Board Trustee (Finance)

My Life Films is seeing to appoint a highly motivated and experienced finance professional to join its Board of Trustees, to further its aims of improving the wellbeing of people living with dementia.

ABOUT MY LIFE FILMS

My Life Films is an award-winning charity that uses film and TV to improve the lives of people living with dementia and support those who care for them, through the on demand, dementia-friendly streaming service, My Life TV and life story film-making.  

My Life TV contains video content carefully created and curated to enable people living with dementia to feel stimulated and connected to the world, improving their mental health and supporting their essential care. It contains a wide variety of high quality content: interactive activities like quizzes, singalongs, drawing & chair yoga; calming content like animal or nature programmes and slow TV; a wide range of reminiscence programmes from the 1960s onwards and much more. We work with highly respected content partners as well as producing our own programming in partnership with trusted organisations in the dementia care field and more widely.

With the My Life TV platform successfully through its testing phase, we are now scaling up its use, with a primary focus initially on the professional care sector, in order to reach as many people affected by dementia as possible.

ABOUT THE ROLE

My Life Films is seeking an experienced qualified accountant to join the Board of Trustees and act as Treasurer. 

The Board of Trustees is the governing body of My Life Films and is ultimately accountable for everything it does. Its main purpose is to provide strategic direction, governance and to ensure My Life Films has a clear, shared vision of its aims, objectives and goals, clarity on what it is aiming to achieve and how it will go about doing it.

The Treasurer is the Board lead on financial oversight, statutory reporting and governance, Chairing the Finance Committee and providing direction and support to the Executive Director. The Treasurer will also act as support on banking as secondary signatory for the charity. This role will play a pivotal role in ensuring the financial integrity, sustainability and accountability of the charity as we grow our reach and diversify our income over the coming years.

We are committed to inclusion and representation and would particularly welcome applications from people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds and other minoritized groups.

ROLE DESCRIPTION 

• Role title: Trustee, My Life Films (Finance)
• Location: Remote – 1 meeting p.a. in person in Greater London
• Time Commitment: Approximately half a day per month
• Renumeration: Not applicable

Purpose of Role

As a Trustee, the commitment you display will make a direct difference to My Life Films. You will bring your skills and energy to supporting our work including developing our strategy, accountability to our beneficiaries and the public.

This trustee will provide expert financial oversight, chairing the Finance Committee and helping review and steer the structuring of quarterly management accounts, annual reports, financial processes and forecasting. They will also act as second signatory on the bank account, and process the monthly payment run.

All trustees are also asked to support on promoting the profile of the charity, including helping with fundraising as needed and promotion among their networks

Time Commitment

• Prepare for and participate in Board meetings (quarterly)
• Chair the Board Finance Sub-Committee (quarterly)
• Support the Executive Director with financial management and planning (monthly check-ins)
• Approve the monthly payment run alongside the Executive Director (monthly action)
• You may also be asked to attend events and/or support staff with certain projects.

Eligibility

Only persons aged 18 years or more may serve on the Board.

Key Responsibilities

• Duty of Compliance
  Ensure My Life Films complies with its governing document and regulations, reports on what it has achieved through annual returns and accounts, remains true to its charitable purpose and as a trustee to act with integrity 
• Duty of Care
  Use reasonable care and skill in the role as Trustee, using skills and experience as needed to ensure that My Life Films is well-run and efficient
• Duty of Prudence
  Ensure that My Life Films is, and will remain, solvent, has due regard to its reserves policy, avoids undue risk and safeguards its good name and values
  Ensure that My Life Films applies its resources exclusively in pursuit of its charitable objectives

Key Duties

• Strategic Direction 
  - As part of the Board, ensure that My Life Films has a clear vision, mission and values, contributing actively to the Board's role in setting strategic direction to the organization, defining goals, targets and evaluating performance.
• Performance Management
  - Ensure that the Director receives regular, constructive feedback in managing the charity and in meeting objectives and that My Life Films measures its impact effectively.
  - Ensure that My Life Films’ values are put into practice by Trustees, staff and volunteers, with effective employment policies and processes in place.
• Financial Leadership
  - Ensure all strategic plans are financially appraised and that budget setting is aligned with objectives
  - Lead the Board review of Quarterly Management Accounts and constructively challenge and support the ED 
• Statutory Financial Reporting
  - Work with the ED, liaising with external agencies to create the Annual Report and Accounts.
  - Present the Annual Report and Account to trustees for formal approval
• Financial Safeguarding
  - Regularly assess the charity’s reserves status, advising the Board on occasions
• Financial Governance
  - Ensure that My Life Films’ legal, financial and regulatory obligations are met and that there are adequate financial controls in place, monitoring the financial position of the organization and to act reasonably and prudently in all matters relating to My Life Films and always in the interests of My Life Films.
• Financial Processes
  - Oversee the charity’s banking arrangements and serve as Primary User of the bank accounts
  - Approve the monthly payment run for both the Charity and subsidiary trading company (MLF Productions Ltd) alongside the Executive Director
• Good Governance
  - Ensure that My Life Films has a governance structure that is appropriate to a charity of its size and reflects the diversity of its beneficiaries.
  - Ensure that the responsibilities delegated to the Director are clearly expressed and understood, and directions given to him/her come from the Board as a whole.
  - Ensure that there is systematic, open and fair process for recruitment of Trustees, subject to the charity’s governing rules and with a Code of Conduct in place.

PERSON SPECIFICATION (Essential)

• Finance
  - Qualified accountant, with significant experience in a financial role, and ideally some experience of both non-profit as well as commercial financial management.
  - Ideally has knowledge of charity SORP regulations as well as general accounting standards
• Commitment
  - Understand and accept the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of being a Trustee including the time and effort required. Commitment to equal opportunities, inclusion and the aims and values of My Life Films.
  - A willingness and ability to devote the necessary time and effort required to do the role
• Focus
  - Ability to think creatively and strategically, and exercise good, independent judgement with a willingness to listen and learn.
• Communication 
  - Ability to communicate clearly, sensitively and in a reasoned way, taking an active part in discussions, challenging constructively and ask questions appropriately
• Accountability
  - Ability to exercise sound and independent judgment, confidentiality, standing by collective decisions and able to manage challenging situations
• Leadership & Management
  - Ability to give clear direction and strong guidance to the Executive Director, as well as leadership among the Board of Trustees on financial issues

PERSON SPECIFICATION (DESIRABLE)

• Specialist expertise / sector understanding in one or more of the following areas:
  - Social Care / Healthcare
  - Media
  - Content production and distribution
  - Subscription services
  - Charity Accounting & Law
  - Fundraising