We’re seeking a new treasurer to join our board. You will be responsible for maintaining an overview of Big Leaf’s affairs, ensuring our financial viability and that proper financial records and procedures are maintained.
This is an exciting opportunity to help lead Big Leaf Foundation in the next phase of its development, as we transition our self-employed contractors to employee contracts and explore new multi-year core funding opportunities to build greater sustainability in our work.
We are looking for someone with direct experience in financial management and/or charity finance and fundraising to fill this role. Ideally you will have experience of moving people onto employee contracts. You will use your skills and knowledge to make a lasting difference to the lives of displaced young people in Surrey.
While the treasurer has distinct areas of responsibility, all trustees are responsible for ensuring the charity fulfils its charitable purposes, and for helping to take strategic and financial decisions.
We are seeking individuals with:
As treasurer you will also have:
In addition to the general responsibilities of a trustee, duties of the treasurer include:
In addition, with other trustees to hold the charity “in trust” for current and future beneficiaries.
In this role you will have a real opportunity to influence positive life outcomes for the young people we support. They have all been forced to leave their homes – many fled conflict and religious or political persecution, some were trafficked, some were kidnapped from their families and forced to train as child soldiers, and others were promised the dream of a better life and smuggled to the UK at huge cost to their families.
In 2023 we supported 285 young people from 23 different countries. The majority of young people we support arrive as Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (UASC) and 63% of our beneficiaries are 15-18 years-old.
Separated children arrive alone, often in shock and without language or cultural understanding. They have to navigate their new lives, and the long and complex asylum system, without the support of family or friends. Even for those who come with family or through resettlement schemes, the experience can be overwhelming, confusing and incredibly difficult.
But despite trauma, anxiety and an asylum system that seems focused on destroying their rights, these young people are resilient, strong and determined. They are full of hope and optimism and given the proper support, they can thrive in the UK and in their new communities.
With your and our support, the young people we work with can be excited about the opportunities available to them, and can value their unique talents and abilities so that they can rediscover their potential and move forward with renewed optimism. Together we can support and empower these young people to know they are more than the status they have been given, and we can help them find their place within the local community.
How to apply:
Please send your CV and a covering letter explaining your reasons for wanting to be our new treasurer.
We are aiming to conduct interviews late autumn with a view to new the treasurer starting in early 2025.
