Looking for passionate trustees who can help to guide and develop the mission and vision of our small (c. £43k 2022-23) but growing charity supporting children in one of the poorest places on the planet to exit extreme poverty.
Come and take on the general governance roles of a trustee as well as share ideas for increasing the charity's impact and developing the aims and delivery of our work. As a trustee you will be 'close to the action' and we can promise that the smiles you generate on children's faces, and the visible difference that your time commitment makes, will give back far more than you can ever put in. You can get to know each of the supported children as an individual and really see what they do with the opportunities you help to provide. Despite there being 6000 miles between the Chaffinch office and the project in Kenya, this is far from being a distant role.
As a trustee, our perfect volunteer will assist in ensuring the charity remains true to its objectives and is well governed. We would be particularly keen to hear from young people interested in perhaps their first trustee role, but welcome applications from any interested individual.
We currently have a budget of c.£43K per annum with year-on-year growth.
This role is mainly home working and requires internet access, Zoom software, and a smartphone with access to WhatsApp. There is also a requirement to commit (as far as is reasonable) to at least 50% of approximately 6 board meetings each year plus the AGM. These meetings take place using Zoom. Each trustee meeting is scheduled for 2 hours and are timed to take into account the needs of individual trustees as much as possible. There are occasional meetings with those in Kenya.
The work at home can be very varied and designed to suit your own skills and interests. Chaffinch trustees don't only sit in meetings and make decisions. Each trustee can also be a volunteer getting hands-on with the work of the charity here in the UK whether that's through an interest in fundraising, volunteer management, social media or contact with workers in Kenya. There will likely be an area you are drawn to in addition to the work of charity governance and policy.
The role is supported by the other trustees. Someone is always available to answer queries and discuss any issues, and we do have a WhatsApp group to facilitate quick updates and problem solving.
Our ideal volunteer will have previous successful experience in management and leadership at anything from a grassroots level upward. They will have a good understanding of the issues of extreme poverty and disadvantage, excellent organisational skills, and the ability to work well within a team.
No formal qualifications are required but a good standard of English is desired.
More than anything else, our ideal volunteer will have a passion for the work of Chaffinch with the children of Kibera.
There is a requirement to perform the general duties of a trustee by working on policy and governance issues, safeguarding and strategy. Further to that the work you do will be guided by your own interests, skills, and passions so whilst experience in particular areas is useful there is no requirement to be a fundraising genius or to fake excitement about social media!
Chaffinch was built on a desire to make a difference rather than pre-existing skillsets, so we actively welcome volunteers who are excited by Chaffinch's mission to create sustainability for local projects and who are committed to their own personal development within the role.
Chaffinch is still a relatively young charity (10 years) with a modest annual turnover. Many will overlook us as being insignificant amongst the larger charities. However, Chaffinch has scope to make a very real difference to the children of Kibera through our work empowering local people. Finding the right volunteer could mean the difference between a charity that helps a few young people and a charity that generates real opportunity and hope for children to build successful lives for themselves and future generations.
'Interviews' take place using Zoom (as do trustee meetings) so there is a requirement that applicants have access to this software. Following a successful chat with existing trustees and the CEO, candidates then need to be appointed to the role by member vote at General Meeting.
