformance constructively, fairly and in line with our values.
• Lead the preparation of the Friends of Burnage Library annual report, working with trustees, volunteers and staff to provide a clear account of the organisation’s activities, achievements, finances and impact.
• Chair and host the Friends of Burnage Library Annual General Meeting (AGM), ensuring it is well planned, accessible, welcoming and conducted in accordance with the organisation’s governing documents.

What we are looking for

We are not looking for one particular career path. The right person may already have chaired a board or committee, or may bring transferable leadership experience and be ready to step into their first charity chair role. Most important are judgement, commitment and the ability to bring people together.

Desirable experience

• Chairing or facilitating boards, committees, partnerships or multi-agency groups.
• Charity governance, community development, volunteer-led organisations or organisational leadership.
• Working with local government, public services, funders, schools, housing providers or community organisations.
• Knowledge of Burnage or a strong connection to South Manchester.

Time commitment

• One board meeting per month, normally in Burnage, with hybrid participation available
• Preparation and follow-up for meetings, including agenda-setting and action oversight.
• Regular contact with key trustees and the development worker between meetings.
• Occasional partner meetings, community events and trustee recruitment or development activity.
• As a guide, around 6–10 hours per month, with some flexibility around busier periods.

What we can offer

• The chance to shape the next chapter of a much-loved community library saved and sustained by local people.
• A committed board, passionate volunteers and strong relationships across Burnage.
• A meaningful leadership role with visible local impact.
• Induction and support to develop your charity governance and chairing practice.

Our commitment to inclusion

We want our board to reflect the community we serve and welcome applications from people who are underrepresented in charity governance — including people from Black, Asian and minoritised communities, disabled people, and younger people.

You do not need to tick every box. If you share our purpose and believe you can help people work well together, we would be glad to hear from you.

How to apply

Email chair@burnageactivityhub.org.uk to express an interest in this position, briefly outlining your skills and experience. We will then schedule a short chat, and if you wish to continue with your application, we would welcome a CV and one-page covering letter.