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This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
About Us
Cherry Trees is a charity. located in East Clandon (near Guildford, Surrey), providing home-from-home short breaks for children aged 0–19 with a range of complex disabilities, including learning, physical, and sensory impairments.
We are rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted and care for more than 100 children and young people in a safe, stimulating, and fun environment. At Cherry Trees, we see the child first and the disability second, valuing every child for who they are. We are a dedicated community, enabling children to spend time with friends and enjoy new experiences while their families have a much-needed break from care.
It’s an exciting time to join Cherry Trees. We have recently recruited a new Head of Fundraising and Communications who will be building the team as we invest in a programme of service growth in conjunction with a new 5-year strategy which will be publicised in 2026.
What difference will you make?
Cherry Trees offers a lifeline to vulnerable children and their families. As a Trustee, you will play a key role in helping us to grow and develop and to enable us to continue to provide support and a critical lifeline to even more vulnerable children and their families in great need. Alongside a team of 8 trustees you will play a key role in ensuring we have the maximum impact we can for our community.
Role Description
The treasurer is an officer of the trustee board and not a paid worker. The role of the treasurer is to ensure that all the finances and the supporting financial control systems are kept in order.
Key objectives of the role:
- To provide strategic advice to the Trustees on financial matters as regards the operation and development of Cherry Trees within the direction set by the Chairman of the Trustees.
- To oversee the financial affairs of the Charity and ensure that they are legal, constitutional and within accepted accounting practice.
- To ensure that proper records are kept and that effective financial procedures are in place.
- To monitor and report on the financial health of the Charity.
- To oversee the production of necessary financial reports, returns, accounts and audits.
- The role requires active participation in board meetings and collaboration with fellow trustees and the executive team to support Cherry Trees’ mission.
- The will be a minimum of 8 board and committee meetings to attend
Principal Tasks
The responsibilities of the treasurer are essential for maintaining the financial stability and integrity of the charity, ensuring that it can continue to fulfil its mission and objectives. Specifically, these include:
Financial oversight
- Ensure that all financial records are accurate, up to date and compliant with legal and accounting standards.
- Ensure that effective financial procedures and controls are in place.
- Appraise the financial viability of plans, proposals and feasibility studies.
- Chair the Management and Finance Committee (M&F) quarterly, monitor performance against budgets and ensure that Capital Expenditure is properly controlled in line with the latest Capex Policy approved by the Trustees.
- Attend half-yearly meetings of the Investment Committee at which the Charity’s investment brokers report on their management of the Cherry Trees investments and measure performance against their benchmark.
- Liaise with the investment brokers as necessary to ensure that adequate liquidity (cash flow) is available and that Cherry Trees is able to meet its liabilities.
- Assist the trustees and management in ensuring that the financial reserves of Cherry Trees are maintained at an appropriate level.
Budget Management
- Oversee the production of the annual budget and propose its adoption by the board.
Financial reporting
- Work closely as necessary with the CEO and COO to appoint appropriate external auditors and to ensure that any audit recommendations are implemented in a timely manner.
- Oversee the production of necessary financial reports and accounts and present them, along with any audit recommendations, to the board.
Strategic advisory
- Provide strategic advice to the board on financial matters and help shape the charity's financial strategy.
- Work closely with the CEO and COO to ensure that a long-term financial strategy is in place, which can guide the organisation in achieving its objectives.
Board liaison
- Regularly report the financial position and ongoing financial viability of the charity at board meetings.
- Make fellow trustees aware of their financial obligations and take a lead in interpreting financial data.
- Assist the trustees in ensuring that appropriate steps are taken to manage financial risks that could impact significantly upon Cherry Trees.
Personal skills and qualities
- Knowledge of bookkeeping and financial management.
- Good financial analysis skills with the ability to think about the future as well as the present.
- Strong working knowledge of Excel.
- Be methodical, organised and consistent.
- Ability to communicate clearly.
- Have a strong commitment to the organisation.
- Some experience or knowledge of charity finance, fundraising and pension schemes would be an advantage.
Qualifications
- Strong skills and experience in Financial Statements and Accounting
- Proficiency in Financial Planning, Budgeting, and Finance
- An understanding of charitable organisations and nonprofit financial management is a plus
- Good communication and teamwork abilities
- A commitment to the vision and values of the Cherry Trees Charity
- Professional qualifications in accounting or finance are desirable
Safer Recruitment
Due to the vulnerability of our children and young adults, applicants will be required to complete a short application form and will require an Enhanced DBS check, which the charity will facilitate.
Registered Charity
21 - 50
We help to keep families together by providing home from home care for children with complex disabilities and a meaningful break for the families.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
The role of the Governing Body includes collective oversight of the College’s activities and setting and reviewing
our strategy and mission. The governor role is comparable with the non-executive directors of a public company
but instead of being accountable to shareholders, governors are accountable for public funds. As the College is an exempt charity, all governors are charity trustees.
Being a governor is a hugely rewarding leadership role. Governors can make a real difference and give something
back to the local community.
The College is currently looking for two new governors to join the Board. We are seeking experienced individuals, who
are looking for an opportunity to use and develop their professional skills in a board-level environment.
You don’t need to have prior board experience to apply.
The Board is currently looking for two new governors will have experience of one, or more, of the following areas: FE, education, apprenticeships.
The Board also values the diversity of our students and staff, who come from a variety of ethnic, cultural and
religious backgrounds. The Board is determined to reflect this diversity amongst our Governing Body and
encourages people from a range of backgrounds and experiences to apply.
Please get in touch if you don’t feel you have the time to join the Board but would be interested in being co-opted to one of our committees. Co-option can provide an excellent introduction to voluntary governance roles. We are currently looking for co-opted members to join our Search and Governance Commitee, Resources Committee and Audit and Risk Committee.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
The Sutton Trust is at a pivotal moment in its development. For nearly three decades, we have been the UK’s leading voice on social mobility, working tirelessly to break the link between socio-economic background and life chances. Today, that mission is as urgent as it has ever been. Despite pockets of progress, social mobility in the UK remains low by international standards, with deep inequalities in education, access to professions, and regional opportunity continuing to limit life chances and economic potential.
We are seeking a Trustee with policy expertise who shares our commitment to fairness, evidence, and long-term change. We value diversity of thought and experience, and we are keen to hear from those who can help us navigate an evolving political landscape and leverage our research to challenge systemic barriers, ensuring our voice remains the most influential in the national drive to transform social mobility.
Duties and Responsibilities of a Trustee
Policy Responsibilities
- Providing oversight for the charity’s research and advocacy, ensuring the Trust’s work is mission-aligned, evidence-based, and intellectually rigorous
- Supporting the Board in discharging their collective duties around planning, risk and compliance, particularly in areas such as horizon scanning for upcoming legislative changes, political shifts and shifts in social trends affecting the Trust as well as specific regulations around political neutrality
- Leveraging their professional networks and expertise, enhancing the charity’s credibility and influence, ensuring our research translates into meaningful systemic change
General Responsibilities
- Inputting into and agreeing the Trust’s vision, mission and values and providing advice on the Trust’s wider purpose, goals and activities
- Inputting into and agreeing the Trust’s aims and long-term strategy in furtherance of its charitable purpose
- Ensuring key risks are identified, monitored and controlled effectively as well as keeping abreast of changes in the Trust’s operating environment
- Monitoring the Trust’s performance against its strategic aims, operational plans and budgets
- Safeguarding and promoting the Trust’s reputation, and acting in the best interest of the Trust at all times
- Ensuring the financial stability and sustainability of the Trust
- Ensuring the effective and efficient administration of the organisation, including having appropriate policies and procedures in place
- Ensuring proper arrangements are in place for the appointment, supervision, support, appraisal and renumeration of the CEO and they are held to account
- Contributing to regular reviews of the Trust’s own governance
- Ensuring the Trust complies with its governing documents, charity law, company law and any other relevant legislation or regulations
In addition to the above statutory duties, each Trustee should use their specific skills, knowledge and experience to contribute to the Board’s decision-making, and dedicate sufficient time to carry out their responsibilities effectively. This may involve sitting on Board Committees, scrutinising board papers, leading discussions, focusing on key issues, providing advice and guidance on new initiatives, or other issues in which the Trustee has special expertise.
Trustees aim to support a specific member of the SLT based on their skills and experience or may participate in appropriate subgroups, e.g., Alumni Leadership Board, Education Advisory Group, (Development) Board meetings, etc.
Person Specification
Mission and Values
- Sympathetic to the aims of the Trust and its mission to address educational disadvantage
- High level of personal and professional ethics, integrity, and accountability
- Willingness to safeguard and promote the Trust’s reputation within the wider sector
Strategy and Interpersonal Skills
- Ability to think strategically in order to provide appropriate oversight and scrutiny for the Trust’s overall activity and direction
- Ability to confidently and fairly make evidence-based decisions and constructively challenge the decisions of others if required
- Ability to collaborate and work as part of a team to provide advice, make decisions, and/or solve problems
- A commitment to personal development and a willingness to participate in regular reviews of the Board’s own performance and governance
Governance, Risk and Finance
- Understanding of the legal duties of a Trustee (or willingness to learn), including compliance with Charity Commission and Companies House regulations and commitment to the roles and responsibilities of a Trustee
- Awareness of (or willingness to learn about) financial health indicators and organisational risk management
Specialist Expertise and Experience
- A background in public affairs, civil service, think tanks, education sector organisations or senior policy or research roles in (education) charities
- Strong understanding of how UK government (at local, regional or national level) and/ or the UK education sector works
- Strong influencing and communications skills with the ability to lead discussions, provide expert advice, and influence stakeholders in a professional manner
- Good understanding of how to translate policy jargon into clear, strategic advice for the wider Trustee Board
Interviews
Applications should reach us by 10am, Monday 30th March. First round interviews will take place on Wednesday 15th and Thursday 16th April, and second round interviews will take place w/c 27th April or w/c 4th May. All interviews will be held at our London offices in Millbank Tower.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.