Surrey Clubs for Young People

About Surrey Clubs for Young People:
We are a charity that is passionate about supporting communities to provide youth clubs and we are
dedicated to ensuring that young people across Surrey and South London have access to safe spaces
with high quality youth provision.
Youth clubs are safe places to go that allow young people to build positive relationships outside of
what can often be chaotic home lives. We meet young people on their own terms supporting them
to experience new things and grow both in confidence and resilience.
Our aim is to provide enthusiastic youth clubs; a place we can show young people that someone cares.
And offer a range of exciting and challenging opportunities, through which they can develop into
confident young adults. Leading happy lives whilst making a positive contribution to their wider
community and to society.
"My club is somewhere where I feel safe to be with my friends. Club member" (15)
"My experience as a volunteer has been amazing, I work with an encouraging team who are
very supportive and passionate about helping young teens. The best part of what I do is
working with the children, they are talented, creative, and generally kind individuals. This
experience has taught me a lot about my strengths and weaknesses, but I wouldn't change
it for the world". Club volunteer.

Being part of something special
If you are passionate about supporting young people in your local community into positive and
productive lives you can help start or join an established club as its Secretary. This is a vital role
within the club needing someone with good organisational, minute taking skills who is detail
focused

Why volunteer?
- Your community benefits from your skills and passion and becomes a better place for
everyone
- You can help make a real and often life-changing difference to the lives of young people
- An opportunity to work, learn and have fun alongside others who are passionate about
youth work
- Develop your own skills and personal development through training and learning
- Be part of something amazing and feel a sense of achievement
General role responsibilities
• Attend trustee meetings and the AGM
• Read appropriate papers and documents prior to trustee meetings (being prepared)
• Make a contribution (speak up and not be afraid to ask questions)
• Act in the club’s best interest at all times (especially in decision making at meetings)
• Ensure the minutes of meetings are a true reflection of discussion and decisions (be
accurate)
• Understand enough about the club and its activities to make informed decisions about it
(keeping informed
and getting involved)
• Keep up to date and informed about youth provision and the challenges that young people
face at a local and national level

Specific role responsibilities
• Receive agenda items from other trustees and staff
• Prepare agendas in consultation with the chairman
• Circulate agendas and supporting papers in good time
• Make arrangements for meetings
• Ensure meetings are properly convened, constituted and quorate
• Minute the meetings and circulating draft minutes to all trustees
• Keep the club’s diary (remind Trustees and Operational team of forthcoming meetings /
events)
• General admin duties as needed by the Trustee Board
Where staff are employed:
• Liaising with staff to keep an overview of club affairs and to provide support as appropriate
• Sit on recruitment and disciplinary panels

Qualities that make a great club Secretary:
- organisational skills
- attention to detail
- being timely
- reliable
- approachable
- good communicator
- good listener
- non judgemental
- Ability to work as part of a team

If you are interested in knowing more, we’d welcome the opportunity to have a friendly chat
about this or any other of our volunteer roles. You can find out more about SCYP and the work
we do on our website www.scyp.co.uk
Please email: volunteering@scyp.co.uk or call 07824 380 121 and we’ll call you straight back.

You cannot be a Secretary (trustee) if:
You are under 18, convicted of an offence involving dishonesty or deception (unless the conviction is regarded as
‘spent’), an undischarged bankrupt, previously removed from a trusteeship by the Charity Commission or by a court, or
someone under a disqualification order under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986. It is an offence to act
as a charity trustee while disqualified (unless you have been given a waiver (section 72(40) of the Charities Act 1993 by
the Charity Commission.

Covid-19
During the current time our clubs are having to work, meet and communicate in ways that ensure everyone’s safety.
We understand that this will add an additional layer of responsibility and planning to the role SCYP is available to
support our staff through these times of change.

Surrey Clubs for Young People is a charity dedicated to ensuring that young people across Surrey and South London have access to high quality youth provision. Our aim is to provide a range of exciting and challenging opportunities for young people, through which they can develop into confident young adults. We do this by supporting a large network of youth clubs / projects across the county.