Volunteering

Scotty’s Little Soldiers is a national charity dedicated to supporting children and young people who have lost a parent who served in the British Armed Forces.

Inspired by the experience of Army widow Nikki Scott, following the death of her husband Cpl Lee Scott in Afghanistan in 2009, the charity provides assistance to hundreds of bereaved British Forces children around the UK.

Support offered to the children includes access to professional bereavement counselling, fun activities such as holiday breaks and group events, gifts at important times of the year and personal development assistance through educational grants.

Our mission is to #HelpTheirChildrenSmile.

Based in Kings Lynn, Norfolk, the charity is supported by a dedicated team of Trustees, who are looking to add further expertise to the Board to assist with the continued growth of the charity.

Specifically, we are looking to recruit a Trustee with special responsibility for finance, to take on the role of Treasurer, and to support the accounts team within the charity. Typically, this would involve

• Overseeing, approving and presenting budgets, accounts and financial statements
• Being assured that the financial resources of the organisation meet its present and future needs
• Ensuring that the charity has an appropriate reserves policy
• Preparing and presenting financial reports to the board
• Ensuring that appropriate accounting procedures and controls are in place
• Liaising with any paid staff and volunteers about financial matters
• Advising on the financial implications of the organisation’s strategic plans
• Ensuring that the charity has an appropriate investment policy
• Ensuring that there is no conflict between any investment held and the aims and objects of the charity
• Monitoring any future investment activity, and ensuring that it is consistent with the organisation’s policies and legal responsibilities
• Ensuring that the accounts are prepared and disclosed in the form required by funders and the relevant statutory bodies, for example the Charity Commission and/or the Registrar of Companies
• If external scrutiny of accounts is required, ensuring that the accounts are scrutinised in the manner required (independent examination or audit) and any recommendations are implemented
• Keeping the board informed about its financial duties and responsibilities
• Making a formal presentation of the accounts at the annual general meeting and drawing attention to important points in a coherent and easily understandable way
• Sitting on appraisal, recruitment and disciplinary panels as required

In addition, the Treasurer should have the following qualities.

• Financial qualifications and experience
• Ideally some experience of charity finance, fundraising and pension schemes
• The skills to analyse proposals and examine their financial consequences
• Being prepared to make unpopular recommendations to the board
• A willingness to be available to staff for advice and enquiries on an ad hoc basis

We would expect the Treasurer to be able to visit the charity’s head office on a monthly basis to ensure that the systems in place are running smoothly, and that the charity’s finances are being run appropriately.

This is an unpaid Trustee position, but allowable expenses for travel, mileage etc are available in accordance with the Trustees Expenses Policy. It is expected that any successful applicant would play a full part in the life of the charity, including attending the annual Charity Ball, promoting other fundraising events and initiatives, and attendance at all Trustee meetings.

All Trustees will be required to undertake a DBS check and to complete the NSPCC SAFER Safeguarding online course.

Given the need for regular visits to the Head Office in Kings Lynn, applicants will typically be based in East Anglia. Applications are invited from all sections of the community, regardless of gender, race or background, and military connections are definitely welcome but not essential. Scotty’s Little Soldiers is not a typical charity, and you being able to fit in with the team and to buy into its vision, is as important as your finance credentials.

CVs, with a covering email explaining why you would like to join our Board of Trustees, should be sent in the first instance to the Chair of Trustees, Simon Millar, and all applications will be acknowledged, considered and replied to.