About the organisation
Trust Links is an innovative and expanding local independent mental health and wellbeing charity, growing communities and transforming lives in Essex. We are seeking a treasurer who is passionate about our cause and want to use their financial and business skills and experience to help us make a difference to people’s lives.
We support more than 6,000 beneficiaries per year through: six Growing Together community garden projects providing therapeutic horticulture and positive activities for adults with mental health, mild learning disabilities and school and youth groups; REACH Recovery College and Wellbeing Hub working in partnership with local agencies to provide assessment, psychoeducational and vocational training, and peer support for adults with mental health problems; telephone befriending and counselling; projects supporting vulnerable children and young people. We are working on the further expansion of our successful Growing Together community gardens across mid and south Essex and are working with partner organisations across the UK and internationally to develop therapeutic community gardens, learning from the Growing Together model.
We are an award winning charity and have achieved the Charities Excellence Framework standard. We won the national Best Health Initiative award in The Green Flag Awards for our labyrinth project at Growing Together Shoeburyness and have been nominated for the King’s Award for Voluntary Service. Our turnover is projected to exceed £3 million in 2024/25 (£1m is capital funding for our new project on Canvey Island), we have more than 60 staff and nearly 200 volunteers. We have grown significantly since our foundation in 2000 and have ambitious plans for further expansion and development.
About the role
Trustees play a crucial role in setting and supporting Trust Links’s strategy. We have an excellent and committed board of trustees. We are recruiting trustees with financial expertise, who will contribute to the Finance Sub Committee. One of the new trustees will be our treasurer, chairing the Finance Sub Committee and working closely with our Finance Manager to ensure the financial policies, processes and management are optimal. The other will also attend the Finance Sub Committee, becoming a critical friend to the Finance Sub Committee and board.
Job purpose
Be corporately responsible for the overall governance and strategic direction of Trust Links developing its aims, objectives and goals.
Contributing to the effective working of the board and to further the organisation’s vision and mission.
Main tasks
- To take part in formulating and regularly reviewing the strategic aims of the organisation.
- With other trustees to ensure that the policy and practices of the organisation are in keeping with its aims.
- With other trustees to ensure that the organisation functions within the legal and financial requirements of a charitable organisation and strives to achieve best practice.
Main duties
1. Formulating strategic aims
2. Financial
3. Ensuring policies and practices are in keeping with aims
4. Monitoring and evaluation
5. Ensuring best practice
In addition, the role of the Treasurer is to work with the Finance Manager to:
- Maintain an overview of the organisation's financial affairs
- Monitor and report on the financial health of the organisation
- Oversee the production of necessary financial reports/returns, accounts and audits
- Ensure that proper financial records and procedures are maintained
The additional trustee who will serve on the Finance Sub Committee will:
· Scrutinise our Accounts, Finance Reports, Budgets and other financial papers
· Act as a critical friend to the Treasurer and Finance Manager
· Deputise for the Treasurer when they are unavailable
The trustee role is unpaid pro bono, but reasonable expenses can be claimed. Trustees are required to attend board meetings, which are held on a Tuesday every 2 months for 2 hours after office hours. The meetings are located across our sites in South Essex, to enable trustees to visit our projects. Trustees are able to join on Zoom if needed. A full day Awayday is held in September each year. An AGM is held every October and trustees are expected to attend, with the treasurer reporting financial performance.
Additionally the Treasurer will chair the Finance Sub Committee. This meeting is held every 2 months and is usually for 90 minutes on Zoom. You will also be required to check in with the Finance Manager approximately once per month to support them in their role. The other trustee will also be required to attend and contribute to the Finance Sub Committee.
We expect trustees to read all of the papers for the board, which are circulated the week before meetings. We hope trustees will share their skills and experience appropriately, through communication with staff and other trustees.
In return, new trustees will get a full induction, access to training opportunities and the chance to contribute to an exciting, innovative and growing charity.
Our ideal candidate
The ideal candidates would have the following qualities:
· Commitment to the organisation’s aims
· Willingness to devote the necessary time and effort
· Good, independent judgment
· Understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of trusteeship
· Ability to work effectively as a member of a team
· Commitment to Nolan’s seven principles of public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership
· Good communicator
· Tact and diplomacy
We would expect the Treasurer to be a qualified accountant or have equivalent experience and have experience of working with companies and/or charities of a similar scale and complexity to Trust Links. The other trustee who will serve on the Finance Sub Committee should also have similar experience.
What’s in it for you
Trusteeship is a wonderful way of gaining new skills and experiences, and a powerful sense of giving something back. Research from Getting on Board has found:
96% of trustees say they've learned new skills
73% say it has boosted their confidence
84% said being a trustee makes them happier
22% got a promotion because of it
86% say it's a good complement to professional and family life
38% had new leadership aspirations as a result
74% of women said it improved their confidence
Our chair of trustees, Jackie Bliss, says: "Being a Trustee is a rewarding, interesting and challenging role. As a Trustee you play an important part in the development of the Charity, working with the Chief Executive and management team to deliver high quality and innovative services and projects to people across Essex."
Apply for the role
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