Chair of Trustees
As Chair of Semilki Trust’s trustees, Joss:
- Maintains the direction, the values, the integrity, the probity, the prudence and the reputation of the Trust. All significant decisions are taken by the trustees. Working as a team, the trustees are responsible for the management and administration, and the governance of the Trust.
- Ensures that the global objective, and the specific objectives are being met and that the Trust activities are consistent with the charitable objects in line with the “ways of carrying out the objects” and that the trust does not breach requirements set out in the governing document.
- Exercises oversight of the management of all assets of the trust, principally financial accountability, and ensure that all accounts are audited to required standards and that the Trust remains solvent.
- Highlights the roles of the trustees, and helps provide strategic direction, and provides oversight of the work of Semiliki committee members.
- Joss also provides specialist knowledge of charitable law.
Joss’ first job on leaving University was as a teacher in a government High School in Uganda. He subsequently qualified as a lawyer, and since 1998 has worked for Oxfam as its Legal Adviser. He is also Oxfam Company Secretary, and chairs its Enterprise Development Board, which supports small scale agricultural business projects. He is also a trustee of the Legal Response Initiative (which provides climate change legal advice to the least developed group of countries), and an adviser to several development charities in his capacity as a partner in law firm Blake Lapthorn. He is currently working on several climate change and food justice related projects. He also does a lot of legal work in in the publishing industry. Outside work, he supports St Michael’s and All Angels Church in Blewbury, Oxfordshire, and volunteers for too many things.