External trustee volunteer volunteer roles

Help safeguard our future: Join BBS UK as our Treasurer

Bardet-Biedl Syndrome UK (BBS UK) is seeking a new Treasurer to join our Board of Trustees and play a key role in ensuring the charity remains financially strong, sustainable, and well governed.

Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) is a rare, complex genetic condition that causes blindness, learning disabilities, obesity, and a range of additional health challenges. BBS UK is the only UK charity dedicated to supporting individuals and families affected by BBS.

We provide advocacy services, NHS clinic support, publications, and community events that help people navigate life with BBS. Each year, we support over 700 individuals, working alongside a small team of dedicated part-time staff and committed volunteers.

It’s an exciting time to join our charity. We are looking to strengthen our governance and build on our financial foundations to support future growth and impact.

The role

As Treasurer, you will oversee the financial governance of BBS UK, working closely with the Board of Trustees, Operations Manager, and external accountant.

This is a strategic oversight role, not a hands-on bookkeeping position. Day-to-day financial administration is carried out by staff; the Treasurer provides assurance, guidance, and clarity to support good decision-making.

Key responsibilities include:

• Maintaining a strategic overview of the charity’s financial health

• Presenting clear summaries of financial information at Board meetings

• Advising Trustees on the financial implications of plans and decisions

• Overseeing the annual budget and supporting longer-term financial planning

• Ensuring appropriate financial controls and procedures are in place

• Supporting the preparation of annual accounts and liaison with the Independent Examiner

• Helping ensure appropriate reserves are maintained in line with policy

The Board of Trustees retains collective responsibility for the charity’s finances.

We’re looking for someone with:

Essential:

• Experience in finance, accounting, bookkeeping, or financial oversight

• Confidence interpreting financial information and explaining it clearly to non-financial colleagues

• Understanding of financial controls and good governance

• Ability to think strategically and identify financial risks

Desirable:

• Experience in a charity or not-for-profit setting

• Understanding of restricted and unrestricted funds

• Experience working with budgets or management accounts

We particularly welcome applications from people with lived experience of BBS or a connection to the BBS community, though this is not essential.

As a BBS UK Trustee, you will have:

• Induction, training, and ongoing support

• Reasonable expenses reimbursed

• Opportunities to develop new skills and contribute at a strategic level

• The chance to make a meaningful difference to a rare disease community

• Opportunities to collaborate with dedicated trustees, staff, and partners

Time commitment

• Attendance at four Board meetings per year (online, approximately 3 hours each)

• Reviewing financial information monthly or quarterly

• Additional input around budget setting and year-end accounts

• Attendance at our annual conference weekend (in person; expenses covered)

If you would like an informal conversation about the role before applying, we would be very happy to arrange a chat with our Chair.

BBS UK is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, and we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds who share our values and want to support our community.

Leeds Mind promotes positive mental health and wellbeing, and provides help and support to anyone who needs it in and around Leeds. We offer many services, including: counselling, peer support, social prescribing, employment support, suicide bereavement support, creative wellbeing activities, mental health training and more. The aim of our work is to help people build on their strengths, overcome obstacles, and become more in control of their lives. We have faith and optimism in our clients and so the services we deliver are built around their needs. We support the people of Leeds to discover their own resources to ‘recover’ from periods of poor mental health, and to live life independently with their mental health condition.

Leeds Mind appoints external co-opted members to its relevant committees in order to strengthen the breadth of experience and skills available.  It recognises the very valuable contribution that co-opted members make to the success of Leeds Mind and wants co-opted members to feel that the job they do is rewarding and satisfying.

Co-opted members are expected to contribute their professional, specialist, generalist and management skills to Leeds Mind’s committees in a non-executive role. 

This role provides strategic insight, challenge, and support to the Quality and Performance Committee, with a specific focus on race equity and broader EDIB issues. The role will help ensure the charity’s services and internal practices are aligned with the NHS Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF) and tailored to meet the unique needs of the communities we serve.

As a minimum, co-opted members are expected to prepare for and attend all meetings of the relevant committee. Committee meetings are held quarterly and are up to two hours in duration.

Additionally, it would be beneficial, for the co-opted member to attend Leeds Mind’s Race Equity Steering Group on a bi-monthly basis where possible to enhance understanding of developing strategic and operational work.

Key tasks & responsibilities

• Strategic Oversight & Advice

• Advise on the integration of race equity and EDI principles into the charity’s quality assurance and performance frameworks.
• Support alignment with the PCREF while adapting approaches to reflect the charity’s values, mission, and community needs.

• Service Equity

• Provide scrutiny and guidance on how services are designed, delivered, and evaluated to ensure equitable access, experience, and outcomes for racialised and marginalised communities.
• Champion culturally responsive and trauma-informed care models.

• Workforce Equity

• Advise on HR practices, workforce development, and organisational culture to promote race equity and inclusion.
• Support the charity in developing inclusive recruitment, retention, and progression strategies.

• Data & Impact

• Support the committee in interpreting and using data to monitor disparities, drive improvement, and measure impact.
• Promote the use of lived experience and qualitative insights alongside quantitative metrics.

• Governance & Accountability

• Contribute to the committee’s assurance role by challenging assumptions, identifying risks, and promoting transparency in equity-related performance.
• Ensure the charity remains accountable to the communities it serves, particularly those most affected by mental health inequalities. 
• Attend committee meetings, induction, training and other events, as required
• Get to know Leeds Mind through discussion with the Chair, CEO, Trustees, staff, volunteers and service users, reading relevant papers and participating in events
• Comply with all governance policies and procedures
• Represent and act in the best interests of Leeds Mind at all times