Volunteer Treasurer for leading family support charity

What will you be doing?

Home-Start North Somerset is a family support charity offering free, confidential support, friendship and practical help to parents. We’re there for parents when they need us most: we help families struggling through challenging times, whether through isolation, anxiety, coping with multiple births, disability, illness or just feeling overwhelmed. You will be helping set our strategic direction, as well as leading the financial oversight of the charity, including

oversight of bookkeeping ensuring that staff are paid appropriately budgeting and forecasting annual spend provision of financial reporting to the board of trustees ensuring that applicable taxes are paid appropriately supporting fundraising activities including preparing budgets for grant applications

You will join a small, committed Board of Trustees with considerable management and social care experience. Our administrator will do most of the bookkeeping work with your oversight as necessary.  Our trustees work closely with staff to ensure the safe and sustainable running of the organisation.  The Board has responsibility for 5 part-time staff, including a Senior Organiser who manages the rest of the team.  Normally the Board meets every six weeks and we currently have three sub committees (fundraising, operations and finance) which meet in between. We are both a limited company and a registered charity.  

What are we looking for?

Essential:

demonstrable experience of financial management competent use of IT skills and ability to produce reports as necessary proven ability to communicate and explain financial information to stakeholders who do not have a financial background an interest in the organisation's cause and objectives

Desirable:

qualified accountant with demonstrated legal awareness and knowledge knowledge and experience of charity fundraising and finance practices willing to act as the charity's ambassador to external bodies, funders and companies we are a small group of Trustees and welcome help across any of our activities, meeting volunteers, fundraising events, attending staff meetings.  This is not essential but will probably enhance the enjoyment of the role.

You will join a small, committed Board of Trustees with considerable management and social care experience. Our administrator will do most of the bookkeeping work with your oversight as necessary. We are both a limited company and a registered charity. Ideally a candidate would have an interest or experience in small charity work, parenting, family support and/or children under 5, but we welcome those with transferable skills gained in another sector. Our current trustees come from a variety of backgrounds, but all have in common a passion for making a positive difference to local families’ lives. We would prefer someone with knowledge of North Somerset and preferably living within easy reach of the area. 

What difference will you make?

The families we support come to us at a critical moment in their lives. Parents may be experiencing isolation, mental health issues, post-natal depression, bereavement, coping with multiple births or just struggling to develop their parenting skills. We aim to make a difference by helping parents feel less alone and to develop the confidence to enjoy parenting.  Consequently, the children have a better chance to enjoy their childhood.  Families who have been supported by Home-Start report:

78% experienced a reduction in isolation 70% reported an increase in self esteem 78% said they felt more supported and better able to cope with mental health issues 63% expressed more confidence in their parenting skills 54% demonstrated an increase in using and engaging with other services