Trustee at Supershoes

Organisation Overview 

Since 2013, Supershoes has supported over 8,000 children and young people in the UK undergoing cancer treatment by gifting personalised, hand-painted canvas shoes designed especially each recipient. Each pair celebrates the child’s interests and identity, bringing joy, confidence and encouragement during a difficult time.

The very first pair of Supershoes was created in October 2013 for an incredibly brave four-year-old boy called Henry Allen. Henry was fighting Neuroblastoma: a particularly aggressive cancer that mostly affects mostly under-fives. Ken and Sarah White, read about Henry in their local paper and wanted to find a way to help him to feel super special. They decided on a pair of customised shoes, which they named Supershoes.

Henry’s Supershoes were created based on Henry’s love of lions, Lego and Disney’s Lightning McQueen. Henry loved his Supershoes and this simple but unique gift created a special moment of joy for Henry’s parents. This moment is now a precious memory for his family, as devastatingly, Henry lost his brave fight with cancer a week later.

Photographs of Henry’s shoes were placed on a simple Facebook page (SupershoesUK) and 8000 people viewed them within 48 hours. Requests for special customised Supershoes came flooding in from parents throughout the UK for their own poorly children. The charity Supershoes was born, founded by Ken and Sarah.

Fast-forward nine years, and Supershoes is proud to count Young Lives Vs Cancer (formerly CLIC Sargent) as an official partner who refer children to us. Schuh, the high street retailer, has been helping us reach more children since 2014 and Converse more recently.

Supershoes is a volunteer-led organisation. The talented and selfless people who form our incredible team include over 300 Super Artists, 10 Super Admin Volunteers and 6 Super Terrific Trustees.

Role details 

Supershoes is seeking a Trustee with legal expertise to join our Board and help guide the governance and future direction of our national charity. As Trustee, you will contribute to the strategic leadership and governance of the charity, ensuring we operate responsibly, comply with relevant regulation and continue delivering impact for families across the UK. We are particularly interested in legal professionals with experience in:

• Charity law and governance 
• Risk management 
• Compliance, data protection 
• Regulatory or advisory roles 

Time requirements: Approximately 4 online evening board meetings per year (online only)

To apply for or express an interest in this position, please email bicenquiries@weareadvocate.org.uk