Chair/Prior of England and the Islands
St John Ambulance
The time commitment is 2+ days per week
Voluntary basis with expenses reimbursed
We are searching for an exceptional Chair to lead the Board of St John Ambulance and chair the Priory governing council. The Priory of England and The Islands was established in 1999 and is one of the ten autonomous priories of The Order of St John (The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John). The Prior chairs the governing Council of the Priory of England and the Islands (Priory Council) and is chair of the Board of its main operating subsidiary, St John Ambulance, the nation’s leading first aid charity. Founded almost 150 years ago, in 2023, St John Ambulance in England and the Islands had revenues of around £100m.
THE ROLE
The current Prior, Stuart Shilson, was appointed in February 2022 with a three-year mandate to rebalance the organisation following the Covid-19 pandemic. This has involved substantial Board member engagement and activity which Stuart has led with commitment, determination and skill. Following the arrival of our new CEO, Shona Dunn, in September 2024, Stuart will be handing over to a successor during Q1 2025.
St John is therefore seeking an individual with exceptional skills and experience to provide ongoing leadership of the various parts of this unique and diverse organisation. You will be an experienced and highly strategic non-executive leader who will have credibility and command the respect of Government, the business and commercial community, major institutions, and other national charities. An excellent influencer, you will be able to leverage this to build relationships and alliances, amplifying the impact of our work. Most importantly, you will lead as an exemplar of the values of The Order, embodying the Christian principles of the Order’s founders.
