Volunteer Treasurer for Home-Start Surrey Heath

What will you be doing?

Founded in 1989, we still support families with children under five in Surrey Heath. We are an independent charity, and although associated with Home-Start UK and part of the consortium of Home-Start Surrey, 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 expenditure in 2023/24 will be ~£88k, so we’re a small charity, with a big impact. 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. If you have some experience of charity finance, we’d welcome that, although if your experience is from other sectors, please talk to us. Full induction to our organisation will be provided, plus specialist support as a new trustee, including access to external training. We’d welcome your financial qualification but that’s not a requirement as our finances aren’t complex. An understanding of how charity finance works is beneficial, with the important ability to communicate financial information clearly, especially to other trustees. Support from our employees is always available, as they will be dealing with day-to-day finances. 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, in all meanings of the word, and strongly welcome applications from people from less-represented groups. The focus of a trustee role is strategic, and trustees will not be expected to get involved in the organisation’s operations on a day-to-day basis; however, contact and liaison with other trustees and employees is expected.

What are we looking for?

Here is some of what we would expect from our trustees. We know that you may also need training and support from employees, from other trustees and from external organisations, and that that will be forthcoming, as necessary, to build on any area.

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 Familiarity with the Xero accounting software package will be highly advantageous Experience and knowledge of current practice relevant to voluntary and community groups, charities or SME finance would be 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 Surrey Heath 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 difference will you make?

What do we get?   

Your strategic financial management skills, knowledge, understanding or 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   

   What do our beneficiaries get?   

The ability to continue our support for families with young children A forward-looking and agile organisation, with a well-informed and well-managed Board of trustees