Homeless Service General Volunteer Roles in Brent, Greater London
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Role Summary
We are looking for a new Chair of Trustees who will offer strategic and supportive leadership to our highly effective, collaborative and committed Board. The Chair leads the board, ensuring that it governs the charity effectively, in service of the charity's vision and mission. The Chair leads in an inclusive way, supporting the Board to work together well, and providing support and challenge to the Chief Executive. The Chair is also an ambassador for the charity.
Chair role & responsibilities
Provide strategic leadership to the charity and the Board, ensuring that Glass Door achieves its mission with the interests of Glass Door's guests at its centre.
Work collaboratively with the CEO, staff and volunteers to achieve our mission and optimise the relationship between the Board and Glass Doors's staff and volunteers.
Provide leadership within the Board, ensuring that it fulfills its responsibilities for the governance of the organisation and promoting governance among fellow Trustees, providing clarity around boundaries between governance, management and operations.
Plan and chair the bi-monthly board meetings and the AGM, with colleagues as appropriate and liaise with the CEO, Company Secretary and Governance Trustee with regard to setting up meetings, agenda items and annual report content.
Facilitate meetings ensuring all have equal involvement in discussions, clarifying any uncertainties, confirming decisions made and actions to be taken and ensuring effective time management of meetings whilst providing appropriate periods of discussion and reflection.
Act as a spokesperson and figurehead for Glass Door when required.
Support Glass Door functions and events eg attendance at supporter events.
Support the Head of Fundraising & Major Donors with the cultivation of high-level donors, occassionally attending meetings where value can be added.
Represent the Board at staff Town Hall meetings.
Support the team liaising with partner churches and statutory authorities as required and be the public face of Glass Door in the local community.
Liaise with the CEO and he Board to keep an overview of the charity's affairs.
Provide supervision and support to the CEO as necessary in addition to planned monthly/bi-monthly 'catch up' meetings and, with the People Trustee, lead the CEO's annual performance review.
To act as final stage adjudicator for disciplinary and grievance procedures if required.
What we are looking for
Experience of being a Trustee, ideally in the third sector, and an understanding of the legal responsibilities and liabilities of a Trustee/Director.
A keen sense of strategic purpose.
Strong leadership skills, able to foster and promote a collaborative team environment and an inclusive and collaborative leadership style; able to inspire and support everyone to participate on an equal footing.
An ability to facilitate, mediate, influence and respect the confidences of colleagues. The ability to listen and engage effectively. You are comfortable with challenge and debate and are able to encourage that in others whilst fostering a collaborative board environment.
Excellent presentation and communication skills.
Advocate and ambassador - possess gravitas to lead the organisation and be able and willing to champion Glass Door.
Demonstrate a strong and visible passion and commitment to Glass Door's guests and ensure that the interests of our guests drive the decisions of the Board.
A strong personal commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.
A willingness to devote necessary time and effort to your duties as Chair and be available and responsive (e.g. when things sometimes 'come up' that require the Chair to advise, support or give consent to).
What's in it for the new Chair?
Our vision is a world where no one has to sleep on the streets of London and we're working every day to achieve this. Your role as Chair will offer you an incredibly reqarding experience to use your skills and collaborate with the rest of the Board and staff members for the benefit of people experiencing, or at risk of homelessness.
For more information please see the full role description and Glass Door information pack attached,
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
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Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Our mission is to help and support homeless and vulnerably housed people in and around the London Borough of Merton. We operate a twice-weekly Drop-in, currently welcoming 50-60 individuals each day, while our Winter Night Shelter provides a warm, dry place to sleep every night during the coldest nights of the year – this winter from 4 December until 10 March 2024.
Our current Secretary is retiring, having completed the maximum of nine years in the role. We’re now looking for an enthusiastic and committed volunteer for the role which covers the following positions:
- Company secretary
- Secretary to the Trustees
The current incumbent fulfils both roles but we would consider splitting the responsibilities if two complementary applications were received.
The Company Secretary & Secretary is a volunteer with an active role in the work of the organisation. The Faith in Action Merton Homelessness Project (FIAMHP) Board of Trustees, Company Secretary & Secretary, together with senior staff, form the Management Committee of the Charity.
Company Secretary’s responsibilities:
The Company Secretary keeps the organisation legal by:
• Working with Trustees to ensure that the Charity complies with its Articles of Association, charity law, company law, employment law, and any other relevant legislation or regulations.
• Ensuring that the Trustees are aware of the requirement to comply with relevant codes such as the Code of Conduct for Charity Trustees and the Charities Governance Code, and that these are adhered to.
• Ensuring that the Articles of Association reflect the current work of the Charity, liaising with the Charity Commission and Companies House as appropriate if an update is needed.
• Liaison with Treasurer as needed.
• Filing annual Confirmation Statements and other Company Returns including the annual Trustees Report & Accounts with Companies House and the Charity Commission by the due dates.
• Advising Companies House and the Charity Commission of changes to Company and Charity details by the due dates – this includes Trustee appointments and resignations.
• Maintaining the statutory records.
• Monitoring the composition of the Trustee board, and liaising with the Chair and other Trustees to ensure that new Trustees are recruited as necessary, so that all roles needed are covered. Organising new Trustee applications and interviews, and obtaining references.
• Organising and running the Annual General Meeting, and any other General Meetings required.
• Any other duties which may reasonably arise.
Secretary’s duties
The job of the FIAMHP Secretary is to assist the Trustees in the smooth running of the organisation by:
• Organising Management Committee meetings in consultation with the Chair and other Trustees: setting meeting dates and venues; producing meeting agendas, receiving and sending out meeting notices and papers, checking that meetings are quorate, taking meeting minutes, liaising with the Chair and other Trustees as necessary; sending out draft minutes.
• Assist with liaison between Trustees, Staff and Volunteers as needed.
• Awareness of the work of the organisation and the needs of its guests and service users.
• Ensuring that decisions and actions of the Board of Trustees are accurately recorded and implemented.
• Maintaining an appropriate and secure filing system so that all Trustee papers are retained and accessible.
• Assisting with Business Plan development and the Trustees’ Annual Report as required.
• Ensuring that Policies and Risk Register are filed and accessible to all who need access.
• Tracking progress with implementation of the organisation’s Business Plan.
• Ensuring that any correspondence for Trustees is brought to the attention of the Board.
• Any other duties which may reasonably arise.
The Company Secretary and Secretary must have:
● Commitment to the Charity and its work.
● Understanding and acceptance of the legal duties and responsibilities of being a Company Secretary
● Willingness to devote the necessary time and effort to their duties as Company Secretary and Secretary
● Strategic vision
● Good independent judgement
● Ability to work effectively as a member of a team.
For more information about either post, please contact Bernie McAlister, Chair of Trustees.