Chairperson - The Wheelchair Football Association CIO

Organisation: The Wheelchair Football Association
Salary: Voluntary (expenses reimbursed)
Location: Nationwide
Contract type: Volunteer
Closing date: 30 June 2026
Job Description: What will you be doing?

The Chairperson will provide strategic leadership to the Board of Trustees, ensuring The WFA is well governed, financially sustainable, values-led and focused on delivering its charitable objectives. The Chair will work closely with trustees, staff, committees, clubs, partners and stakeholders to support The WFA’s purpose: to govern and grow the sport of powerchair football.

The next Chair will inherit an organisation with momentum, credibility and ambition. This is an opportunity to build on strong foundations and help shape the next phase of The WFA’s development.

The Chair will lead the board in setting and maintaining the strategic direction of The WFA. They will ensure that the organisation remains focused on its charitable purpose, delivers against its current strategy, and prepares effectively for the next phase of development.

They will help trustees consider long-term opportunities and risks across the organisation’s four core foundations: Safety, Opportunity, Competition and Inclusion.

This includes workforce development, financial sustainability, participation growth, safeguarding, partnerships, competitions, club development and the wider role of The WFA within disability sport.

The WFA has developed strong corporate partnerships and will continue to seek relationships that provide financial support, strategic value and wider opportunities for the sport. The Chair will help develop and strengthen relationships with sponsors, funders, strategic partners, The FA, disability sport organisations and other key stakeholders. They should be confident acting as an ambassador for The WFA and able to communicate the organisation’s purpose, impact and ambitions clearly.

The Chair will provide strategic leadership on safeguarding, welfare and participant safety. They will ensure that safeguarding is treated as a core part of organisational culture, not simply a compliance requirement.

The successful candidate should understand the importance of high-quality safeguarding arrangements in disability sport and be able to support robust oversight of policies, reporting, training, accountability and continuous improvement.

The Chair should recognise that representation matters at every level of the game, from participation and workforce development to leadership, governance and public visibility. They will help ensure The WFA continues to remove barriers, broaden access and create an environment where everyone can see a place for themselves in powerchair football.

What are we looking for?

The Chair should have strong governance experience, ideally including previous board,trustee, committee or senior leadership responsibilities. They should understand the role of a board, the responsibilities of charity trustees, and the importance of effective scrutiny, accountability and collective decision-making.

They should have experience of managing, developing or sustaining corporate partnerships, with an understanding of how commercial relationships can support charitable objectives while protecting organisational values.

Knowledge of charity governance, grant funding and income diversification alongside high-level experience or understanding of strategic safeguarding is important.

A background in sport, physical activity, disability sport or a related sector would be highly valuable, particularly where this includes experience of developing people, building workforce capacity, supporting volunteers or strengthening delivery structures.

The ideal candidate will be a collaborative and values-led leader who can bring people together around a shared purpose. They will be able to listen carefully, chair discussions effectively and make sure that different voices are heard, including players, women and girls, families, clubs, volunteers and people with lived experience.

They will be confident working with a wide range of stakeholders, including players, families, clubs, volunteers, staff, sponsors, funders and national partners.

They will be comfortable with complexity and able to balance ambition, risk, opportunity and accountability. They should be commercially aware, financially literate and able to support the organisation to grow in a sustainable and ethical way.

What difference will you make?

The Chairperson plays a pivotal role in ensuring that The Wheelchair Football Association continues to grow, develop and deliver meaningful opportunities for disabled people through powerchair football.

The impact of this role will be felt across the sport. From supporting grassroots clubs and volunteers to strengthening national competitions and helping shape future opportunities for players, the Chairperson will help ensure The WFA continues to be a positive force for inclusion, participation and sporting excellence.

By providing effective leadership and governance, the Chairperson will contribute to creating a sustainable future for powerchair football, enabling more disabled people to benefit from the physical, social and psychological advantages that participation in sport can provide.
How to apply: Prospective candidates are warmly encouraged to have an informal conversation before applying. This can be arranged with the current Chair and/or Vice Chair to discuss the role, the organisation’s current position, the progress made under the existing strategy, and the opportunities ahead. This conversation is intended to help candidates understand The WFA’s culture, priorities and expectations, and to explore whether the role is the right fit for both the individual and the organisation. Following this, interested candidates will be invited to submit an expression of interest outlining their relevant experience, motivation for applying and the contribution they believe they could make as Chair of The WFA To arrange a conversation email; Dean Williams (Chair) dean.williams@thewfa.org.uk and Alex Dowding (Vice Chair) alex.dowding@thewfa.org.uk