Treasurer

The City of Newcastle District Scouts is a registered charity within the Northumberland County supporting 22 independent groups within the Newcastle City LEA. The district also provides scouting directly to explorers (14-18) and network members (18-25). The current treasurer is stepping down after being in post for 13+ years.

You will be a key member of Trustee Board which meets 6 times per year and also a key member of the Finance & Property subcommittee (6 p.a.). All meetings are currently held virtually (Zoom) in the evenings (currently Wednesdays at 8pm) and generally last between 1.5 and 2 hours. You will be responsible for the preparation of quarterly management accounts and reports, budgets, and the annual accounts which involve ‘consolidating’ the accounts from separately maintained explorer units (8), the Newcastle Gang Show and the Scout Active Support Unit (SASU). You will also be expected to attend the Annual General Meeting of the Scout Council. You will be responsible for the agenda and minutes of the Finance & Property meetings which are held 2 weeks before the Trustee Board meetings to whom the minutes and reports are submitted. You will have to have a DBS check before your appointment and to complete certain standard modules coveringTrustee Introduction, Data Protection, Safety and Safeguarding (all online) within one month.

You will be responsible for maintaining the information held by the Charity Commission and for filing the annual return.

The current treasurer maintains the central district cash book with a separate bookkeeper responsible for completing the previously approved payments for you to release as the second mandated authority.

The current treasurer has also handled the negotiation of new leases and/or property acquisitions and the managing of the income from the one investment property. Experience of property negotiations an advantage but not considered essential.

The role includes occasional advice to the treasurers of groups and explorer units, and maintaining the bank mandates for all the bank accounts (most explorers have their own accounts) except for the Gang Show and SASU.

You should be able to work effectively as a team member of the Trustee Board in exercising its responsibilities and functions.

You will be responsible for ensuring there are sufficient liquid funds to meet expected outflows and, if necessary, arrange the encashment of investments held with CCLA. If there are sufficient liquid funds not required for a foreseeable future, you can arrange for them to be put on term deposit with the district’s bankers.

You will be required to negotiate (using an agent where appropriate) the electricity contracts for the (currently three) premises held for district use (these will currently run until 2028) and to ensure that the premises are insured.

The post will be appropriate for a retired, semi-retired or active professional with time available for volunteering with some ‘working hours’ commitment required from time to time but otherwise the ‘when’ will be up to the individua (within the requirement to prepare the papers etc for the specific Finance and Property and Trustee Board meetings).