About the organisation
Citizens Advice Broxbourne is an independent local charity providing free, confidential and impartial advice to people across our community.
Our purpose is simple: to help people understand their rights and options, resolve problems and make informed decisions when they need support.
Our advisers help with issues including debt, benefits, housing, employment, energy and consumer problems. We also use what we learn from the people we help to understand wider issues affecting our community and identify where change is needed.
We are a small charity with an annual income of around £250,000, supported by a small team of paid staff, volunteers and trustees. As an independent Citizens Advice organisation, our finances and sustainability are our own responsibility. We are not simply a local branch of the national Citizens Advice organisation, and our Board has responsibility for ensuring the charity is well run and financially sustainable.
We have a Treasurer on our Board who provides financial oversight and works with the CEO and wider Board. We are now looking for a volunteer with practical finance experience who can provide additional hands-on support and expertise.
We are currently strengthening our financial systems and processes and want to make sure that our bookkeeping, reconciliations, reporting and financial controls give the Board a clear and reliable picture of the charity's finances.
This is an important time for the organisation as we develop new partnerships, seek new funding and look at how we can strengthen and grow our services while remaining financially sustainable.
Our finance systems currently use QuickBooks, and we are looking for someone who can bring practical experience and help us make sure the system and underlying records work effectively for the charity.
We are particularly keen to find someone who enjoys getting into the detail as well as understanding the bigger picture. This is a practical volunteering opportunity where a few hours of your time each month could make a significant difference to the way a small local charity manages its finances.
About the role
We are looking for a volunteer with bookkeeping or accounting experience to provide practical finance support to Citizens Advice Broxbourne.
We already have a Treasurer who provides Board-level financial oversight. This role is different: we are looking for someone who enjoys the practical side of finance and can help ensure our day-to-day records, reconciliations and reporting are accurate, well organised and useful.
The role is ongoing, with an expected commitment of around 1 to 3 hours per week. The work can be completed fully remotely and can be arranged flexibly around your availability.
Depending on your experience, tasks could include:
- Reviewing and reconciling bank transactions and accounts
- Supporting accurate bookkeeping and coding of transactions in QuickBooks
- Checking income and expenditure records and identifying anything that needs further investigation
- Helping maintain clear and well-organised financial records
- Supporting the preparation of regular management accounts and financial summaries
- Reviewing financial controls and suggesting practical improvements
- Helping track invoices, payments and expenses
- Supporting the Treasurer and CEO with financial queries and providing additional insight where needed
- Helping prepare information for quarterly finance reporting to the Board
- Potentially supporting payroll processes if this is an area of your experience, although this is not essential
The volunteer would be expected to attend our Finance or relevant subcommittee meeting approximately four times a year, held online, to help explain or report on financial findings and answer questions. Additional contact with the Treasurer or CEO can be arranged as needed and is likely to be relatively informal.
We use QuickBooks, so experience with this system would be particularly useful, although experience with another accounting package such as Xero would also be relevant.
This is not a time-limited project. We are looking for someone who would like to become a valued part of the organisation and provide ongoing support as our finance systems and processes develop.
Our ideal candidate
We are looking for someone with practical experience of bookkeeping, accounting or managing finances who enjoys getting into the detail and making sure things add up.
Essential
- Experience of bookkeeping, accounting or financial administration
- Good numerical skills and strong attention to detail
- Confidence working with financial records and spreadsheets
- An organised and methodical approach
- Able to identify discrepancies or things that don't look right and investigate them
- Comfortable working independently and remotely
- Able to explain financial information clearly to people who may not have a finance background
You don't need to be a qualified accountant. We would particularly welcome someone who has worked in the finance function of a small business, charity or other organisation and understands the practical realities of keeping accurate records and producing useful financial information.
Desirable
- Experience of working with a charity or not-for-profit organisation
- Experience using QuickBooks, although experience with other accounting software is also valuable
- Experience preparing management accounts or financial reports
- Experience reviewing financial controls or improving finance processes
- Payroll experience
- An understanding of charity finance, restricted funding or grant reporting
We are also looking for someone who is approachable and willing to work collaboratively with our Treasurer, CEO and wider team. You don't need to know everything about charity finance when you start. We can provide context about the organisation and our systems, and there is scope for the role to develop around the volunteer's particular experience and interests.
The most important thing is that you are comfortable working with numbers, enjoy solving problems and can give a small charity some additional confidence in the accuracy and usefulness of its financial information.
What’s in it for you
This is an opportunity to use your financial experience to make a practical difference to a small local charity.
Good financial management is essential to Citizens Advice Broxbourne. Every pound we receive needs to be managed carefully so that we can continue providing advice and support to people in our community.
Last year, our team supported around 1,600 clients across more than 11,700 issues. The advice and support we provided contributed to more than £553,000 in income gains for the people we helped. Behind those figures is a small local charity working every day to help people navigate difficult situations and improve their financial security.
Your contribution will help strengthen the organisation behind that work. By helping us maintain accurate financial records, improve our processes and produce reliable financial information, you'll give our Treasurer, CEO and Board greater confidence in the information they use to make decisions about the charity's future.
You'll be able to see the difference your work makes directly. Rather than being one small part of a large finance department, you'll be providing useful expertise to a small organisation where your contribution can have a real and visible impact.
You'll also gain insight into how an independent charity operates, including charity finance, funding, governance and the relationship between financial information and strategic decision-making.
The role is flexible and fully remote, with an expected commitment of around 1 to 3 hours per week. It's a good opportunity for someone who wants to volunteer their professional skills without taking on a large weekly commitment.
You'll have the opportunity to work alongside our Treasurer, CEO and trustees and, if you're interested, learn more about the wider work of Citizens Advice and the issues affecting our local community.
For someone with finance experience who would like to use their skills for a local cause, this is a practical way to contribute a few hours of your time and know that it is helping a charity support thousands of people in our community.
Apply for the role
Please provide a short cover note setting out your motivations for volunteering for the organisation, any relevant skills/experience and why you think you might be a suitable candidate.
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