Trustee Role - Treasurer - Volunteer in Guildford

We’re seeking a Treasurer to join Home-Start Guildford’s board, helping guide financial sustainability as demand for family support grows. You’ll play a key role in enabling informed decisions and ensuring we can continue supporting local families.

In this role, you will help ensure that Home-Start Guildford can continue delivering its services as we develop and implement our future strategic direction. Building on strong existing financial oversight, your contribution will support the Board to make clear, confident decisions about how resources are best aligned with our priorities. You will help ensure the organisation remains financially sustainable and well‑positioned to deliver against its plans. This will enable the charity to move forward with confidence, adapting its approach where needed and continuing to provide meaningful support to families with young children across our community.

What are we looking for?

• Experience in finance, accounting, bookkeeping or financial management
• Ability to interpret financial information and communicate it clearly to non‑specialists
• Confidence in budgeting, forecasting and financial oversight

Personal qualities

• Strategic thinking and sound judgement
• Ability to analyse proposals and assess financial implications
• Willingness to provide constructive challenge while remaining supportive and collaborative
• Strong communication skills and ability to build effective working relationships
• Organised, reliable and able to prioritise commitments

Values and approach

• Empathy with families experiencing challenging circumstances
• Commitment to the aims and work of Home-Start Guildford
• Willingness to actively engage with the Board and wider charity where appropriate

Desirable (but Not Essential)

• Knowledge of charity, voluntary sector or SME finance
• Knowledge of charity finance and reporting (e.g. SORP)
• Financial/accounting qualification
• Experience with online accounting software
• Experience of committee or board work and an understanding of governance
• Availability to support staff and volunteers on financial matters

Hybrid

This role offers a hybrid working arrangement.

What will you be doing?

Our Board of Trustees currently comprises of eight members with a broad mix of experience across HR, fundraising, marketing, governance, safeguarding and volunteer support. We are at an exciting point, with a recently appointed Chair who is leading a review of our strategic priorities, alongside a relatively new Manager who is working closely with trustees to shape our future direction. Like many charities, we are operating in a challenging financial environment. Demand for our services is increasing, while securing sustainable income continues to be a key challenge. Strengthening our financial planning and ensuring long‑term sustainability is therefore a major focus for the Board over the coming years.

As a small, community‑based charity, trustees work collaboratively and take a hands‑on approach when needed. This can include supporting local events, contributing to specific projects, and helping to raise awareness of our work across Guildford. This creates a strong sense of shared purpose between trustees and staff. As well as maintaining oversight of the charity’s financial affairs, the Treasurer leads on finance within the Board. This includes supporting robust financial planning, improving financial visibility for trustees, and helping to guide key decisions around sustainability and growth. This is a particularly important time to join Home-Start Guildford. The Treasurer will play a central role in shaping the charity’s financial future, ensuring we can continue to provide vital support to families with young children across our community.