Trustee (Treasurer) - Voluntary

Trustee Profile – Treasurer

(Voluntary)

The Charity

Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) is one of the UK's leading marine conservation and campaigning charities. Our mission is simple, to Create Ocean Activists Everywhere. Our projects and campaigns inspire, unite and empower individuals and communities to take action to protect our ocean, beaches, waves and wildlife. Our vision, Thriving Ocean, Thriving People, is about connecting all humans to the ocean and creating communities of people who want to make real change happen. We support and empower people to campaign together as the authentic voice of the ocean.

The organisation was founded in 1990 and became a charity in 2013. The charity is made up of a board of 7 trustees, a head office team of 30, 200+ Regional Reps and over 100,000 active volunteers around the UK. The charity also founded and runs the only marine conservation All Party Parliamentary Group in Westminster – the Ocean Conservation APPG, bringing together a collaborative voice for ocean in Westminster.

The charity has one of the biggest community volunteer networks in the UK, with grassroots ocean activists involved in ocean conservation campaigns, beach cleans, plastic-free initiatives and fundraising initiatives around the country.

The latest annual report and accounts can be accessed through the Charity Commission.

The Opportunity

Over the last 5 years, Surfers Against Sewage has more than doubled in income, headcount, and delivery.  The organisation remains in a continued period of expansion and over the next 3 years we expect income to increase by 25%, and costs and headcount by 50%.  The charity is privileged to have available reserves to support confident and bold investment in the future, and wishes to maintain these at an appropriate level.  This specialist trustee role will support the board to ensure excellent financial stewardship during an exciting time of growth in scope and scale. 

Our new treasurer will work with a small but capable and ambitious leadership team, providing a sounding board and a fresh perspective on our financial decision making.  Trustee level oversight will help to ensure continued excellence in our financial forecasting and strategic planning cycles, and a continued robust financial control environment.  In the coming year we expect investment policy and taxation strategy to be key areas for innovation in our financial management, in line with the evolving needs of the charity.

This is a voluntary role, with travel expenses reimbursed.

Preferred Experience

• Extensive experience of financial management and financial control across a range of organisations Knowledge and experience of charity financial reporting requirements under SORP Leadership experience and an understanding of the needs of an organisation of our scale and at our stage of growth Passion for the environment and full support for the aims and objectives of the charity.

Responsibilities

• Attendance at quarterly Finance Committee meetings in order to provide: Oversight and review of annual budget and quarterly reforecasts Oversight and review of annual pay award Oversight and review of annual audit findings Input and guidance in financial development areas e.g. investment

Availability via email as required in order to provide: Oversight and review of management accounts Approval of all organisational payments and planned costs >£10k Approval of all related party transactions >£1k Act as an ambassador for SAS, including the opportunity to attend charity actions and events as relevant. All other duties and responsibilities of a trustee to ensure that the Charity is carrying out its purposes for the public benefit, in compliance with our governing document and the Law. Time Commitment

• Available for timely email approval of cost sign-offs ~2 per month as required Attendance (virtually or in person) at quarterly Finance Committee meetings, at quarterly full Board meetings, and at annual audit planning and close meetings

If you are interested in this opportunity, please email your cover letter and CV to recruitment@sas.org.uk by 31^st May.

Surfers Against Sewage values diversity and is committed to equality of opportunity and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.