The Role and What We Are Looking for in a New Trustee

We are looking to recruit new Trustees with experience in marketing and fundraising, and/or with a strong Guildford network.

There is no requirement for you to have been a trustee before, however, you do need to be passionate about improving the lives of children and the families we support. You will be good at working with others, ready to speak up and ask questions, be thoughtful and open to learning, and able to stand back to see the bigger picture. You must take the responsibilities of a Trustee seriously.

We are looking to better reflect the experiences of our community, to bring the skills and experiences of diverse Trustees to the Board. We are looking to better reflect the experiences of our community, to bring the skills and experiences of diverse Trustees to the Board. We are particularly interested in hearing from individuals with experience around marketing and fundraising, and/or with a strong Guildford network. 

Trustees are the people who make the top-level decisions for our charity. Our Board includes people with experience and skills in early years, education, and business. We expect new trustees to have empathy with our cause and our beneficiaries. Support from local charity-support organisations is always available, and a full induction to our organisation will be provided, including access to external training.

If you can think strategically and plan long-term, you have the primary skills needed by our trustees. You’ll also need to be able to work collectively with other Board members. Support from our paid employees is always available, as they handle the day-to-day running of the organisation.

We are a charity, not a business, but we apply business principles to governing our organisation. We are looking for people from a variety of backgrounds to join 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.

We ask for about six hours of your time per month, and the ability to join face to face board meetings in Guildford that are usually held every 6-8 weeks on a Monday or Friday morning.

What does becoming a trustee involve?

As part of the trustee role, you will be expected to:

• Attend, and prepare for, a minimum of six meetings per year.
• Undergo a DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check.
• Undergo a selection process as outlined by Home-Start Guildford.
• Commit to the legal and financial responsibilities of the role, as outlined in the charity’s Constitution (‘Foundation’ model constitution).
• Visit and engage with the office and staff to enhance your understanding of how Home-Start Guildford works.

Training and Support?

Trustees are fully inducted into Home-Start before beginning their new role; they will receive:

• An online welcome event and e-learning, introducing Home-Start’s service and your responsibilities.
• Training in key areas including safeguarding.
• Reimbursement of paid expenses.
• Access to Home-Start’s online community via HSUK intranet – full of information and guidance on running a local Home-Start.
• Tailored support by other trustees and staff.

Treasurer for Mediation Surrey

We are looking for a Treasurer to join our committed team as a Board member and Trustee of Mediation Surrey. The role is voluntary and reports to the Chair. 

On an on-going basis the Treasurer will be responsible for:

• The financial and accounting policy of the Charity
• Playing a leading role on the Board on issues such as strategy, financing and risk management
• Working with the DOS in the production and Board approval of the Annual Budget (approx. £200,000) and its monitoring thereafter
• Liaise with the Funding Trustee on the financing strategy of the Charity
• Monitor and approval of expense payments submitted by the DOS
• Maintain up to date financial records and quarterly summary accounts
• Oversee production of year end accounts for the annual AGM

Skills required:

Ideally the candidate will have worked at a senior level in an organisation, have good communication and interpersonal skills, have a basic working knowledge of accounting/finance and knowledge of Excel/accounting software.

Time commitment

The position will require a regular time commitment of approximately 10 hours per month.

Mediation Surrey provides an important public service to the residents of Surrey. It is largely funded by the Police, local, borough and County Councils and Housing Associations because of the complementary role it plays in helping these organisations to attain their goals. Specifically, community mediation helps solve neighbourhood disputes and issues of anti-social behaviour before they can escalate into more serious problems. Intergenerational mediation helps solve family disputes, typically between a teenager and their parents, before it becomes an issue for social services. Support coaching builds resilience in victims of anti-social behaviour to help them cope with the situation. 

The Treasurer plays an important role in ensuring that the organisation is run in a professional and transparent way. They will also have the opportunity to fully contribute to the strategy of the Charity and the growth in its services.

Objectives

Mediation Surrey is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) established for the purpose of minimising the mental, physical and social impact of interpersonal conflict and anti-social behaviour on the residents of Surrey through building improved resilience, communication and understanding, to help them cope with, prevent or resolve disputes.

It does this by offering free services for community mediation, intergenerational mediation and victim support coaching from over 100 trained volunteer mediators and coaches.

In addition, Mediation Surrey offers an affordable Family Mediation service for divorcing or separating couples.

Mediation Surrey employs 6 part time staff, led by a Director of Services (DOS), to run the operations of the charity.

Mediation Surrey provides an important public service to the residents of Surrey. It is largely funded by the Police, local, borough and County Councils and Housing Associations because of the complementary role it plays in helping these organisations to attain their goals. Specifically, community mediation helps solve neighbourhood disputes and issues of anti-social behaviour before they can escalate into more serious problems. Intergenerational mediation helps solve family disputes, typically between a teenager and their parents, before it becomes an issue for social services. Support coaching builds resilience in victims of anti-social behaviour to help them cope with the situation. 

Please complete our volunteer application form via the link below.  If you would like further information please contact Helen McGowan on the following email helenm@mediationsurrey.org 

https://forms.volunteero.org/view/cf05c638-17ce-4fa8-afd4-8575777644a9

About the Charity

The Cedar House Charity was set up for mothers experiencing prenatal and postnatal depression in 2004 and offers support to mothers by holding free weekly group therapy sessions. The groups provide a safe, supported, and confidential environment where mothers can get together with others who may be feeling similar to themselves and are facilitated by our specialist postnatal depression counsellor, Liz Wise. Liz has thirty years’ experience in facilitating groups, providing counselling and has personal experience of the illness. The groups aid their recovery by making them feel normal and reducing the sense of isolation that postnatal depression can bring.

​The charity has been running since 2004 in Surrey, and now also provides a support group in South London. Each group provides creche facilities and both this and the group are free of charge. We get no funding from the NHS or local authorities and rely solely on private donations, grants and fundraising events.

Charity Trustee

Purpose of role:               

Key purpose of the charity trustee role is to function as one of the key decision makers of Cedar House, providing leadership, guidance, support and making decisions for the benefit of the charity and the work that it does. The charity trustee’s will safeguard the charity's assets – both physical assets, including property, and intangible ones, such as its reputation. Cedar House is a small charity, and we rely on the time given generously by our volunteers, including our trustees. These roles require a positive, active input to the shared responsibility of overall governance and fundraising efforts, vital to keeping the charity going.

Key Responsibilities:      

Cedar House Charity Trustees are required to attend 3 board meetings per annum, where the financials including accounts, funding/grant applications and other related topics will be discussed. All trustees must be an active member of the board as it is small. The board members may also share the board roles including Treasurer, Secretary, Chair, safeguarding and communications/fundraising.

Key duties include:

• Ensure the charity is conducting its purposes for the public benefit
• Comply with the charity's governing document and the law
• Acting in the charities best interest
• Managing the charity's resources responsibly (including finances)
• Acting with reasonable care and skill
• Ensuring the charity is accountable.

Eligibility criteria:             

• Must be at least 18 years old
• Must not have been previously disqualified
• Fit the criteria of ‘fit and proper person’ under Finance Act 2010 HRMC
• Can undertake and pass Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
•  Able to travel to Guildford, Surrey for the 3 Trustee Board meetings per year

Key Experience:  

•  Worked in teams of people
•  Experience of making objective decisions, based on factual evidence
•  Understanding of financial information

If you are interested in supporting Cedar House and you are able to provide some time by volunteering, please click on the Fill in an Application button to volunteer or if you wish for further details.   

Voluntary Action South West Surrey is an umbrella organisation for voluntary groups, community groups and charities working in Guildford and Waverley.  We help with support and development, provide information, training, funding & governance advice and with recruiting volunteers.

Our current treasurer has stepped down and so we are seeking someone to take over.  We are a ltd company and a registered charity, we have a part time Finance Manager who deals with the day to day finances.

We are based in central Guildford and Board Meetings are held 4 times a year on a Tuesday at 4pm via Teams, plus an annual AGM and occasional sub group meetings.

If you are interested and would like to have a chat about the role and find out more about us please fill in the application form. 

We look forward to hearing from you.