Whitby Mine Charity Looks for New CEO

The charitable foundation funded by Anglo American’s Woodsmith Project, the new multibillion pound polyhalite mine being built near Whitby, is on the lookout for a CEO.

The Sirius Minerals Foundation was set up to share some of the economic benefits of Anglo American’s Woodsmith Project amongst the local community. Over a million pounds donated to community groups on the Yorkshire coast since 2017, with funding now increased to £1m per year since the Anglo American takeover

The organisation has already donated over a million pounds to various local community projects since construction of the mine began in 2017.  But now the board has decided the time is right to recruit a Chief Executive who can lead the organisation and build and deliver a long-term plan that meets the Foundation’s charitable objects and strategic ambitions.  

The charitable objectives of the Foundation are to:

• Advance education, including supporting projects and training that benefit people by enhancing their skills;
• Promote the general health of the community;
• Advance environmental protection and improvement including the enhancing of the local landscape;
• Provide and improve facilities in the interests of social welfare and leisure time with the aim to improve residents' well-being;
• Help gain skills to those in need, because of financial hardship by being out-of-work, particularly the long-term unemployed.

David Archer, Chairman of the Sirius Minerals Foundation said

“We’re looking for a dynamic leader to help the Foundation deliver on its important promise during its next stage of evolution,” s  “The right candidate will need to be a partnership worker with strong leadership experience, with the ability and desire to be ‘hands on’ from the outset.  In return we offer a competitive salary and the ability to shape the future of a grant giving body that can help deliver positive change to the Foundation’s area of interest for generations to come.”

The charity was set up to share some of the economic benefits of the project amongst local communities within the boroughs of Scarborough, Redcar and the North York Moors National Park, and has funded skills training, public space and facilities improvements, environmental initiatives and community building projects in the past.  Most recently, it launched a £250,000 Covid response fund to help local voluntary, community and social enterprise groups adapt to the new and challenging environment created by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Set up by previous owners of the mine, Sirius Minerals, the Foundation received a substantial increase in funding when Anglo American bought the company in March this year, with the new London-based owners promising to inject £1 million per year into the charity during the mine’s construction period.  Longer term, the Foundation will be funded by a revenue royalty when polyhalite production begins, which could amount to more than £5 million pounds per year.

Mr Archer added

“The Foundation has the potential to become one of the top 10 corporate foundations in the country, and opportunities to be at the centre of an organisation that can so positively impact our communities do not come around very often,” “We’re going to leave a lasting positive legacy in the community and improve the lives of the people within it.  It’s an incredibly exciting and important time for the organisation and we need someone to take it to the next level.”

Any individual with the appropriate experience, expertise and interest can find out more about the CEO vacancy by requesting a recruitment pack from: info@siriusmineralsfoundation.co.uk.  Applications are via a CV and letter of application submitted before 5pm on Monday 16th November 2020.