Finance trustee
Big Leaf Foundation relies almost entirely on volunteers. We're a small team of passionate individuals, determined to support and empower displaced young people to know they are more than their status, and help them find their place within their local community. We’re seeking a new finance trustee to join our board. You will oversee the production of Big Leaf Foundation’s annual budget, management accounts and annual financial statements and provide advice, scrutiny and support to the finance coordinator and Board of Trustees.
About the role
Renumeration | voluntary (+ expenses)
Location | Surrey with key project hubs in Redhill and Guildford
Hours | flexible but estimated at 2-4 hours per week; to include bi-monthly trustee meetings, finance & fundraising sub-committee meetings and attendance at min. 2 projects per year
Commitment | 2 years with option to renew for a further two terms
Read the full role profile and find out how to apply (PDF).
Location | Surrey with key project hubs in Redhill and Guildford
Hours | flexible but estimated at 2-4 hours per week; to include bi-monthly trustee meetings, finance & fundraising sub-committee meetings and attendance at min. 2 projects per year
Commitment | 2 years with option to renew for a further two terms
Read the full role profile and find out how to apply (PDF).
OUR VISION
Our vision is of a community where young refugees and asylum seekers are valued, supported and able to reach their potential.
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to provide a nurturing programme of activities and events that focus on combating social isolation for displaced young people in the Surrey area. We want to engage the young people we work with to be excited about the opportunities and possibilities available to them, and to value their unique talents and abilities so that they can rediscover their potential and move forward with renewed optimism.
We want to support and empower these young people to know they are more than their status they have been given, and help them find their place within their local community.
OUR VALUES
Trust & Transparency
Everything we do, we do with the utmost integrity to create trust and transparency with all those we engage with. Nothing is more important than trust. We are trusted, because each of our actions are in the best interests of the young people we are working with. We hold ourselves accountable to this high standard.
Equality
We approach everything we do with a deep sense of empathy and compassion. We strive for a bias-free environment to create a safe, secure and inclusive place for young people to interact and build new friendships, explore new activities, and uncover their talents and passions.
Growth
Each activity and engagement with the young people must be focused on their personal growth as individuals; personal growth that allows them to know they can indeed belong, and that each one of them is unique and valued.
Our vision is of a community where young refugees and asylum seekers are valued, supported and able to reach their potential.
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to provide a nurturing programme of activities and events that focus on combating social isolation for displaced young people in the Surrey area. We want to engage the young people we work with to be excited about the opportunities and possibilities available to them, and to value their unique talents and abilities so that they can rediscover their potential and move forward with renewed optimism.
We want to support and empower these young people to know they are more than their status they have been given, and help them find their place within their local community.
OUR VALUES
Trust & Transparency
Everything we do, we do with the utmost integrity to create trust and transparency with all those we engage with. Nothing is more important than trust. We are trusted, because each of our actions are in the best interests of the young people we are working with. We hold ourselves accountable to this high standard.
Equality
We approach everything we do with a deep sense of empathy and compassion. We strive for a bias-free environment to create a safe, secure and inclusive place for young people to interact and build new friendships, explore new activities, and uncover their talents and passions.
Growth
Each activity and engagement with the young people must be focused on their personal growth as individuals; personal growth that allows them to know they can indeed belong, and that each one of them is unique and valued.
Duties of a finance trustee
- Chair the Finance and Fundraising sub-committee of the Board.
- On behalf of the Board, to oversee the production of Big Leaf Foundation’s annual budget, management accounts and annual financial statements.
- Provide advice, scrutiny and support to the finance coordinator and Board.
- Act as the Board lead on scrutiny of financial strategy and risk.
- Ensure that appropriate accounting procedures and controls are in place.
- Advise on the financial implications of the organisation’s strategic plans.
The statutory duties of a trustee are to
- Ensure the organisation complies with its governing document.
- Ensure that the organisation pursues its objectives as defined in its governing document.
- Ensure the organisation applies its resources exclusively in pursuance of its objectives – the charity must not spend money on activities which are not included in its own objectives, no matter how 'charitable' and 'worthwhile' those activities are.
- Contribute actively to the Board of Trustees' role in giving strategic direction to the organisation, setting overall policy, defining goals and setting targets and evaluating performance against agreed targets.
- Safeguard the good name and values of the organisation.
- Ensure the effective and efficient administration of the organisation.
- Ensure the financial stability of the organisation.
- Protect and manage the property of the organisation and to ensure the proper investment of the organisation's funds.
- If the organisation employs staff, to appoint the Chief Executive Officer and monitor his or her performance.
In addition, with other trustees to hold the charity “in trust” for current and future beneficiaries by
- Ensuring that the charity has a clear vision, mission and strategic direction and is focused on achieving these.
- Being responsible for the performance of the charity and for its “corporate” behaviour; ensuring that the charity complies with all legal and regulatory requirements.
- Acting as guardians of the charity’s assets, both tangible and intangible, taking all due care over their security, deployment and proper application.
- Ensuring that the charity’s governance is of the highest possible standard.
Person specification
We are seeking individuals who have a strong empathy with our mission. We need individuals with experience, skills, and expertise in one or more of the following areas:
As finance trustee you will also have:
The Board of Trustees are jointly and severally responsible for the overall governance and strategic direction of the charity, its financial health, the probity of its activities and developing the organisation’s aims, objectives and goals in accordance with the governing document, legal and regulatory guidelines.
All trustees should also be aware of, and understand, their individual and collective responsibilities, and should not be overly reliant on one or more individual trustees in any particular aspect of the governance of the charity.
TO APPLY
Please send your CV and a covering letter explaining your reasons for wanting to be a trustee and how your skills match the role to [email protected]. You are welcome to submit a video as an alternative to the covering letter if preferred.
We are aiming to conduct interviews in the autumn with a view to the new trustee starting late 2025.
Please note: recruitment is undertaken in line with safe recruitment practices.
- Commitment to our vision, mission and values;
- Excellent teamwork and leadership skills and effective decision-making;
- Willingness to commit time and effort to the role;
- Good, independent judgement, strategic vision and ability to communicate ideas;
- History of impartiality, fairness and commitment to promoting equality and diversity.
As finance trustee you will also have:
- Financial qualifications and/or experience;
- Experience of charity finance;
- The skills to analyse proposals and examine their financial consequences;
- Willingness to make unpopular recommendations to the board;
- We particularly welcome applications from people with a demonstrable interest in the plight of displaced young people and an in-depth understanding of our work and ambitions.
The Board of Trustees are jointly and severally responsible for the overall governance and strategic direction of the charity, its financial health, the probity of its activities and developing the organisation’s aims, objectives and goals in accordance with the governing document, legal and regulatory guidelines.
All trustees should also be aware of, and understand, their individual and collective responsibilities, and should not be overly reliant on one or more individual trustees in any particular aspect of the governance of the charity.
TO APPLY
Please send your CV and a covering letter explaining your reasons for wanting to be a trustee and how your skills match the role to [email protected]. You are welcome to submit a video as an alternative to the covering letter if preferred.
We are aiming to conduct interviews in the autumn with a view to the new trustee starting late 2025.
Please note: recruitment is undertaken in line with safe recruitment practices.