We are looking for a new Chair, a Treasurer and one or two trustees to join the Board of Clowns Without Borders UK.
You may have been a trustee before or this may be your first time. Your experience might be through work, volunteering, community leadership or creative practices.
We welcome applications from people of all ages and backgrounds, and particularly people who have historically been underrepresented on charity boards.
Applications close at 12 noon on Wednesday 30 September 2026.
Who we are
A small charity with a joyful job
Clowns Without Borders UK supports children affected by crisis, conflict and displacement to heal, learn and thrive through laughter and play.
We have shared laughter and play with children as a form of emotional first-aid since 2014. We support local artists to design and lead our work. We also train humanitarian staff and volunteers to use play in their everyday work, so children can expereince joy long after a project ends.
Children shape our charity. Our Children’s Board helps guide us, and children’s experiences change the decisions we make and the direction we take.
Why now
Our next chapter
Our current strategy ends in 2027, and we will soon start planning what comes next. We want to grow our joyful, locally led work with children, supporting local artists in Ukraine, bringing laughter and play to children seeking sanctuary in the UK, and responding to crises where our approach can have the biggest impact.
Over the next few years we want to:
- strengthen and diversify our income;
- protect the quality and safety of our work;
- plan our next strategy;
A strong and diverse Board is an important part of that.
You can find out more about the charity in our annual reports.
What We are Looking For
We want our Board to reflect our work and the communities we work alongside. We welcome people of all ages and backgrounds, and particularly people whose perspectives have historically been underrepresented on charity boards.
We would especially like to hear from people with experience or knowledge in one or more of these areas:
- Sanctuary and community. Displacement, forced migration, the asylum system or refugee-led support.
- Children and wellbeing. Child development, child psychology, mental health, psychosocial support, play or programme quality.
- Income and partnerships. Fundraising, trusts and foundations, partnerships, earned income or developing sustainable sources of income.
- Organisational development. Helping a small purpose-led organisation grow or manage change.
- People, governance and risk. Charity governance, safeguarding, data protection or digital security.
You do not need to meet every requirement.
We welcome people with different backgrounds, experiences, responsibilities and access needs. If you are interested, we would still like to hear from you.
Trustee Role
Trustees set our direction together, look after our resources and understand our risks. They protect the charity’s purpose, and they support and challenge the CEO through thoughtful, well-informed decisions.
Trustees serve an initial three-year term, with the option of a second. The role is unpaid, and travel, access and other agreed out-of-pocket expenses are reimbursed.
Time Commitment:
- 4- 6 hours a month;
- 4 x 2-hour board meetings a year, usually online;
- 1 x one in-person away day with expenses paid, and the occasional working group between meetings.
We are looking for people who
- Care about our work;
- Share our values;
- Who listen to different views and help others take part;
- Bring curiosity, imagination and good humour;
- Will ask questions, raise concerns, disagree respectfully but also get behind a decision made together;
You do not need previous experience in every part of the role.
We provide induction and training, including safeguarding, and every new trustee is paired with an existing Board member who can answer questions and help them settle in.
Please download the recruitment pack for further details.
Chair of Trustees Role
The Chair is a trustee too, and shares everything above. The Chair also helps the Board work well together, stay focused on our purpose, and give the CEO the right balance of support and challenge.
The Chair will:
- Lead inclusive and effective Board meetings;
- Keep the Board focused on the most important strategic questions;
- Make sure different voices are heard;
- Support good Board culture and strategic oversight, development and succession.
- Provide support and, where necessary, challenge to the CEO;
We are looking for someone who can:
- Help a group make thoughtful decisions
- See the bigger picture and the practical implications
- Make space for different communication styles
- Value lived and community experience alongside professional expertise.
Previous experience as a charity Chair is helpful but not essential.
The Chair will spend more time on the role than other trustees, because of regular contact with the CEO and preparation for meetings.
For a full overview of the role, please download our recruitment pack/
Treasurer Role
The Treasurer is a trustee with an additional focus on our finances:
Working with the CEO and the wider Board, the Treasurer will:
- Share financial information clear and useful for trustees without a finance background;
- Help the Board understand our financial position, cash flow and key financial risks;
- Review management accounts with the CEO;
- Support annual budgeting, forecasting and reserves planning;
- Bring financial thinking into wider decisions about strategy, income and growth.
We are looking for someone with strong experience in accounting, finance or financial management.
We ask for a recognised professional accountancy qualification — ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA or equivalent.
Experience of charity finance, restricted funding, Charity SORP or Xero would be helpful,
How to Apply
Tell us whether you are applying as Chair, Treasurer or Trustee. You can express interest in more than one role.
1. Tell us about your experience
Send a CV of no more than two pages, a LinkedIn profile, or a short summary of your experience.
2. Tell us a little about yourself
Answer these questions in writing, audio or video.
- What makes CWB UK’s work feel important to you at this time?
- In one or two sentences, what does being a good trustee mean to you?
- How do your skills and experience fit the responsibilities in the role descriptions?
- Describe a time you helped a group see the bigger picture or make a difficult decision. What did you do, and what did you learn?
- In one sentence, what was the last thing that made you laugh?
Written applications: up to around 750 words across all the questions. We are not looking for essays, and you do not need to use the full limit.
Audio or video applications: up to five minutes.
3. Send it to us
Email both items to hello@clownswithoutborders.org.uk
by 12 noon on Wednesday 30 September 2026.
Come to the candidate Q&A
An optional 30-minute online Q&A on Friday 18 September 2026, 1.00–1.30pm. An informal chance to hear more about the roles and ask us anything.
Coming along is not part of the assessment.