Volunteer Treasurer for the Volunteer Centre West Berkshire

What will you be doing?

Set up in 1974 to support local communities and charities, primarily in West Berkshire, we became a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in 2014. We continue to match local people to local need, with our comprehensive volunteer recruitment service, our Handybus, voluntary car and Shopmobility schemes, and our general advice and bespoke support for local voluntary and charity groups. Our income in 2023 was £270k, matched by almost-similar spending, so we’re not a large organisation, with our finances managed day-to-day by our Finance Officer and CEO.   About the role As we celebrate our 50th year of voluntary success, we’ve recruited other new trustees and are now looking for a Treasurer to take over from our longstanding one, who is retiring after 17 years’ service. Our Board includes people with experience and skills in governing our charity and responding to the needs of local people and local organisations. We expect our Treasurer to have empathy with our cause and our beneficiaries, awareness of the needs in West Berkshire, as well as provide strategic overview and guidance to our Board on the charity's financial standing and future planning. Although we’d welcome your financial qualification, that’s not a requirement, as our finances aren’t complex. An understanding of how charity finance works would be beneficial of course, with the ability to communicate financial information clearly, especially to other trustees. Support from our CEO and Finance Officer will always be available, as they will be dealing with the day-to-day finances. It would be great if you have prior experience of charity trusteeship, but that’s not absolutely essential; we can provide and access training focused on trustee duties and responsibilities. Full induction to our organisation will be provided, plus specialist support for you as a new trustee. You may find membership of the Honorary Treasurer’s Forum of benefit. We are a charity not a business, but we apply business principles to governing our organisation. We welcome fresh expertise and experience from a variety of backgrounds to our charity, as we want to expand the diversity, in all meanings of the word, of our Board to reflect all our communities. 

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 - other voluntary and similar organisations, and local communities - is desirable; an empathy with their needs for voluntary support is essential Clear commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, valuing differences to make better decisions and deliver better outcomes Experience and knowledge of managing finances, bookkeeping or similar Experience and knowledge of current practice relevant to voluntary and community groups, charities or SME finance would be useful; an outline understanding of the Charities SORP would be welcome A recognised financial and/or accounting qualification would be highly beneficial but is 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 Experience of committee or similar work, with an understanding of the role of the Treasurer in effective (charity or corporate) governance, would be highly-valued Familiarity with popular accounting software packages QuickBooks would be an advantage but not a prerequisite Having appropriate personal and professional contacts & networks, with willingness to draw on those as needed Willingness to be available to the CEO and Finance Officer on a scheduled or ad-hoc basis to provide advice and answer enquiries

What difference will you make?

What do we get?   

Your strategic financial management skills, knowledge, understanding and experience  Your abilities to influence plans for our charity’s future, especially in these cost-of-living crises   Enhancement to our overall governance and the Board of trustees, and in our 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 and grow our support for volunteers, charities and communities in West Berkshire A forward-looking and agile organisation, with a well-informed Board of trustees  

  What do YOU get as the volunteer Treasurer for our organisation?

An opportunity to exercise your strategic financial & planning skills, probably in a different environment or context  An opportunity to influence and collectively-lead an organisation supporting local people, communities and charities A chance to expand and implement your understanding of our work A chance to augment your experience of charities  A boost to your career and CV, if needed  Satisfaction of helping an organisation that supports people and groups in West Berkshire, thus giving something back to your community  Induction training from us; training, support and assistance from us and other local charity-support agencies; reimbursement of reasonable expenses, if needed