Finance Trustee - Volunteer

As The Great Friendship Project enters an exciting period of growth, we are seeking a Finance Trustee to provide strategic financial leadership and help build the strong foundations needed to expand our work tackling loneliness among young adults. What difference will you make? Your expertise will help The Great Friendship Project make confident, responsible decisions during an important stage of its development. We have demonstrated strong demand for our work and built a large, engaged community of young adults. Our next challenge is to develop the financial resilience, systems and oversight needed to sustain that impact over the longer term. As Finance Trustee, you will help us better understand our current financial position, anticipate future needs and assess the opportunities and risks associated with growth. Your support will enable the Board to make informed decisions about staffing, programmes, partnerships and investment. You will also help us strengthen our budgeting, forecasting, reporting and internal controls. This will give trustees greater confidence in the organisation's finances and ensure that our resources are used responsibly and effectively. By bringing financial insight to our fundraising and income-generation plans, you will help us build a more balanced and sustainable funding model. This will reduce our vulnerability to changes in individual funding sources and allow us to plan more confidently for the future. Ultimately, your contribution will help ensure that The Great Friendship Project can continue bringing people together, reducing loneliness and creating communities in which more young adults feel that they belong. What are we looking for? We are looking for someone who combines strong financial judgement with a genuine commitment to our mission. We are ideally looking for someone with

• Professional experience in finance, accounting, financial management or a closely related field
• Experience of budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, controls and risk management
• The ability to interpret financial information and explain it clearly to people without a financial background
• Strong strategic thinking and sound independent judgement
• Confidence in providing constructive challenge while working collaboratively with trustees and staff
• Reliability, integrity and a willingness to take an active role in the Board
• A commitment to tackling loneliness and helping young adults build meaningful social connections Experience in any of the following areas would also be welcome
• Experience within a charity, non-profit organisation or social enterprise
• Charity accounting and financial regulation
• Fundraising, grant funding or income diversification
• Organisational growth and financial planning
• Developing financial policies, systems or internal controls
• Working with accountants, auditors or independent examiners Hybrid What will you be doing? The Great Friendship Project is entering an important period of development. Since launching in 2021, we have built a community of more than 60,000 young adults and become a recognised voice in the national conversation about loneliness and social connection. Our income currently comes from a combination of grants, community activities and partnerships. As we grow, we want to strengthen our financial planning, improve the information available to trustees and develop a more sustainable and diverse income model. We are looking for a Finance Trustee to provide strategic financial leadership and help the Board fulfil its responsibilities for financial governance. You will work closely with our Chair, Director and fellow trustees, providing constructive challenge, practical guidance and reassurance on financial matters. Your responsibilities will include
• Budgeting and Planning - Support the preparation of annual budgets, forecasts and long-term financial plans.
• Financial Reporting - Review management accounts, cash flow and financial performance, presenting key information clearly to the Board.
• Strategic Advice - Help the Board understand the financial implications of decisions about growth, staffing, investment and new programmes.
• Risk and Controls - Monitor financial risks and support the development of effective financial policies, procedures and internal controls.
• Compliance and Accounts - Help ensure financial and regulatory compliance and oversee the preparation and approval of annual accounts.
• Income Strategy - Provide financial insight on fundraising and partnerships, helping us develop a sustainable and diverse mix of income. This is primarily a strategic governance and oversight role. You will not be expected to take responsibility for routine bookkeeping or the organisation's day-to-day financial administration. You will be joining a committed and developing Board that works closely with the Director. There will be opportunities to contribute beyond finance, including to our wider strategy, governance, organisational development and plans for growth.