About the organisation
Our charity supports families with at least one child under five in Bracknell Forest. We are an independent charity, and although associated with the federation of Home-Start UK, our trustees independently govern our direction and manage our finances. As the cost of living crises impact on families, we’re needed more than ever; our trustees are planning our future, and need good financial governance in order to survive and grow.
Our income in 2024/25 will be ~£140k, so we’re a small charity, with a big impact.
About the role
Our Board includes people with experience and skills in support for Early Years; we’d expect our new Treasurer to have empathy with our cause and the families we support.
As someone with a professional background in accounting or finance, you’ll use your expertise to help ensure sound fiscal decision-making across all Home-Start Bracknell Forest projects. We’d strongly welcome your financial or bookkeeping qualifications, although our finances aren’t complex. An understanding of how charity finance works is important, of course, with the ability to communicate financial information clearly, especially to other trustees. Support from our employees is always available, as they will be dealing with the day-to-day finances.
You don’t necessarily need prior experience of charity trusteeship, as support from local charity-support organisations is always available. Full induction to our organisation will be provided, plus specialist support as a new trustee including access to external training.
We are a charity not a business, but we apply business principles to governing our organisation. We are looking for fresh expertise and experience from a variety of backgrounds to our charity.
We want to expand the diversity of our Board, and strongly welcome applications from people from less-represented groups.
Our ideal candidate
- Understanding of the needs of our beneficiaries is desirable; an empathy with them is important
- Clear commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, valuing differences to make better decisions and deliver better outcomes
- Experience and knowledge of managing finances
- A recognised financial and/or accounting qualification would be highly beneficial but is not a prerequisite
- Experience and knowledge of current practice relevant to voluntary and community groups, charities or SME finance would be highly useful but not a prerequisite
- Ability to communicate financial information clearly, especially to other trustees whose in-depth financial knowledge may be less than yours
- Strategic vision; good, independent judgement; ability to think creatively, tempered by pragmatism and reality
- Skills to analyse proposals, examine their strategic financial consequences and make concise recommendations as part of the trustees’ team
- Ability to cooperatively work with the team of trustees, bringing impartiality and objectivity to decision-making
- Skills and ability to listen, even to dissenting views
- Willingness to speak your mind and to challenge other trustees and employees with good intent; able to make unpopular recommendations to the Board, if necessary
- Secure personal access to digital communication and able to competently use those resources
- Commitment to the organisation; willingness and ability to devote the necessary time & effort, and maintain that for a period of office of a minimum of three years
- Willingness to undertake appropriate training, including that provided by Home-Start Bracknell Forest and Home-Start UK
- Experience of committee work, with an understanding of the role of the Treasurer in effective (charity or corporate) governance, would be highly-valued
- Willingness to be available to employees and volunteers with financial responsibilities on a scheduled or ad-hoc basis to provide advice and answer enquiries
- Having appropriate personal and professional contacts & networks, with willingness to draw on those as needed
What’s in it for you
What do you get as a volunteer trustee with our organisation?
- An opportunity to exercise your strategic financial & planning skills, probably in a different environment or context
- An opportunity to influence and collectively-lead an organisation supporting families with young children
- A chance to expand and implement your understanding of our work
- A chance to augment your experience of charities
- A boost to your career and CV, if needed
- Satisfaction of helping an organisation that supports our local community, thus giving something back
- Induction training from us; training, support and assistance from local charity-support & advice agencies
What do we get?
- Your strategic financial management skills, knowledge, understanding and experience
- Your abilities to influence plans for our charity’s future
- Enhancement to our overall governance and the Board of trustees; improvement in our charity governance and operational growth
- Your participation in our collective decision-making, contributing to all areas of our charity work
- Your enthusiasm
Apply for the role
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