We are recruiting a London Plus Treasurer.

London Plus is a small charity making a big difference. This is an opportunity to contribute to the work of an organisation which supports the full range of charities and community groups in the capital. We are looking for a Treasurer to join our diverse and talented Board. The Board meets four times a year, and the Treasurer also chairs a Finance Committee which meets twice a year.

It is an exciting time to join the Board as Treasurer: London Plus has a number of projects underway which will provide opportunities for a new Treasurer to support the charity to develop and implement new funding and finance arrangements. New projects include running the London Communities Emergencies Partnership (LCEP), a partnership with the British Red Cross (BRC), which coordinates the work of the whole voluntary and community sector when an emergency strikes. LCEP involves London Plus funding the British Red Cross and other community groups across London. This involves drawing up grant agreements with BRC and others to manage the partnership, as well as reporting on the whole partnership to funders. London Plus also makes grants to a number of small charities, helping them work in local communities.

London Plus has recently recruited a new Operations Manager who is building new systems and processes to support our changing work. The Operations Manager manages the finances day-to-day, with support from an external book-keeper. They are one of a team of eight staff currently with a total budget of almost £650,000, of which more than half goes out in grants to other organisations. The Treasurer of London Plus is a Trustee of the charity. Trustee duties include:

• To ensure London Plus complies with its governing document, charity law, company law and any other relevant legislation.
• To ensure that London Plus meets the requirements of the Charity Commission.
• To contribute actively to the Board of Trustees in giving firm strategic direction to the team, setting overall policy.
• To approve and monitor the implementation of internal policies.
• To have oversight of all the London Plus’s decisions. helping it be even more effective in supporting the work of charities across London.

As well as their role as a Trustee, the Treasurer role is to monitor the financial administration of the charity, advise the staff team on relevant matters, and report to the Board of Trustees on its financial health, giving the Board the confidence and knowledge to make strategic decisions. The main responsibilities and duties include:

• Overseeing the development of budgets, providing advice and guidance to the Chief Executive and other staff, working with fellow trustees including the Chair and members of the Finance Committee.
• Presenting budgets, internal management accounts and annual financial statements to the Board of Trustees, in line with the agreed strategy for the charity, including to inform fundraising strategy.
• Leading in the Board’s duty to ensure that proper accounting records are kept, financial resources are properly controlled with good processes, in line with company law and charity regulation.
• Leading in the development and implementation of financial reserves policy, working with the Chair, the Chief Executive, and other trustees.
• Liaising with and supporting the Chief Executive and Operations Manager on general financial activities of the charity, as needed and appropriate, including the annual audit.
• Support the Chair and Chief Executive in delivering the annual report and accounts.
• Chairing the Finance Committee and agreeing with the Chief Executive the agenda for meetings to provide oversight of the charity’s finances and discussion with trustees outside of board meetings.
• Liaising with the Operations Manager and helping with ad hoc enquiries.

In common with all trustee positions in the charity, the role of Treasurer is voluntary and unpaid, though reasonable expenses will be met.

Person specification

A financial qualification, and thorough knowledge of financial legislation, regulation and practices, is essential. Familiarity with charity accounts is desirable but not essential. London Plus is open to applications from people with no previous experience on charity boards. Enthusiasm for the work of London Plus and a willingness to play an active role as trustee are more important. It is expected that the role will take up to a day per month, with a little more around the time of the annual report and accounts.

To apply for London Plus Treasurer, please submit a cv and short covering statement to info@londonplus.org by 8th December 2023.

If you would like to have a conversation about the role first, with either the Chair or the current Treasurer Trustee, please email info@londonplus.org and we can arrange this.