Volunteer Honorary Secretary for the Friends of the New Forest

What will you be doing?

The role of the Honorary Secretary is to support the Chair in ensuring the effective functioning of our Board of Trustees and Advisory Council. The Honorary Secretary is an important member of the Trustee Board. Responsibilities include:

Ensuring that the organisation is properly run, e.g. rooms are booked, meetings are quorate, minutes are signed etc Compiling and sending out agendas, and taking minutes for the meetings of Advisory Council (6 meetings per year) and Trustee Board (4 meetings per year) Ensuring that Trustees and Council members have carried out agreed actions. General correspondence and acting as the main point of contact between FoNF and all other bodies, and the general public, and also sometimes the media. Maintaining and filing records and documents both in paper and digital form on our Cloud storage. Organising the AGM, the re-election and election of Trustees, officers and Advisory Council members, the annual report and its distribution. Ensuring that FoNF membership of the New Forest Show Society is renewed annually. Acting as Charity Correspondent and ensuring annual returns are made to the Charity Commission. Event organising - primarily this is to help whoever is organising our New Forest Show stand to to plan volunteer staffing and attendance at shows, management of the stand and banking of proceeds.

We have a Membership Secretary (working to the Treasurer) who keeps membership records, receives applications for membership, and deals with renewals of membership. (This role is currently undertaken by a paid admin officer).

What are we looking for?

Required skills                  General management. Good organisational, interpersonal and communication skills. Person description To be a good organiser is the foundation of this role - you will be the linchpin to ensure the smooth and effective running of the charity. Committee experience would be useful, and the ability to get people to do things. Knowing and loving the New Forest would be useful too, as the other Trustees are all there because of their commitment to it. But it is NOT essential.

What difference will you make?

The New Forest Association was set up in 1867 and so was 150 years old in 2017, when it re-branded itself as the Friends of the New Forest. You will be working with an enthusiastic and committed Trustee team. We are the only membership-based association in the New Forest that gives its members an effective voice on a wide range of New Forest issues. We are the National Park Society for the New Forest and a member of the Campaign for National Parks. The New Forest is internationally important to nature conservation. We recognise the many factors that have shaped the Forest and in particular the importance of the commoning system in maintaining its landscape. We are dedicated to maintaining the unique character of the New Forest. Our aim is to protect, conserve and enhance the flora, fauna and heritage of the New Forest. Our activities include:

Campaigning on the many issues to be addressed in the Forest, such as management of recreation pressures, development, affordable housing, commoners housing, removing overhead cables, road clutter, tranquillity, the future of ancient woodland, timber inclosures, heaths and wetland and the implications of climate change. Scrutinising all planning applications and policies and plans for the New Forest prepared by government, statutory authorities and other organisations. Participating in New Forest partnerships or supporting projects to enhance and restore important New Forest landscapes. Working at a national level with other National Park Societies and the Campaign for National Parks to lobby and influence Government policy and funding for national parks. Contributing to the funding of research projects intended to provide better information about wildlife or other aspects of the Forest so as to improve conservation.