Enter And View Volunteer Volunteer Roles in Bristol

Do you have a passion for driving change to improve people's lives? Do you work well within a team and want to give back to the community you live, work or study in? 

We are a local charity providing social welfare advice, information and support, through a wonderful team of paid staff and volunteers and we are looking to appoint a new Treasurer to join our board and help steer the organisation in the right direction.

In 2023/24 we:

• Helped over 15,000 clients to find a way forward with their problems

• Dealt with over 37,000 separate issues for those clients

• Gained just under £2M of extra income for clients to help during the cost of living crisis

We are seeking someone who can represent the different Cheshire West communities and has the energy and enthusiasm to help us achieve our goal of improving people's lives.  Age, background, origins or health conditions are no barriers for joining our team of trustees as we are actively looking to include a variety of different perspectives on our board to best serve our community. 

Prior experience as a charity treasurer is not necessary but we are looking for someone who has financial qualifications or experience and has some knowledge or experience of charity finances, fundraising, financial consequences and pension schemes.

You will need to be available to attend at least 5 board meetings a year (in person and remote), often in the evenings, plus one trustee development day each year and there are many opportunities for further involvement. The post of treasurer is a voluntary one but all reasonable expenses are reimbursed.  Volunteering should not affect state benefit entitlement.

Volunteer Position

Job Title:  Convener of the Stationing Advisory Committee

Do you want to make a difference and contribute to The Methodist Church? Are you a keen and experienced individual who is interested in supporting the work we do within the stationing process? 

The primary function of the Stationing Advisory Committee is to receive and consider applications from ministers who wish to serve in roles other than Circuit, District and Connexional Team appointments, and to make recommendations to the Stationing Committee.

About the role of the Convener of the SAC

There are nine main elements to the role:

1. As each minister e-mails for an appointment, e-mail them back with a suggested time for an appointment. Keep a note of the time offered, to ensure not to offer that time to anyone else, unless it is not accepted. If a Panel is full, offer a date for a later panel. Attach the appropriate background information form and ask them to fill it in and return it, sending a copy to their District Chair, Circuit Superintendent, and the Warden of the MDO, as appropriate.
2. About ten days before each panel meeting write to the District Chairs and the Circuit Superintendents of those coming to request any information from them helpful to the panel. Write also, where relevant, to the Warden of the MDO. Send out the timetable for the day to panel members, including the Zoom link. Email each minister coming to the panel reminding them of the time and date, also including the Zoom link, and telling them the names of panel members as they have the right to object to any members being present.
3. A few days before the panel, send the forms and comments received to the Panel members.
4. Be a member of the Panel.
5. Following the Panel, receive the notes taken by the designated note-taker for proof reading and possible editing, add the relevant top (name, Circuit, year of travel, panel members, date of panel) and bottom (permission recommended). Send the reports to the Panel members for their comments. Once they have been agreed, send them to the minister, and copy them to the District Chair and, where relevant, the Superintendent and the Warden of the MDO.  Send all of the reports to the Panel Chair and to the designated administrator at Methodist Church House, for them to store centrally. Keep an electronic copy of the report in a file. The administrator will update the Table of Permissions.
6. In June, send the Table of Permissions to the District Chairs and the Warden of the MDO, asking them to check for any inaccuracies, and ask the administrator to update the table as necessary. Also send a request asking District Chairs to encourage suitable people to consider being Panel members, including a role description and an application form. Take up references as necessary, and arrange an interview with the applicant and the Chair of the Stationing Advisory Committee.
7. In July, agree dates for the following Connexional Year with the Chair of the Stationing Advisory Committee. Write to all panel members asking if they are still willing to serve and for their available dates for the next year. Draw up a rota and send it to the Panel members.
8. Be a member of the Stationing Advisory Committee.
9. Prepare a brief summary of each report for the Stationing Advisory Committee meetings and present it to the Committee. Liaise with the designated administrator over the distribution of papers to the Committee members.

About You

We are looking for an experienced, committed person who has transferable skills. This individual will:

• Be a member in good standing of the Methodist Church in Britain
• Have previous administrative experience.
• Have an awareness of the variety of contexts that exist within the Methodist Church in Great Britain.
• Have a good knowledge of the stationing process of the Methodist church.
• Have a good knowledge of the constitutional and organisational arrangements of the Methodist Church.
• Have the ability to think strategically and connect vision, aims and strategies through theological reflection.
• Be a person who works well with others as well as individually, and is able to exercises sound judgement in decision making.
• Have the ability to engage diplomatically on sensitive issues

We advise you to review the candidate pack, the role description and person specification ahead of completing and submitting your online expression of interest form. The candidate pack includes some useful information about our processes. 

Please note that where appropriate, successful nominees will be asked to undertake further checks, including references and a DBS check.

If you have questions about the role or require reasonable adjustments to be made at any stage of the recruitment process, please contact us.

Indicative Recruitment Timetable:

Closing date: 31 July 2024, 23:59pm

Provisional appointment start date: 1 September 2024

This is a voluntary unpaid position; however, some additional expenses can be agreed.

The Honorary Treasurer is a director of Healthwatch Bucks with specific responsibilities to:

1. Lead the Board in fulfilling its responsibility to protect the financial integrity of Healthwatch Bucks.

2. Provide support and guidance on financial matters to the Chief Executive and their Team.

3. Represent Healthwatch Bucks with key stakeholders as required.

Financial Integrity

The Honorary Treasurer leads the Board in protecting the financial integrity of Healthwatch Bucks by:

● Chairing the Finance Committee and, on its behalf, making recommendations to the Board.

● Keeping the Board informed about its financial duties and responsibilities, ensuring understanding of financial planning and budgeting and current and forecast finances.

● Monitoring and reporting the organisation’s financial health regularly to the Board in line with best practice, complying with its Articles of Association, financial legislation, statutory requirements, contractual obligations and necessary insurance cover.

● Ensuring that the organisation has and complies with up-to-date financial policies and processes including Risk Management, Reserves, Business Continuity and Financial Management & Internal Controls.

● Monitoring cash flow to ensure financial sustainability.

● Ensuring that financial transactions and reporting meet the conditions of contractual and other agreements with commissioners, funders, partners and sub-contractors.

● Acting as signatory or co-signatory in accordance with the scheme of delegation in the Financial Management and Internal Control processes.

● Presenting the financial accounts at the Annual General Meeting and overseeing the preparation of the accounts for statutory submission.

Support & Guidance

The Honorary Treasurer shares the duty of all Board Members to ensure effective policy making, strategic planning and monitoring of the performance of Healthwatch Bucks. Additionally, the Treasurer has specific responsibilities supporting the Chief Executive to ensure that:

● Financial planning processes are maintained and that available financial resources are appropriate to the aims of the organisation.

● Healthwatch Bucks has an effective strategy for generating and accounting for commissioned and donated income to achieve its objectives and manage its expenditure.

● The Board receives all necessary advice on the financial implications of strategic plans and projects.

● The Board is presented with budget statements, management accounts and financial information at all key points in the planning and budget cycle and that issues are outlined in a coherent and easily understandable way.

The Financial Management and Control Policy is kept up-to-date and implemented throughout the organisation.

● Proper procedures are followed for preparing, presenting and filing the annual financial statements.

● The recommendations of external financial advisors are reported to the Board and acted upon.

● Equipment and assets are appropriately recorded, depreciated, maintained and insured.

Representation

The Honorary Treasurer will, as appropriate:

1. Liaise with staff and contractors responsible for the financial activities of the organisation.

2. Represent Healthwatch Bucks with commissioners and sub - contractors, partners, Healthwatch England, bankers and members.

3. Act as a spokesperson or signatory for the organisation.

4. Liaise with the independent examiner on the annual management letter and related Board representation.

Job Title:  Member of the Listed Buildings Advisory Committee

Seeking volunteers with a special interest in the Conservation of Historic Places of Worship for the Methodist Church’s Connexional Listed Buildings Advisory Committee.

Do you have expert knowledge of the ecclesiastical historic built environment? Non-conformist architecture and heritage? Expert knowledge of the conservation of our fixtures of architectural and historic significance? Or knowledge of Methodist liturgy and worship in a historic Place of Worship? Do you want to be part of an expert group and use your skills and gifts to help reimagine and re-purpose our historic places of worship for growth and sustainability? 

About the role

The Listed Buildings Advisory Committee (LBAC) is a long – established Committee of the Methodist Church whose primary purpose is to fulfil the responsibilities set out by the relevant Standing Orders (980) and statutory responsibilities and provide expert knowledge on all matters relating to historic church buildings.

Members of the Committee reflect a wide spectrum of interest; some are professionally concerned with the conservation of listed buildings, others have a special interest in the history of Methodist chapels and churches, or archaeology, whilst others are Methodist ministers or church members.

Strong emphasis is placed on a church being the people of God and the Calling of the Methodist Church with the building being there to serve a living church within a changing community. Membership of the LBAC therefore reflects the balance between the need for rigorous conservation and the necessary adaptation of listed church buildings to meet changing needs.

Sympathy with these aims is desirable but membership of the Methodist Church is not essential. 

About You

As a member of the LBAC you will contribute to the review, evaluation and recommendation process for proposals relating to works of alteration to listed buildings owned by the Methodist Church. The primary duty is to provide expert guidance and advice on conservation and development of historic church buildings and have a specialist knowledge in one or more than one of the following areas:

· knowledge of the history, development and use of Methodist chapels;

· knowledge of Methodist liturgy and worship;

· knowledge of archaeology;

· knowledge of the history and development of architecture and the visual arts; and

· experience of the care of historic buildings and their contents.

We advise you to review the candidate pack, the role description and person specification ahead of completing and submitting your online expression of interest form. The candidate pack includes some useful information about our processes. 

Please note that where appropriate, successful nominees will be asked to undertake further checks, including references and a DBS check.

Indicative Recruitment Timetable:

Closing date: August 25th 2024: 23:59

Shortlisting Date: August 30th 2024

Interviews Date: September 13th 2024

Provisional appointment start date: 20th September 2024

This is a voluntary unpaid position; however, some additional expenses can be agreed. All appointments shall be notified to the relevant amenity societies and statutory bodies.