Trustee (Finance and Risk Committee)
Garden House
St Nicholas Park
Jubilee Road
Gosforth
, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 3XT
Contact details
For a trustee pack with more information please contact paula.turner@northwt.org.uk.
About Northumberland Wildlife Trust
Northumberland Wildlife Trust is a charity dedicated to saving wildlife and wild places and helping people to get closer to nature.
We manage over 60 nature reserves and help create wildlife-rich landscapes and seas by working in partnership with other organisations, landowners and communities.
We are one of 46 Wildlife Trusts, a grassroots movement working across the UK to make life better – for wildlife, for people and for future generations. We aim to inspire people to value nature through our visitor centres, events, education programmes, volunteering and campaigns.
About the Trustee (Finance and Risk Committee) role
We are looking for a dedicated and passionate Trustee to join our Board Council and become a member of our Finance and Risk Committee (FRC), with specific skills and expertise in financial management.
Our Trustee Council is the legal entity, which is ultimately responsible for everything that the Trust does, and is accountable for the organisation’s financial regularity and all other aspects of propriety. Trustee Council is made up a group of volunteers who hold the financial and legal responsibility for everything the Trust does. They bring a wide range of knowledge, expertise and experience to the charity and are responsible for approving our strategic plans, annual budget and Annual Report & Accounts.
The Finance and Risks Committee (FRC) is a sub-committee of our Council that assures we have suitable financial systems and controls in place, that they are working effectively, and that risks are properly identified, managed, mitigated and reported. FRC is currently chaired by a long serving member of the Council.
Our current Trustee Council has twelve elected members, of which four currently sit on the Finance and Risk Committee.
Time commitment
Our Council meet at least every 3 months, in-person meetings in central Newcastle upon Tyne, with an option to join remotely/virtually. Board Council meetings are held virtually on weekday evenings lasting approximately 1.5 hours, normally starting at 4pm. Board papers are circulated 1-week prior to each meeting to enable plenty of time to read through and ask questions prior to the meeting.
Our Finance and Risk Committee meet at least every 3 months, generally remotely/virtually, lasting typically 1.5 hours, normally starting at 4pm.
The role is meant to be compatible with a full-time job and caring responsibilities, and we always aim for trustee input to be as flexible and time-efficient as possible. We are always open to new ideas to make our Board Council as accessible as possible.
Skills and experience
For the role of Trustee (Finance and Risk Committee), the following experience would be advantageous:
Qualified accountant with significant experience in a financial role, and ideally some experience in both non-profit as well as commercial financial management.
- Ideally has knowledge of charity SORP regulations as well as general accounting standards.
- Understand and accept the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of being a Trustee including the time and effort required.
- Ability to communicate clearly, sensitively and in a reasoned way, taking an active part in discussions, challenging constructively and ask questions appropriately
- Ability to give clear direction and strong guidance to the Executive Director, as well as leadership among the Board of Trustees on financial issues