About the organisation
Respair Therapy C.I.C. is a Hertfordshire based non profit built around a simple but quietly radical idea: dance belongs to everybody, and every body. Like many of the people we work with, Respair does not fit neatly into one box. Our work exists on a spectrum, from the gloriously frivolous to the deeply serious.
At one end, we hire out silent disco equipment so that people can turn their living room, kitchen or garden into a dancefloor for the night. We create joyful events where people can put on a pair of headphones, choose their music and dance together without worrying about what they look like. Income from silent disco hire goes back into Respair, so a party in someone’s garden can help another person access psychological support.
At the other end is Dance Movement Psychotherapy, or DMP. This is not a dance class or an informal wellbeing activity. It is a recognised form of psychotherapy in which movement, the body and the relationship between client and therapist are central to the clinical work.
In the UK, Dance Movement Psychotherapists complete postgraduate training at Master’s degree level, including clinical placements, personal therapy, supervised practice and academic research. Qualified practitioners register with the Association for Dance Movement Psychotherapy UK and work to professional and ethical standards. DMP is used within NHS services, as well as in schools, mental health services, social care, charities and private practice. It is serious clinical work that can support people experiencing trauma, abuse, anxiety, depression, loss, relationship difficulties and other forms of psychological distress.
Between these two ends are projects such as Babe Club, our silent disco for parents, carers and babies; therapeutic movement in schools; and work with neurodivergent people, adults with learning disabilities and people living with dementia.
We do not pretend that all these activities are the same. A birthday disco and a psychotherapy session have very different purposes, boundaries and levels of clinical responsibility. What connects them is our belief that movement matters and that dance should be more accessible.
Dance can be joyful, silly, sociable and completely without purpose. It can also help someone regulate their nervous system, express something they cannot say, reconnect with their body or begin to make sense of a traumatic experience. Sometimes it is energetic and expansive. Sometimes it is a gesture, a rhythm, a breath, a moment of stillness or the choice not to move at all.
Our work is inclusive, trauma informed and anti oppressive. Whether we are helping somebody throw a brilliant party or supporting a person through specialist psychotherapy, we are creating more opportunities for people of different ages, backgrounds and abilities to experience movement, connection and psychological support.
About the role
Respair is growing. We now manage income from therapy, grants and community projects, alongside payroll, equipment and funded programmes. Our finances are not enormous, but they are no longer simple. We need someone who can help us understand the bigger picture and make sensible decisions as we grow.
We are looking for a voluntary Finance Director to join our Board and work closely with Debbie, our Founder and Managing Director. Debbie currently makes most of Respair’s operational and financial decisions. She needs a financially skilled person who can help her think them through, ask useful questions and give clear, honest advice.
In practical terms, we need someone who can help us answer questions such as:
- Can we afford this?
- Is this project financially sustainable?
- How much should we keep in reserve?
- What happens if our income or costs change?
- Are we charging enough to cover the true cost of our work?
- Is there anything in the figures that we should be worried about?
The Finance Director will:
- Work with the Founding Director to prepare Respair’s annual budget.
- Help create project budgets, cash flow forecasts and different financial scenarios.
- Review income and expenditure against the budget and explain any important differences.
- Advise on the financial impact of decisions about staffing, pay, fees, new projects, contracts, grants and larger purchases.
- Help us keep track of restricted funding and make sure grant money is spent in line with agreed budgets.
- Help develop clear financial policies covering areas such as reserves, expenses, spending limits and payment approvals.
- Make sure financial information presented to the Board is clear and easy to understand.
- Highlight financial risks, problems or opportunities and recommend practical action.
- Liaise with our bookkeeper and external accountant when needed.
- Review the annual accounts and relevant financial information before these are presented to the Board for approval.
- Act as a supportive but independent critical friend to Debbie and the other directors.
We already have a bookkeeper and an external accountant. The Finance Director will not be expected to enter transactions, run payroll, prepare statutory accounts or complete tax returns. This role is about budgeting, planning, oversight and helping us make good decisions.
This is an ongoing voluntary role, with an initial term of two years. Respair normally holds four directors’ meetings each year, mainly online. One of these meetings may also be our AGM. The Finance Director will also have a short monthly catch up with Debbie and may occasionally be asked for advice between meetings when an important financial decision comes up.
There is no separate Finance Committee, so there are currently no committee meetings or chairing responsibilities. We expect the role to take around three to five hours a month on average, with some additional time around annual budgeting and the year end accounts.
Our ideal candidate
Respair is a creative and responsive organisation, so new ideas and opportunities can appear quickly. We need a Finance Director who can help us pause, understand the numbers and decide what is realistic.
The right person will be financially experienced, practical and approachable. They will look beyond whether the figures add up to help us understand what they mean, ask difficult questions and give clear advice.
Essential skills and qualities
The successful candidate will:
- Have substantial experience using QuickBooks.
- Have experience working with a charity, Community Interest Company, social enterprise or other small mission driven organisation.
- Understand restricted grants, funder budgets and financial reporting.
- Be able to prepare and interpret annual budgets, project budgets, cash flow forecasts and management accounts.
- Compare actual income and expenditure against agreed budgets, identify significant differences and recommend action.
- Assess the financial impact of new projects, contracts, staffing decisions and significant purchases.
- Develop proportionate financial policies and controls, including reserves policies and spending limits.
- Read annual accounts and ask sensible questions before they are approved.
- Explain financial information clearly to people without a finance background.
- Give honest, independent advice and offer thoughtful challenge, including when the Managing Director or Board may have hoped for a different answer.
- Be trustworthy, reliable and able to handle sensitive information confidentially.
- Support Respair’s commitment to inclusion, fairness and accessible mental health support.
The Finance Director will work closely with Debbie, our Founder and Managing Director, so a warm, straightforward and respectful working relationship will be important.
Desirable skills and qualities
It would be helpful if the candidate also has:
- A recognised finance qualification, such as ACA, ACCA, CIMA or AAT.
- Previous experience as a finance director, treasurer or board member.
- Knowledge of payroll, PAYE, pensions, Corporation Tax and Companies House reporting.
- Experience working constructively with bookkeepers and external accountants.
- An interest in mental health, therapy, community work or the creative arts.
We do not expect one person to know every answer. We do expect them to recognise the limits of their knowledge, ask questions and seek specialist advice when needed. A sense of humour and an understanding of the slightly unpredictable nature of a small, growing organisation would also be very welcome.
What’s in it for you
Respair is still small enough for one person’s expertise to make a noticeable difference. The Finance Director will have a real influence on how we grow, which projects we take forward and how confidently we make decisions.
Respair works with children, young people, adults and families who may struggle to access suitable mental health and wellbeing support. Our work has included therapy in schools, support for neurodivergent young people, therapeutic movement for adults with learning disabilities and dementia, subsidised psychotherapy and community programmes for new parents.
In January 2026, Respair received £20,000 from The National Lottery Community Fund for Babe Club. This has enabled us to provide free weekly silent discos for parents, carers and babies at Hitchin Library. The Finance Director will help us use funding like this carefully, meet our responsibilities to funders and plan for what happens when individual grants end.
A good budget can mean the difference between a promising idea remaining an idea and becoming a service people can actually use. By helping us plan, understand our financial position and make informed decisions, the volunteer will strengthen the whole organisation. They will also give Debbie, our Founder and Managing Director, a trusted person with whom she can discuss financial questions, freeing more of her time for therapy, developing projects and supporting the community.
The role offers the opportunity to:
- Help shape the direction and financial systems of a growing Community Interest Company.
- Influence decisions about new services, partnerships, funding applications and organisational growth.
- Develop experience of CIC governance, restricted funding and Board decision making.
- Work alongside an established bookkeeper, external accountant and small, friendly Board.
- Build connections with people working in therapy, education, libraries, local government, charities and community organisations.
- Attend Respair sessions and events, including Babe Club and community silent discos, to see the work and its impact first hand.
- Use Respair’s silent disco equipment free of charge for one private party with family or friends during each year of their appointment. This will be subject to availability and our usual equipment care and hire conditions, but no hire fee will be charged.
- Receive a small thank you gift during the winter holiday period.
Most importantly, the Finance Director will help us make dance, music and movement more accessible. We believe dance should not be limited to people who are trained, confident, able bodied or able to afford it. Respair creates opportunities for people of different ages, backgrounds and abilities to experience movement in ways that feel safe, welcoming and enjoyable.
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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