Join Our Boards

We have two boards. One for Halifax Opportunities Trust and one for HOT Enterprises.

On occasion we have vacancies that will allow you to join the board and help shape HOT/HOT Enterprises.

These roles are voluntary. Application requires a CV submission to be sent to recruitment@regen.org.uk. More information

Current HOT Board Vacancies

There are no vacancies on the HOT board currently.

Current HOT Enterprises Board Vacancies

Role:                                       Non-executive Director of HOT Enterprises Ltd

Salary:                                     Unpaid. Expenses related to the role are reimbursed.

Time commitment:                c. 40 hours per year, comprising:

• • Six board meetings of two hours per year (currently Wednesday mornings) + preparation/reading time

• • Annual joint planning event with Halifax Opportunities Trust

• • Occasional ad-hoc board meetings

• • Invitation to Halifax Opportunities Trust Annual event & AGM

Location:         Most activities related to the role take place at Elsie Whiteley Innovation Centre, Hanson Lane, Halifax HX1 5PG

What is HOT Enterprises Ltd?

HOT Enterprises Ltd is a limited company which is wholly owned by Halifax Opportunities Trust (HOT), a local charity. The profits from the businesses operated by HOT Enterprises Ltd are gift aided to HOT, to provide the charity with additional ‘unrestricted’ income to support its charitable activities.

Currently, HOT Enterprises Ltd runs two business centres (Hanson Lane Enterprise Centre and Elsie Whiteley Innovation Centre).  These are run on a commercial basis and rental subsidies are provided by HOT to start-up businesses based in the premises to encourage and support enterprise and to bring good quality jobs into the community in which the centres are based.

Comprehensive information about the work of Halifax Opportunities Trust can be found at www.halifaxopportunitiestrust.org.uk

Comprehensive information about the business centres run by HOT Enterprises Ltd can be found at www.innovationhalifax.net

Becoming a Director of HOT Enterprises Ltd FAQs

1. Who owns and runs HOT Enterprises Ltd?

Halifax Opportunities Trust is the sole shareholder in HOT Enterprises Ltd and therefore wholly owns the company. The HOT Enterprises Ltd board of directors are appointed to direct the strategic direction of the company’s business. They make ‘big picture’ decisions about the company and are responsible for ensuring that HOT Enterprises Ltd meets its statutory obligations. One director is also a trustee on the HOT charity board and the two Chairs meet several times a year to facilitate communication and accountability between the two organisations.

2. The role of the board of directors

Your role as an individual director is to participate in board meetings to enable the board to reach collective decisions and make sure that the company’s obligations are fulfilled.

The directors are effectively the agents of the company, appointed by the shareholders to manage its day-to-day affairs. The basic rule is that the directors should act together as a board but the board may also delegate certain powers to individual directors or to a committee of the board

3. Duties of a board member

1. Act within powers

You must act in accordance with the company’s constitution, and only exercise your powers for the purposes for which they were given.

2. Promote the success of the company

You must act in the way you consider, in good faith, would be most likely to promote the success of the company for the benefit of its members as a whole. When considering what is most likely to promote the success of the company, the legislation states that a director must have regard to:

• the likely consequences of any decision in the long term;

• the interests of the company’s employees;

• the need to foster the company’s business relationships with suppliers, customers and others;

• the impact of the company’s operations on the community and the environment;

• the desirability of the company maintaining a reputation for high standards of business conduct; and

• the need to act fairly as between members of the company.

3. Exercise independent judgment

You must exercise independent judgment and make your own decisions. This does not prevent you from acting in accordance with the company’s Articles or an agreement which the company has entered into.

4. Exercise reasonable care, skill and diligence

You must exercise the same care, skill and diligence that would be exercised by a reasonably diligent person with:

• the general knowledge, skill and experience that may reasonably be expected of a person

   carrying out the same functions as you in relation to the company; and

• the general knowledge, skill and experience that you actually possess.

5. Avoid conflicts of interest (a “conflict situation”)

You must avoid a situation in which you have, or could have, an interest that conflicts, or may conflict, with the interests of the company. This applies in particular to the exploitation of any property, information or opportunity, regardless of whether the company could take advantage of it.

6. Not accept benefits from third parties

You must not accept a benefit from a third party given because you are a director or because you do (or do not do) anything as a director. This duty is not infringed if your acceptance cannot reasonably be regarded as likely to give rise to a conflict of interest.

7. Declare interests in proposed or existing transactions or arrangements with the company

If you are in any way, directly or indirectly, interested in a transaction or arrangement with the company, you must declare the nature and extent of that interest to the other directors.

What about other duties and obligations?

Obligations are also imposed on you as a director from other sources beyond the main

companies’ legislation. Some examples are:

• A director owes a duty of confidentiality to his or her company and must use or disclose the company’s confidential information only for the benefit of the company.

• Directors are responsible for ensuring that the company complies with its obligations relating to the health, safety and welfare at work of its workers, under health and safety legislation.

• Similarly, obligations arise under environmental legislation and anti-corruption legislation.

4. Minimum time commitment

Directors attend an induction session prior to their first board meeting. Directors are expected to attend all board meetings, which are held six times a year between 9.30am and 11.30pm at Elsie Whiteley Innovation Centre.

• • Papers are distributed one week in advance of meetings.

• • Directors may be asked to join a Task and Finish g or ad hoc group. These are set up to consider and advise on new business opportunities or other matters of importance for the company. They typically last for one or two sessions.

• • Directors are also invited to a joint half-day annual planning session, usually in October and the HOT annual general meeting (AGM), which takes place during late afternoon and early evening in November.

• • Directors can claim out of pocket expenses incurred in travelling to meetings or care expenses in order to attend meetings.

5. Person specification

Each director must have:

• • commitment to the purpose of both HOT Enterprises Ltd and HOT

• • willingness and ability to meet the minimum time requirement

• • integrity

• • strategic vision

• • good, independent judgement

• • an ability to think creatively

• • willingness to speak their mind

• • understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of directorship

• • ability to work effectively as a member of a team and to take decisions for the good of the companies

• • commercial experience (see collective requirement below)

The board of directors collectively needs skills and experience in the following areas:

• • Financial management, income generation and enterprise

• • Trading subsidiaries and social enterprise

• • Commercial acumen and experience

• • Company regulation

• • Development and management of commercial units

• • Marketing

Application and Selection Process

The process has three stages:

1. 1. You submit your CV by the closing date (5pm on Friday 14th March)

1. 1. We will shortlist applicants.

1. 1. If shortlisted, we will have an in-person or online meeting to discuss the role and answer any questions you might have. This allows both the applicant and HOT Enterprises Ltd to make a decision about the suitability of the applicant for the role of director.

1. 1. We will inform you of our decision and explain the next steps. 

Applications are invited from people who are over the age of 18. We would also like to hear from applicants who represent the diverse communities who live in Calderdale. We therefore welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age (as long as you are older than 18).

Please read all the information in this post to help you make your application.

Email CVs: recruitment@regen.org.uk or
Post/drop off: Halifax Opportunities Trust, HR Department, Elsie Whiteley Innovation Centre, Hopwood Lane, Halifax HX1 5ER

After identifying successful candidates, eligibility will be assessed and references taken up, before formally offering a place on the HOT Enterprises Ltd Board. Successful candidates will need to provide ID confirmation.

If you want more information about becoming a Director of HOT Enterprises Ltd, please contact HOT’s Commercial Lead, Alex Beardsley at alex.beardsley@regen.org.uk for an informal discussion.