Treasurer Trustee

Salary: N/A This is an unpaid volunteer role

Location: UK-based. Meetings are held in London, Manchester, Bradford, and Birmingham

About Refugee Action

Refugee Action exists to work with refugees and people seeking asylum who’ve survived some of the world’s worst regimes. We are a national charity with more than 40 years’ experience of empowering people who’ve survived some of the world’s worst regimes to secure the protection and support that they need to live with dignity and respect and build a new life in the UK. We do this by providing expert advice and casework, building the capacity of partner organisations and campaigning on the policies that affect them.

Our new 2030 Strategy

We have recently launched our new 2030 Strategy; you can read more here.

Everyone involved in developing our new strategy was clear that if we want to create the future that refugees and many people in the UK want, we must demolish the hostile environment. It’s an environment that manifests itself in the racist rhetoric of our leaders and the systems they create; systems that are dehumanising and complex, which segregate people and sap their spirit. Our current leaders may be stooping to new lows with their words and policies, but they are simply repeating the behaviour of previous Governments. The hostility has been ramping up for years. And that hostility is rooted in a racialised logic that underpins the entire asylum and immigration system.

As a trustee of Refugee Action

You will be responsible for developing and guiding the strategic direction of the organisation and steering the long-term stability of the charity. You will need to persuade, influence and communicate effectively with the rest of the board.

We are interested in talking to anyone who can demonstrate the ability to think strategically and the integrity to take on this important role.  Please don’t be discouraged if this isn’t something you’ve done before, or if you don’t meet all elements of the role specification; we will provide mentoring and training to support new Trustees to understand their role. Please do consider applying if you have the courage and enthusiasm to encourage, challenge and support us to be the best we can be.

All our trustees are committed to being actively anti-racist and removing the barriers to power for people with lived experience. You will need to be committed to and demonstrate an understanding of shifting power to people with lived experience, anti-racist practice and decolonisation.

Treasurer trustee:

We are currently looking to appoint a trustee to join the Board of Refugee Action.  This role will be the lead Trustee for our Treasurer work to advise and guide Trustees in the charity’s financial management to enable the board to fulfil their responsibilities.

This role will:

• Advise the board on the budgetary implications of strategy and ensure that strategy is optimal for Refugee Action to be a sustainable and successful going concern.
• Ensure statutory financial responsibilities are met and report formally to the board on the annual Auditor’s report and accounts.
• Lead on the boards duty to ensure proper accounting records are kept, and financial resources are properly controlled and used.
• Work with and support staff in Refugee Action with financial responsibility, in order to be satisfied that the financial information presented to the board is comprehensive and accurate.

Specialist skills, knowledge & experience for this role:

Essential

• Experience of working in a senior financial role: setting budgets, working with management accounts, financial controls and risk assessment systems.
• Ability to work with auditors with a good understanding of the financial obligations of charities.
• Ability to effectively guide and support Finance staff.

Safeguard and promote the values and mission

• An understanding of, and empathy for, the needs of refugees and asylum seekers and of their communities
• Commitment to Refugee Action’s (RA) vision, purpose and values and to act in a manner consistent with these
• An understanding of the importance of RA being responsive to the needs of its beneficiaries and of their wider communities
• Determine the Strategy and Structure
• Experience of setting, monitoring and reviewing strategic plans so as to be able to ensure any Refugee Action plan reflects the charity’s values and mission and that progress is being achieved
• An understanding of how an organisation remains sustainable

Be effective, responsible and accountable

• As part of the Trustee board, be able to ensure that the organisation is using its resources appropriately (comply with legislation and ensure the organisation can account for its activities)
• An understanding of and ability to review key areas of risk for Refugee Action to ensure appropriate policies and controls are in place
• Ability to review organisational policies and practices

 Make sure the board of Trustees functions effectively

• An understanding of the role of Trustee and the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities attached to it
• An understanding of the role of the Hon Officers (Chair, Vice Chair and Treasurer) and those of the Chief Executive and his/her management team
• A commitment to prepare for and attend Trustee meetings
• Ability to analyse information and, in an appropriate manner, challenge when necessary
• Ability to recruit and induct other Trustees where necessary

 Overall duties of Trustees

 Statutory duties

• To ensure that the organisation complies with its governing document, charity law, company law and any other relevant legislation or regulations
• To ensure that the organisation pursues its objects as defined in its governing document for public benefit
• To ensure the organisation uses its resources exclusively in pursuance of its objects: the organisation must not spend money on activities that are not included in its own objects, no matter how worthwhile or charitable those activities are.
• To contribute actively to the board of Trustees’ role in giving firm strategic direction to organisation, setting overall policy, defining goals and setting targets and evaluating performance against agreed targets
• To safeguard the good name and values of the organisation
• To ensure the effective and efficient administration of the organisation
• To ensure the financial stability of the organisation
• To protect and manage the property of the charity and to ensure the proper investment of the charity’s funds

Other duties

In addition to the statutory responsibilities outlined above, other duties may include

• Lead and provide guidance to the board in a given area of expertise
• Meet with donors and any other stakeholders to represent Refugee Action and its beneficiaries
• Keep up to date with Refugee Action’s services to clients, Influencing and Fundraising work
•  Attend 5 meetings a year– 4 board meetings and 1 away day.
• Read and scrutinise board papers before a meeting so as to be able to contribute fully in the meeting
• Occasional participation in a working group
• Occasional participation in staff interview, disciplinary or grievance panels

Funding

Refugee Action’s board of Trustees has approved a three-year budget for Refugee Action, to accompany our 2030 strategy. A core priority for us in this period is to diversify our income and to ensure that public support enables us to be a sustainable charity in the long-term so that we can deliver on our ambition for a fairer society for refugees.

Our income in the current year 2024-25 will be around £7.78 million. Around 43% is donations of individuals and other grant giving bodies. As this support will be central to Refugee Action’s future, we aim to increase this source of income, and we have started investing in our public fundraising activities to achieve it. We also rely on grants from Trusts and Foundations and contract income from local authorities. The income we get from local authorities is for our resettlement services, providing integration support to refugees from Ukraine and elsewhere to enable them to rebuild their lives during their first 12 months in the UK.

Your experience via paid work or volunteering

How you meet the skills knowledge and experience outlined in the person specification – remember, don’t be discouraged if this isn’t something you’ve done before, or if you don’t meet all elements of the role specification; we will provide mentoring and training to support new Trustees to understand their role.

We ask that you provide information using a maximum 3-4 A4 pages – you are not required to use 4 pages.

Those with lived experience as a refugee are particularly encouraged to apply

Closing date: 23:59 on Sunday 27 October 2024

Interviews: 14 November 2024 (on Zoom)

Refugee Action only operates in the UK, so all roles are UK-based.