SOS Children’s Villages UK

Chair

SOS Children’s Villages UK is part of the international federation SOS Children’s Villages – the largest international charity dedicated to the care of children who have lost parental care. As a Global Federation of 140 local SOS Children’s Villages Associations, they operate in 136 countries and territories, ‘protecting unsupported children worldwide’. SOS Children’s Villages UK entity acts as one of the fundraising arms for the wider federation, raising funds from the UK public and identifying and securing support from long term funding partners.

For this important and first-time external board recruitment, the charity was looking for an outstanding and engaged new Chair to galvanise and draw upon the individual and collective strengths of the Trustees and build diversity, as well as effectively represent the organisation externally. This person would drive progress towards their vision, building the profile of the organisation, with the ability to influence at the highest level and be able to draw upon their expansive networks in support of the work of the charity. The new Chair would be active in promoting board participation outside of meetings and in holding the finely balanced ambitions and resources of the SOS Children’s Village’s UK, its staff, and the wider international federation.

Following a comprehensive and fully accessible recruitment process, the successful appointment was Harpinder Collacott. Harpinder is Executive Director of Development Initiatives, an organisation providing data-driven analysis to support poverty eradication. She is Vice Chair of UK Umbrella body, BOND, Trustee of WaterAid UK, and also mentors young minority women to advance their careers. Harpinder has a strong background in politics and policy, advocacy and achieving change at the global level working with think tanks, UN war crimes tribunals, within philanthropy and consultancy.