Unite Foundation is an independent registered charity addressing a critical gap in higher education access. With only 15% of care-experienced people progressing to university, the Foundation provides accommodation scholarships covering rent-free, year-round homes for up to three years of study.
Working with 38 universities across England and Scotland, they have supported over 800 estranged and care-experienced young people, with 399 graduates now pursuing their career ambitions.
Despite their success, demand significantly exceeds capacity, with four applicants for every available scholarship place. The Foundation’s strategic priorities include expanding scholarship provision, strengthening data collection and research capabilities, and advancing policy advocacy to achieve systemic change for this marginalised student population.
The Challenge.
Unite Foundation approached Peridot Partners to recruit a new Chair, as their existing Chair came to the end of their term, which coincided with the development of a new organisational strategy. The recruitment brief was complex, and the Chair role required:
- Strategic leadership balancing governance excellence with mission advocacy.
- Strong relationship-building skills to work constructively with funders whilst maintaining independence.
- Understanding of higher education, charity governance, and corporate foundations.
- Experience with vulnerable student populations and systemic challenges.
- Capability to lead trauma-informed discussions with a diverse board, including trustees with lived experience.
Our Approach.
Peridot Partners has a track record of supporting Unite Foundation to appoint board members and to support in ensuring the Board reflects the diversity of the people it supports. In previous rounds of recruitment, we had appointed a number of people with lived experience and supported the Board to ensure diversity of age and ethnicity. This included the appointments of Lloydette Bai-Marrow, Sunday Blake and Ian Adams. Drawing on our established relationship with Unite Foundation and deep understanding of their mission, we designed a comprehensive search strategy that combined our sector expertise with targeted outreach to diverse networks.
Research and Market Mapping.
- We conducted extensive research across multiple sectors:
- Higher education leadership, including current and former vice-chancellors.
- Charity governance specialists with experience of vulnerable populations.
- Corporate foundation executives with track records in social mobility.
- Policy and advocacy professionals working on education and care system reform.
- Individuals with lived experience of care or estrangement who had board experience
Stakeholder Engagement.
We worked closely with the existing Board and executive team to understand the cultural dynamics and specific requirements for success in these roles, ensuring our candidate assessment aligned with Unite Foundation’s values and strategic needs.
Results and Impact.
Our process generated exceptional interest, with 14 applications for the Chair position, a testament to both Unite Foundation’s reputation and the effectiveness of our search strategy.
Following a rigorous assessment, we invited a shortlist of five outstanding candidates for interview. Dr. John Cater was appointed as Chair, having served as Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Edge Hill University, transforming the institution from Edge Hill College of Higher Education into a leading modern university. Throughout his career, Dr. Cater has been a champion of widening participation and social mobility.
Dr. Cater stood out as an outstanding candidate for his professional credentials, as well as his personal understanding of the barriers Unite Foundation addresses. As he shared with us, “Education changed my life and my life chances, and everyone should have that opportunity”.
This understanding of educational transformation from challenging circumstances provides Dr. Cater with authentic insight into the Foundation’s mission. His personal commitment is evident: “I have devoted my career to ensuring these chances are made available to others from challenging circumstances.”
We also appointed a Trustee to the Board, Professor Julie Hall. Julie brings exceptional higher education leadership experience and a deep personal commitment to widening participation. Currently Vice Chancellor of London Metropolitan University and previously Senior Deputy Vice Chancellor at Solent University, Professor Hall has devoted her 35-year career to transforming access and outcomes for underrepresented students.
Co-Executive Director, Fiona Ellison’s feedbackcaptured the success of our approach:
“We were blown away with the quality of candidates that Jennifer and the team found for our Chair & Trustee recruitment. They were able to connect to a quality of candidate that will help to drive the organisation forward. Their ambition for our work was matched by the work of the team at Peridot in supporting the shortlist through the different stages of the recruitment, ensuring everyone was fully engaged.”
Conclusion.
This recruitment demonstrates Peridot Partners’ capability to deliver exceptional results for mission-driven organisations. By combining our research expertise, sector knowledge, and commitment to inclusive practice, we helped Unite Foundation secure leadership that will drive their vital work forward.Our success in attracting 14 applications and identifying outstanding candidates reflects both our methodology and our genuine commitment to the Foundation’s mission of ensuring care-experienced young people are not left behind in accessing higher education opportunities.
Jennifer Horan is our resident ‘board boffin’, having recruited hundreds of trustees to not for profit organisations of all sizes. She truly believes that boards are integral in the health and wellbeing of our not for profit sector, and is happy to chat with you about any questions you have about applying to your first chair role. You can connect with Jennifer on LinkedIn or send her an email to learn more about recruiting to your charity board.
