About the organisation
NEU Community Wellbeing CIC is a Leicester-based community interest company working to improve wellbeing, connection and opportunities for people who may face barriers to accessing traditional services.
We work with a wide range of communities, including people with experience of the justice system, people in recovery, care-experienced people, young people and adults experiencing social isolation, poor mental health, trauma, neurodivergence, financial pressure and other forms of disadvantage.
Our approach is practical, relational and community-led. Rather than expecting people to fit into formal systems, we create accessible spaces and programmes where people can build confidence, strengthen wellbeing, develop skills and reconnect with their communities.
Our programmes include Reset & Rewire, Streets to Strength, 6 In, 6 Out and wider community wellbeing activity. We also operate from our wellbeing hub in Leicester city centre, providing a base for delivery, partnership work and community support.
NEU is still a relatively young CIC and operates with a small core team. We are growing our delivery and developing relationships with commissioners, funders and community partners. As we grow, we want to make sure that our financial systems, reporting and statutory responsibilities are strong, proportionate and sustainable.
We are looking for volunteer financial expertise because we want to establish good practice early while ensuring that as much of our limited funding as possible remains available for frontline community delivery.
About the role
We are looking for a volunteer finance professional with experience of Community Interest Companies, small non-profits or social enterprises who can provide practical accounting support and guidance to NEU Community Wellbeing CIC.
Initially, we would particularly value support with:
- Reviewing our current bookkeeping and financial records.
- Advising us on appropriate accounting systems and processes for a growing CIC.
- Helping us understand our statutory accounting and Companies House requirements.
- Supporting preparation of annual accounts and the CIC-related financial information required for our year-end reporting.
- Advising on corporation tax and any relevant HMRC obligations.
- Helping us ensure income, expenditure, grants and restricted or project-specific funding are recorded appropriately.
- Advising on simple financial controls and processes that are realistic for a small organisation.
- Helping us develop straightforward management accounts, budgets and cashflow monitoring.
- Supporting us to understand what information funders and commissioners are likely to require.
- Identifying any financial or compliance issues we should address as the organisation grows.
We are not expecting the volunteer to become responsible for the day-to-day management of the organisation's finances. We are looking for someone who can work alongside the CIC's directors, provide practical guidance and help us establish systems that we can confidently maintain ourselves.
The initial priority would be reviewing where we are now and supporting us through our first/full accounting cycle. We would ideally like to develop an ongoing relationship with the volunteer, perhaps involving a small number of hours each month with additional contact around year-end or key reporting deadlines.
Most support can be provided remotely, although we are based at our wellbeing hub in Leicester city centre and would warmly welcome someone locally if available.
Our ideal candidate
Our ideal volunteer would be an accountant, finance professional or experienced bookkeeper who understands the realities of running a small Community Interest Company or non-profit organisation.
Essential experience or skills would ideally include:
- Practical accounting or bookkeeping experience.
- A good understanding of year-end accounts and statutory financial reporting.
- Confidence explaining financial matters to people who are not accountants.
- Ability to help create simple and proportionate systems rather than overly complicated processes.
- A supportive and collaborative approach.
- Reliability and good communication.
We would particularly welcome experience in one or more of the following areas:
- Community Interest Companies.
- Charities, voluntary organisations or social enterprises.
- CIC annual accounts and Companies House requirements.
- Corporation tax for CICs or social enterprises.
- Grant-funded organisations.
- Restricted/project funding and funder reporting.
- Management accounts, budgeting and cashflow.
- Accounting software and digital bookkeeping systems.
Formal accounting qualifications would be valuable, but we are equally interested in someone with strong practical experience who understands small organisations and can help us get things right.
The right person does not need to know everything. We would value someone who is comfortable saying, “this is what you need to do next,” helping us understand why, and leaving us with systems we can continue to use.
We are a small, friendly and values-led organisation, so we are particularly looking for someone who enjoys working collaboratively and wants their professional skills to have a direct social impact.
What’s in it for you
This is an opportunity to use financial expertise in a very practical way and see the direct impact that good financial support can have on a developing community organisation.
NEU works with people and communities who can often be underserved by traditional services. Strong financial systems allow us to spend less time worrying about compliance and administration and more time delivering meaningful work with the people we exist to support.
A volunteer joining us at this stage would have the opportunity to make a significant contribution to the organisation's development. Rather than stepping into an established finance function, they would help us build one that is proportionate, understandable and sustainable.
Their input could help us:
- Strengthen our financial governance.
- Become more confident and efficient in managing grants and contracts.
- Demonstrate strong financial management to funders and commissioners.
- Make informed decisions about growth and sustainability.
- Protect more resources for frontline delivery.
- Build strong foundations as the organisation develops.
The volunteer would work directly with NEU's directors and have the opportunity to understand how a small Community Interest Company develops from early-stage delivery into a sustainable community organisation.
We would also be very happy to provide a reference or testimonial recognising their contribution.
Most importantly, the volunteer would be able to see the connection between their professional expertise and the work happening in communities. A few hours of the right financial support can create a disproportionate benefit for a small CIC like ours, freeing our team to focus on improving wellbeing, connection and opportunities for the people we support.
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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