Octavia Foundation Charity Trustee

Role description and Person specification

Introduction

The Octavia Foundation is a registered charity working in central and west London, mainly in the boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster and Hammersmith and Fulham. Our mission is to connect individuals affected by unemployment, social isolation, ill health or low incomes with opportunities for positive personal change.

We have been operational since 2007 and our services and impact are increasing each year. Last year we supported 2,000 local residents.

We have ambitious plans for the next two years which include

Our priorities for 2012-15 include:

·  Expanding our youth programme to deliver a detached youth work service

·  Expanding our volunteer befriending programme to support more socially isolated older people

We have 19 charity shops in central and west London which raise funds for the Foundation’s projects.

We have recently carried out a board review and are now looking for a new Trustee to join our established Trustees board who will help guide and support us in this exciting new phase of our development.

Expertise and skills

Our turnover is currently less than £1m, but we have ambitious growth plans for the future so we are looking for one additional Trustee who has chief executive experience, expertise and skills in a larger and growing charity.

Above all you will have the time to commit to attending five Trustee meetings a year, together with an annual away-day and be available to sit on a sub-committee (in total about twelve days a year).

Trustee person specification

·  Commitment to the organisation

·  Willingness to devote the necessary time and effort

·  Strategic vision

·  Good, independent judgement

·  Ability to think creatively

·  Willingness to speak their mind

Trustee role description

·  To ensure that the Foundation complies with its governing document, charity law, company law and any other relevant legislation or regulations

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·  To ensure that the Foundation pursues its objects as defined in its governing document

·  To ensure that the Foundation uses its resources exclusively in pursuance of its objects: the Foundation must not spend money on activities which 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 strategic direction to the Foundation, setting overall policy, defining goals and setting targets and evaluating performance against agreed targets

·  To safeguard the good name and value of the Foundation

·  To ensure the effective and efficient administration of the Foundation

·  To ensure the financial stability of the Foundation

·  To protect and manage the property of the Foundation and to ensure the proper investment of the Foundation’s funds

·  To appoint the Director and monitor her performance

·  To declare any conflicts of interest

·  To act as a representative of the Foundation

·  To work collaboratively with other board members

Additional duties

In addition to the above statutory duties, each Trustee should use any specific skills, knowledge or experience they have to help the board of Trustees reach sound decisions. This may involve:

·  Scrutinising board papers

·  Leading discussions

·  Focussing on key issues

·  Providing guidance on new initiatives

·  Other issues in which the Trustee has special expertise

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