Church Commissioners starts recruitment of Oversight Group for new Impact Investment Fund

The Church Commissioners for England is inviting applications to join the Oversight Group that will help to design and establish a new impact investment fund, being set up in response to research showing its predecessor fund had links to transatlantic chattel slavery. 

In January 2023, in response to research revealing historical links with the transatlantic chattel slave trade, the Church Commissioners announced a funding commitment of £100 million, to be delivered over the next nine years, through a programme of impact investment, research and engagement. The ambition is to invest in a better future for all, particularly communities impacted by the legacy of the transatlantic chattel slave trade. The fund will aim to achieve lasting positive impact through investments, and also enable grant funding. 

The Oversight Group will help design the impact investment fund and the grant funding programme. Specifically, the Oversight Group will make recommendations on the aims and criteria for the fund and grant programme, suggest areas for further research, commission work to inform the group’s proposals, and advise on engagement plans.   

“We want to be ambitious with this fund, and also to listen widely to ensure this work is done sensitively and with accountability – we cannot do this on our own.” said Gareth Mostyn, Chief Executive at the Church Commissioners. “This new Oversight Group will need to draw on the expertise, intellect, and heart of the broadest possible range of people.”   

In 2019, the Church Commissioners decided it wanted to learn more about the history of its endowment fund, working with forensic accountants to review the archives. Research showed that a predecessor fund, Queen Anne’s Bounty, was invested in the South Sea Company, a company which was involved in transatlantic chattel slavery, and also received numerous benefactions, many of which are likely to have come from individuals linked to, or who profited from, transatlantic chattel slavery.  

For the Oversight Group, the Church Commissioners is looking for people who have expertise in one or more of the following:   

• The legacy of the transatlantic chattel slave trade, its lasting values and mindsets, and how this has shaped and continues to impact our world today
• Responsible investment, impact investment and endowment fund management
• Grant making
• International and/or community development 
• Contested history and heritage
• Political, social or cultural leadership that has benefited communities impacted by the transatlantic chattel slave trade
• The lived experience and inter-generational trauma of people connected with the transatlantic chattel slave trade 
• Theological perspectives relating to the transatlantic chattel slave trade, and the Church’s involvement in this 

Recruitment consultancy Green Park are supporting the Church Commissioners with its search, which will be conducted to the highest standards of transparency, equity and impartiality.  Information about the recruitment process and how to apply can be found at micro.green-park.co.uk/cc.

Recruitment closes on Wednesday 7 June at 11:59pm. General enquiries about the Fund should be directed to Georgia Boon at [email protected].