ROLE AND PERSON PROFILE OF NEW CHAIR
Role profile
Growing the Foundation - We are looking for someone who will help to lead and take the Foundation to its next stage of development, which will mean growing both the UK Hubs programme as well as our overseas initiatives. As noted above we have an ambition to be one of the big four cricket charities in the UK.
Fundraising – Growing the Foundation will mean growing the financial base of the Charity with fundraising a key part of this. To date, many of our benefactors have come from outside the Club; we must try to promote much more support from the MCC membership, either by annual or single donations. The Chair’s involvement in fundraising is a key function of this role.
Leadership - The Chair should have the ability to lead and direct the Trustee body and, more particularly, work closely with and monitor the performance of our excellent Executive team (which includes an annual review of the Foundation’s Director).
Relationship with MCC – MCC is a key stakeholder for the MCC Foundation; MCC appoints two of the Foundation’s Trustees. The Chair will need to have/build a good relationship with the key stakeholders in the Club.
Time commitment - The Chair should expect to spend 2-3 days per month on Foundation matters; Trustee meetings are normally held at Lord’s.
Length of appointment - The successful candidate would serve for an initial period of 3 years, with an option on both parties (MCCF and Chair) to serve for another 3 years. This is the norm for all MCCF Trustees.
None of our Trustees is remunerated or expected to claim expenses of any kind.
Person profile
Passion - We are looking for someone who is passionate about cricket and its ability to do good by encouraging young people to play the game.
Charitable experience - It would be helpful for this person to have experience of charitable work.
Governance - Experience of chairing companies or organisations, together with governance experience is desirable.
Fundraising - Good and successful experience of fundraising would be a significant benefit.
Knowledge of MCC – An understanding of how MCC operates would be advantageous. Non-members of MCC are invited to apply; if they do not already have a good knowledge of the Club they will be expected to obtain this as rapidly as possible. An induction programme will be put in place for the period up to 1 December 2023.
Integrity - Clearly possessing the highest levels of personal and professional integrity is a given for this role, as is ensuring that the reputation of both the Foundation and MCC is not harmed by any actions taken by the Foundation.
We intend to appoint a new Chair in May 2023 and for the appointment to commence on 1 December 2023.
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ABOUT MCC FOUNDATION
Founded in 1993, the MCC Foundation is the charitable arm of Marylebone Cricket Club and aims to transform lives through cricket.
Background
Based at Lord's Cricket Ground, the MCC Foundation is a cricket charity delivering projects across the UK and around the world. It is celebrating its 30th Anniversary in 2023. Whilst its charitable delivery was limited for a long period, over the past five years it has gone from strength to strength. It now operates in seven countries in addition to the UK and serves thousands of young beneficiaries.
The Foundation’s mission is to transform lives through cricket. It provides free coaching and match play to empower all boys and girls to reach their full potential in the game, to unite and inspire communities, and to promote physical and mental well-being.
In the UK
MCCF supports more than 3,000 young beneficiaries at around 80 Hubs across the UK, targeting state schoolchildren from areas of deprivation, providing free coaching and match play. In the summer it holds a nationwide competition with the final at Lord’s.
The immediate aim is to enhance the coaching programme, in order to provide broader life skills for these children. Additionally, the Foundation is working to extend the programme to a younger age group, as well as increasing development to 18 year olds, linking this latter development to the Club’s huge out-match programme, to allow young men and women to join the Club as good quality playing Members.
Outside the UK
MCC is a truly international cricket Club, and MCCF’s activities seek to mirror that description. It delivers coaching programmes to some of the most difficult areas in the world, notably Nepal, Lebanon (for Syrian refugees), East Africa, South Africa and Sri Lanka. It does this by contracting and participating with exemplary third party coaching organisations. It also uses MCC coaches and often combines these projects with MCC playing tours to these countries.
Governance
Together with the Chairman, there are 12 Trustees, who meet formally 3 times a year. However there are also 4 sub-groups of the main Trustee body who meet more regularly. These are:
All Trustees serve on at least one of the sub-groups, and they meet as directed, often 3-4 times a year.
Executive
The Charity is led by its Director, Dr Sarah Fane, and she is supported by 6 either full time or part time Executives, most of whom are based at Lord’s.
Finance
As at 19 December 2022, the Foundation has current assets of around £1.5m and an annual income stream of approximately £1m pa. Whilst most of the income is spent each year, over the last 4 years income has always exceeded expenditure. We are in the process of moving our financial year end from 31 August to 30 November.
A lot of focus is on increasing both our annual income and assets base, by attracting more Benefactors and Friends and by developing our legacy programme – the “1787 Society”.
Looking forward
MCCF is looking to continue to develop our programme both in the UK and abroad. We need to work closely with MCC in being a force for good in cricket and we have ambitious plans to grow our programmes. This will, in parallel, require MCCF to broaden and deepen our sources of funding. This will be a key focus for the incoming Chair.
We also aim to become one of the big four cricket charities, together with Chance to Shine, the Lord’s Taverners and ACE. By way of context, the turnover of Chance to Shine and Lord’s Taverners is currently four times that of MCCF.
Learn more about the work of MCC Foundation by clicking here.
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