From a Chair search for a new client to dual appointments: strengthening Eastside's Board.
Eastside Community Trust is a Bristol-based charity formed by the merger of Easton Community Centre, Felix Road Adventure Playground and Up Our Street. Today, the organisation manages community assets including an adventure playground, community centre, café, retail units and community engagement programmes that connect residents.
Eastside sought an experienced Chair to support the executive team and help deliver its new strategy following a governance review.
As a new client Moon Executive Search first worked with Eastside to define the role and the experience required. Eastside were looking for someone with vision, excellent relationship-building skills and a genuine interest in the Easton and Lawrence Hill communities and Moon knew how to find them.
Our approach
Moon Charity Practice delivered a combined advertising and targeted headhunting campaign, designed to identify candidates with both governance expertise and a local network.
Led by Vanessa Moon, the search focused on attracting individuals who could bring lived experience, local knowledge and a passion for community development, while also strengthening the diversity and effectiveness of the Board.
The outcome
The response to the campaign was exceptionally strong. The quality of the shortlisted candidates impressed Eastside Community Trust so much that the organisation chose to appoint not only a new Chair, but also an additional Trustee from the same recruitment process.
Paul Hassan was appointed as Chair of Trustees - with a long-standing connection to Easton and more than three decades of experience in community economic development and partnership building Paul brought significant leadership experience, local knowledge and an established reputation as a community leader.
Eastside told us his expertise in building inclusive neighbourhoods and strengthening community partnerships made his application stand out.
Alongside Paul, Henri Owen joined the Board as a Trustee.
Henri brought extensive experience of community organising, climate justice initiatives and supporting non-profits to strengthen their systems and governance. Their background aligned with Eastside's commitment to inclusion, sustainability and community empowerment, making them an excellent addition to the Board.
Impact
By securing not one but two high-calibre leaders through a single process, Eastside was able to strengthen its governance capacity and introduce additional expertise at a key point to enable them to pursue their new strategy and governance changes.
For Moon Charity Practice, the assignment marked the beginning of a new relationship with Eastside Community Trust and demonstrated the value of using an executive search firm that has a deep understanding of the landscape the charity is operating in and the talent pool they were looking to attract.
“Vanessa and the team at Moon quickly understood what makes Eastside Community Trust special and the type of leaders we wanted to attract. The quality of candidates presented was outstanding. The process ultimately enabled us to appoint not only an exceptional new Chair, but also an additional Trustee whose skills and values strongly aligned with our mission.”
To discuss how we can help strengthen your Board or leadership team and support your organisation's future ambitions, contact us to learn how we can help.