Citizens Advice Southampton is looking for a new Treasurer

Our Treasurer is a vital member of our Board of Trustees; this is a voluntary position. Unremunerated but with reasonable expenses covered

Skills; we are looking for anyone with relevant financial qualifications or experience who is interested in becoming our Treasurer

Where; Southampton

Time; the Board of Trustees meets once a month apart from August and December when there are no meetings. In addition, the Treasurer will be part of a focussed committee which also meets once a month, such as Finance or Governance and Risk.

About Citizens Advice Southampton;

This local and essential Charity provides vital support to the people of Southampton. Integrated into the local Community, Citizens Advice Southampton’s incredible volunteers and paid staff help more than 6500 people with 11000 issues every year, providing advice that is free, independent, impartial and confidential.

Citizens Advice Southampton offers a universal and innovative advice service, with: - 

• Virtual video hubs for clients to “drop-in” for face-to-face support in two city libraries
• ‘Adviceline’ telephone support
• e-mail advice and
• In-person appointments including home visits for those who need them. 

In addition, we offer specialist casework services for: - 

• Money Advice funded by the Money Advice & Pension Service;  
• Immigration and asylum matters; and welfare benefits, including specialist targeted services funded by Macmillan cancer support; the Maggie’s Centre and the MS Society.  

Other locally funded projects include helping people living in Southampton under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, NHS Keyworker support, and a Home and Well project aiming to help vulnerable people maintain a safe and healthy home. We lead the Southampton City Council funded ‘Advice in Southampton’ partnership, delivering advice services in conjunction with other local charities.

What will you be doing?

A detailed role description is attached, but duties include;

· explain, guide and advise the board on the key assumptions and financial implications of the Citizens Advice Southampton budgets, operational and strategic plans

· ensure that the organisation has an appropriate reserves policy and a realistic budget that meets the services’ needs

· ensure that annual accounts are prepared in compliance with SORP (Statement of Recommended Practice) Accounting for Charities and submitted by the deadline to the Charity Commission and/or Registrar of Companies, and make arrangements for them to be audited or independently examined as required

What’s in it for you?

Not only will you directly contribute to the success of this essential charity in supporting the local community, for you personally there are many benefits. Such as;

• Meet others and build relationships with other trustees, paid staff, volunteers and other community members
• Build on your governance and leadership skills
• Increase your employability

What are we looking for?

Although you will not necessarily need to have prior experience of being a Trustee, we are specifically looking to recruit anyone with relevant experience which will support them in their role as Treasurer.

Useful skills for our Treasurer include;

• have financial qualifications or experience
• some knowledge or experience of charity finances, fundraising, financial consequences and pension schemes
• excellent good numeracy skills to understand accounts
• be able to explain complex financial information in an accessible way
• Effective communication skills and willingness to participate actively in discussions
• Commitment to the aims, principles and policies of Citizens Advice Southampton
• Willingness and ability to learn, and to develop and understand your own attitude
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team
• Ability to think creatively and to exercise good independent judgement
• Ability to understand and accept the responsibility and liability of being a trustee

Interested?!

If you would like more information or an informal chat about the role, please email Emma Vint, HR Manager at evint@sotoncab.org.uk

We can then arrange for you to have an informal chat with one of our Trustees who can tell you more about the role and answer any questions you might have.

To apply please download the following and send completed application forms Emma Vint at evint@sotoncab.org.uk:

Citizens Advice Southampton are an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from all who meet the above specification irrespective of sex, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, sexual orientation, race, religion or belief, age, or disability.