We’re recruiting: Trustees and Chair

About the Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES)

CLES is the national organisation for local economies. Established in 1986, we are a charitable company limited by guarantee, working towards a future where local economies benefit people, place and the planet. This will happen when wealth and power serve local people, rather than the other way around, enabling communities to flourish. We have an international reputation for our pioneering work on community wealth building and are recognised as the curators of the movement in the UK.

Despite the challenges of the last two years, this is an exciting time for CLES. Our new Chief Executive was appointed in June 2021 and our reputation and the influence, scale and depth of our work across councils, regions and the devolved nations of the UK is stronger than ever.

About the roles

Several of our dedicated Trustees – including the current Chair – are due to retire in the coming months, so we are looking for a new Chair and two new Trustees. They will share our commitment to progressive economics and will have experience of delivering change in local government, the NHS or in civil society. We’re keen to hear from people who really understand the challenges and complexities facing local economies today, particularly the environmental crisis, public sector finances, the cost of living crisis and the devolution agenda.

Trustees will be excited about CLES’s ambition to become the leading national organisation for local economic change and will work with us to support our policy, practice and impact in places across the UK and beyond.

We are committed to ensuring we have a broad range of skills, experience and knowledge and so Trustees who bring experience of delivering organisational diversity are of particular interest.

For further information and details on how to apply please read the job description for these roles.

To learn more about the opportunity and our work, we would encourage you to speak with our Chief Executive, Sarah Longlands, or our acting Chair, Andy Donald. To arrange an informal discussion, please contact lisaadamson@cles.org.uk, or call Sarah on 07919 050882.