Joseph Rowntree Foundation appoints Moira Sinclair OBE as Chair

Saxton Bampfylde are pleased to have supported the appointment of Moira Sinclair OBE as Chair of Trustees of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation group. The group brings together the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, an independent social change organisation, and the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust, which provides affordable and social housing and care in York and the North East.

Moira already chairs Clore Leadership, Factory International in Manchester and the Investment Committee of the Arts Impact Fund. She is also a Historic England Commissioner and a trustee of the National Theatre Foundation. Before that, she spent ten years as Chief Executive of the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, where she helped sharpen its focus on equity and injustice.

She takes up the role on 4 January 2027, succeeding Professor Carol Tannahill, who steps down in December after ten years on the board, the last three as Chair.

Moira Sinclair said:

“I couldn’t be more excited to be joining the Joseph Rowntree Foundation group at this point in its history. Over the past five years JRF’s ambitions have grown noticeably. Alongside its record of using research, policy development and advocacy to confront UK poverty and the structural inequalities that drive it, while increasing the supply of genuinely affordable housing in its home region, it has latterly established itself as a reflective funder of some of the movements working to replace systems which are patently failing us in favour of ones that deliver true equity. I look forward to joining the refreshed board of trustees to help strengthen the organisation’s work with both its traditional and newer partners.”

Gillian Russell, Vice-Chair of the JRF group, who led the search, said:

“During our conversations with a very strong list of candidates Moira Sinclair stood out for her deeply thoughtful approach and impressive understanding of the questions facing the organisation. The depth of judgement, governance experience, self-awareness and chairing craft that she demonstrated during the search process makes us very confident that she is the right person to ensure the organisation continues to be well-led during the next phase of its work.”

Julian Hartley, Chief Executive of the JRF group, said:

“I am thrilled to have in Moira Sinclair a deeply experienced partner to help take our work forward. As the former leader of one of the UK’s largest independent grant makers, her track record of exploring what it means to be part of the movement trying to build a fairer world, challenging traditional philanthropic power dynamics and adopting a total assets approach is highly pertinent. As is her experience of working with local and national governments.”