Chair
Together for Short Lives is the UK's leading Charity dedicated to children's palliative care. They envision a future where all seriously ill children and their families can access high-quality palliative care, when and where they need it. We helped them find a Chair of the Board who could advance this mission.
The Charity works across multiple fronts to achieve its goals. They collaborate with healthcare professionals to enhance care delivery, raise essential funds to bridge healthcare funding gaps, and champion policies that provide lasting support for seriously ill children and their families. A key focus is increasing the number of healthcare professionals and ensuring they are supported to deliver the highest standard of care possible. Furthermore, their Family Support Hub offers practical, emotional, and financial assistance to relatives and connects families facing similar challenges.
Together for Short Lives' ultimate vision is for every seriously ill child and their family to receive high-quality palliative and end-of-life care and support. This vision is underpinned by their 10-year strategic plan, "Making Every Moment Count." By improving the access and quality of care, this strategy aims to enable seriously ill children and their families to cherish every moment they have together, whether it spans years, months, or even just hours.
This was our first engagement with Together for Short Lives. We were recommended by some of their Board members, who were familiar with our Charity Practice's successful track record in non-profit leadership appointments.
The Board of Trustees oversees the Charity’s governance and sets the strategic direction, and the Chair ensures it operates cohesively and collaboratively. For this role, they needed a strategic thinker who could provide clear, engaging and confident leadership to the Trustees. The ideal candidate needed to demonstrate extensive experience in Charity governance and proven skill in building relationships with diverse audiences, particularly parents, healthcare professionals, and key stakeholders.
A key challenge in our search was identifying candidates with the necessary skills and experience who could also dedicate sufficient time to the role. The Chair's responsibilities, overseeing Charity activities, attending meetings, and making strategic decisions, demand a substantial time commitment. While many candidates possessed the requisite qualifications, finding individuals who could also commit significant time to the role proved challenging.
Sandy Hinks, Head of Moon's Charity Practice, coordinated the search campaign, employing a comprehensive approach that combined targeted headhunting with strategic advertising. She identified and approached individuals within the Charity sector who possessed the precise blend of leadership experience, strategic acumen, and a demonstrable passion for children's palliative care. Simultaneously, the role was advertised across key sector-specific networks to attract a broad pool of qualified candidates. This dual strategy ensured that both active job seekers and passive candidates with the ideal profile were reached.
From a strong field of talented candidates, Andrew Heywood Hughes stood out. His development-focused leadership style makes him an ideal fit for the Together for Short Lives Board.
Andrew brings a wealth of experience in strategic development and organisational transformation from his work across healthcare, non-profits, and higher education. He's particularly skilled at helping organisations expand the availability and accessibility of their services. His background in Charity governance, specifically within children's healthcare, is extensive; he previously served as Chair of Partners in Paediatrics and is a Patron of Teenage Cancer Trust. Crucially, Andrew can commit the necessary time to this role and is eager to help the Charity make a real difference.
“We thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the team at Together for Short Lives. The impact of this Charity’s work is huge. We’re honoured to be a part of their journey and to help them achieve their mission.”
“Sandy was extremely helpful. She went the extra mile to find out every detail about our organisation and find candidates matched to our goals and structure.”
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