Please do not apply via the On-Line Application - see advert for further details on how to apply.
Appointment of Town Deal Board Chair
As we enter the next stage of the Borough’s evolution, we are looking to strengthen our public/private sector partnerships by recruiting a new Chair of the St Helens Town Deal Board. If you are a visionary leader and a passionate individual looking to make a difference to where you live, work, or visit, then please read on to find out more about this once in a lifetime opportunity.
About Town Deal
St Helens was selected by Government to have a Town Deal in September 2019, and was given the opportunity to bid for up to £25m, to support the delivery of innovative regeneration plans.
St Helens was selected based on our proud industrial and economic heritage and the clear opportunities in the area to create good sustainable economic growth.
Town Deals are aligned to “whole town” proposals, not just town centres. To plan, steer and drive this regeneration and to deliver the long-term economic productivity and growth, a Town Deal Board was established and has been highly successful to date. The St Helens Town Deal Board has successfully secured the full £25m to deliver 8 projects across a wide range of specialisms. This will bring an additional £225m of investment into the town. This includes:
Project: Cannington Shaw Bottle Shop
Detail : Bringing a scheduled monument back to life
Project: Town Centre Regeneration and Living
Detail: To deliver Phase 1 of the Town Centre Masterplan
Project: Connected Places
Detail: Creating a sustainable transport hub and links
Project: Heritage World – The World of Glass
Detail: Renew the museum to celebrate past and future
Project: Digital Connectivity
Detail: Ensuring superfast connectivity for all
Project: Youth Zone
Detail: Providing young people with space to be inspired
Project: Health Innovation Hub
Detail: Tackling health inequalities and a skilled workforce
Project: Glass Futures 2
Detail: Securing a Medical Glass Centre of Excellence in the borough
Our Board - Skills and Experience
To diversify and strengthen the Board’s skill and capacity, and to support the overall successful delivery of the Towns Fund projects, we recently appointed several new Board members and are proud that our skill set now contains experience and expertise in the following areas:
- Project Management
- Governance
- Cost value Engineering
- Budget Management
- Architecture
- Strategic Thinking
- Town Planning
- Local Governance Procedures
- Risk Management
- Consultation and Engagement
- Contracting and Procurement
- Education and Training
- Managing Conflict
- Youth Activities and Youth Engagement
- Delivering Large Scale Construction Projects
- Partnership working
Becoming our Chair
The current role of the Town Deal Board is to ensure the Town Investment Plan is delivered successfully. The Board meets on a quarterly basis and its existing members come from a broad range of specialisms, representing business, housing, skills, and economy at national, regional, and local levels. All the partners on the Town Deal Board are passionate and committed to improving the borough of St Helens. To fully represent the town and our residents, it is essential that our Board Membership has a wide range of skills and is diverse to truly represent the people of the Borough.
Skills and Experience
After a very successful tenure, the term of the initial Chair has come to an end and we are now seeking an ambitious Chair who is a locally invested business leader with has a strong track record of leading organisations through change and can play an active role in the governance of the Town Deal, making key decisions that ensure a successful future for our much-loved town. In addition, the new Chair must have a demonstrable ability to:
- Understand the public, private, voluntary and community sectors.
- Run an effective, diverse, and inclusive Board and manage relationships with both shareholders and stakeholders.
- Influence, persuade and communicate with others towards achieving the purpose and ambition of the Board.
- Competently manage conflicts that may arise through competing/conflicting interests of the Board members and key stakeholders.
- Ensure that the business is discussed in line with the agenda and ensure that everyone’s views are heard and discussed, clear decisions are reached, accepted and follow-up.
- Demonstrate a passion and commitment to the development of the town’s future.
- Express a commitment of time and resources into local social and economic infrastructure.
- Engage with the Local Authority and Town Deal Board, abiding by the Terms of Reference of the Town Deal Fund Board and its Code of Conduct and Decision-making processes.
- Be a passionate and active ambassador for St Helens and work with the Town Deal Board as a whole, to realise the town’s longer-term development and prosperity.
- Understand our diverse town and the needs of residents.
- Engage with the community, stakeholders, and partners to help ensure successful delivery of the agreed Town Investment Plan.
Further information about the Town Deal Board’s Terms of Reference and its Code of Conduct can be found at:
The Terms of Reference: https://www.sthelens.gov.uk/media/3378/Terms-of-Reference/pdf/St_Helens_Town_Deal_Board_-_Terms_of_Reference.pdf?m=638378922731500000 ; and The Board Documents and Code of Conduct: https://www.sthelens.gov.uk/article/3265/Board-meeting-documents.
Commitment
The Board meets quarterly and all members, including the Chair, commit their time and expertise in a voluntary capacity. The expectation is to chair and positively engage in all four in-person Board meetings per year and perform Town Deal governance duties during intervening periods with the support of the secretariat. Whilst the position is unpaid, St Helens Borough Council will meet reasonable travel and other expenses involved in attending meetings.
We want to make sure you get as much out of this position as you put into it. Volunteering for this position will be a wonderful way to give back to the St Helens community.
Equality & Diversity
St Helens Borough Council respects and values the individuality that every employee brings. We encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds, who share our values, our commitment to inclusion, and who will help us on our journey to transform our town. Further information about Equality & Diversity at St Helens Borough Council can be found at https://www.sthelens.gov.uk/equality
St Helens Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer. Disability Confident Employers lead the way in helping to take action that changes attitudes, behaviours, and cultures for the better.
NOLAN Principles of Conduct in Public Life
All Council employees are required to abide by the ethical standards embodied by the 7 Nolan Principles: Selflessness, Integrity, Objectivity, Accountability, Openness, Honesty, and Leadership.
How to Apply
If you are a locally invested business leader then please provide your up-to-date CV and a covering letter or personal statement which outlines your related skills, knowledge, and experience for this opportunity.
Please send your details to Rachael Buckley (Partnerships Officer) via RachaelBuckley@sthelens.gov.uk by Friday 2nd of February 2024.
Please do not apply via the On-Line Application
Your covering letter or personal statement should demonstrate your commitment to St Helens Borough and the strengths that you would bring to the Town Deal Board as Chair.
Prospective applicants who best meet our requirements will be invited to speak to some of our existing Board members on a date to be arranged.
It is currently envisaged that a new Chair will be elected to the Town Deal Board at its meeting on 1 March 2024, for an initial term of 2 years.
For more information contact Robert Gatensbury (Programme Lead) via RobertGatensbury@sthelens.gov.uk
Closing Date: Friday 2nd of February 2024
Thank you for your interest and we look forward to hearing from you.
