When people think about charities, they often think about the staff, volunteers, teachers, or the people directly benefiting from the work. Less visible, but equally important, are the trustees who help guide and support the organisation behind the scenes.
As Chief Executive, I have the privilege of working closely with a small and dedicated group of trustees who bring their experience, expertise and thoughtful challenge to our work. They’re the guardians of the charity, helping to ensure that we remain true to our purpose, support strategic direction and help develop ways that maximise our impact.
What do our trustees do?
Our trustees come from a range of backgrounds, and each brings something different to the organisation. Together they provide oversight of the charity, but they also support specific areas of our work. Some bring expertise in research, others in communications, fundraising, finance, governance, healthcare or organisational leadership.
One of the things I value most is that our trustees do far more than attend board meetings. I work with many of them individually throughout the year, drawing on their expertise as we develop new ideas, navigate challenges, explore opportunities and strengthen different aspects of the charity. Whether discussing research priorities, reviewing fundraising plans, exploring partnerships or thinking through strategic decisions, their support and perspective are invaluable.
As a board, trustees provide both encouragement and accountability. They celebrate successes, ask important questions and help ensure that we’re making decisions that serve the long-term interests of Oxford Mindfulness and the communities we support.
Contribution and structure
Being a trustee is also an opportunity to contribute to something meaningful. Oxford Mindfulness was founded with a vision of increasing understanding of mindfulness and making high-quality, research-based mindfulness more widely accessible. Today our work reaches individuals, workplaces, healthcare settings, communities and organisations both in the UK and internationally. Our trustees play an important role in helping us continue that journey.
We’ve worked hard on the structure to ensure the commitment is manageable alongside other professional and personal responsibilities. Trustees attend four board meetings each year (we aim for three online and one in person), with occasional project work or advisory support between meetings depending on their interests, expertise and the charity’s priorities at the time.
Becoming a trustee with us is an opportunity to use your skills and experience in service of a cause that matters. To contribute to the strategic direction of a growing charity, work alongside a supportive board and leadership team, and help shape the future of mindfulness education, research and access.
Current recruitment now open
We’re recruiting new trustees and would be delighted to hear from people who share our vision and would like to contribute to our next chapter. We’re particularly interested in hearing from individuals with mindfulness knowledge and expertise in one or more of the following areas:
• Preventative health, behaviour change or health psychology
• Clinical practice, healthcare leadership or health service delivery
• Research and evaluation
• Digital learning and/or AI
We welcome applications from individuals who share our values, bring relevant expertise and insight, and are keen to contribute to the future direction of our work. Previous trustee experience is not essential, and we encourage applications from people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
If you share our vision of increasing understanding and access to mindfulness, and would like to contribute your skills and experience to the next chapter of Oxford Mindfulness we’d love to hear from you – come and be part of our work!
- The closing date for applications is 17 July 2026
- Provisional interview dates – 5 or 12 August 2026 (to be confirmed)
- Successful applicants will commence in post on 20 September 2026
