Board of Trustees Recruitment | Parents & Carers in Performing Arts

We are looking for a Treasurer who is passionate about our work, and who can bring new perspectives and diverse lived experience to our team, to help us to lead change across our industry.

A key role in PiPA’s effective governance is that of the Treasurer as an ‘office-holder’ among the charity's Trustees. Trustees are the final decision-makers of our charity, and have final responsibility for its success or failure. The Board’s main job is to set direction and have oversight of what’s going on, offering our Co-CEOs strategy, scrutiny, and support. Trustees are unpaid volunteers, although we do reimburse reasonable expenses.

Trustee Role

Charity governance is a balanced relationship between the employed staff (in our case, our Co-CEOs) and the volunteers on our Board of Trustees. This team is responsible for directing the affairs of a charity, ensuring that it is solvent, well-run, and delivering the intended charitable benefits.

Trustees are required to:

Ensure that PiPA complies with its governing document, charity law, company law, and any other relevant legislation
Ensure that PiPA pursues its stated objects, and that it uses its resources exclusively in pursuance of its objects
Ensure the effective and efficient administration of the charity, including maintaining proper financial control and stability
Appoint the Chief Executives and monitor their performance
Contribute actively to the Board’s role in giving firm strategic direction to the charity, setting overall vision, mission and values, defining goals and setting targets and evaluating performance.
Maintain and ensure effective Board performance
Safeguard PiPA’s good name and values
Protect, manage, and adequately insure PiPA’s property and funds
Approve and monitor the implementation of internal policies (which include Health & Safety, Equality & Diversity, and Grievance & Disciplinary procedures) and ensure that risk assessments for all aspects of the business are undertaken/updated effectively

As well as these formal responsibilities, you’ll be actively involved in charting PiPA’s future direction, using your specific skills, knowledge, or experience to help the Co-CEOs reach sound decisions. This may involve scrutinising Board papers or documents prepared by advisers; leading or taking part in discussions; focusing on key issues; and providing advice or guidance on new initiatives where you have particular expertise or knowledge.

Treasurer Role

A key role in PiPA’s effective governance is that of the Treasurer as an ‘office-holder’ among the charity Trustees. While financial matters are the responsibility of all Trustees, it is often the Treasurer that the other Trustees look to on all aspects of the charity’s financial management and reporting.

In addition to the responsibilities of every Trustee, the Treasurer is also asked to:

Monitor the financial administration of the charity and report to the Board of Trustees, in compliance with the governing document;
Oversee the charity’s financial risk-management process;
Be responsible for Board-level liaison with the external auditors on specific issues such as the Auditor's Management Letter and the related Board representations;
Oversee and present budgets, internal management accounts, and annual financial statements to the Board of Trustees;
Ensure that proper accounting records are kept, financial resources are properly invested and economically spent;
Support the Co-CEOs to make and deliver financial plans and decisions with confidence;
Chair the monthly finance committee meetings, and report back to the Trustees;
Monitor and advise on the financial viability of the charity;
Oversee the implementation of and monitor financial systems;
Advise on the financial implications of the charity’s strategic plan

To take on this role successfully, you will need:

Up to date knowledge and experience of finance practice relevant to small charities, including the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP);
Knowledge of bookkeeping and financial management;
Good financial analysis skills;
Ability to communicate clearly financial information to those who may have little or no financial background;
Integrity, independence of thought and judgement, being prepared when necessary to make unpopular recommendations;
The ability to work well as a team member.

It is not necessary for the Treasurer to be a qualified accountant, as long as you do have current experience of charity financial management.

The Commitment We Are Looking For

In terms of time commitment, Board Meetings are quarterly and last three hours, with an annual Board Away Day. The time commitment for the Treasurer is approximately 1.5 days per calendar month although this may not be evenly spread across the year.

Over the past few years, like many organisations, our Board meetings have been remote but we are gradually returning to in-person Board meetings. In person meetings have in the past mostly been held in London, and also in Bristol and Sheffield. Future locations will be agreed by the Trustees, to reflect where people are based and taking into consideration the time costs of travelling to in-person meetings.

The Treasurer and Co-CEOs hold monthly, online finance meetings to review management accounts and other financial matters.

There is also the opportunity to be involved in other sub-groups of the Board (at the moment, we have committees responsible for governance; equality, diversity, inclusion and belonging; HR; and remuneration, which meet as required or, in the case of remuneration committee, annually); and occasional task-and-finish working groups. We anticipate that almost all of these activities will continue to be carried out online and via email.

The Treasurer will be required to give additional time to support the Executive Director, particularly, in preparation of the annual accounts.

Trustee roles are unpaid, but any expenses you incur as a result of your participation on our Board will be reimbursed to you, as long as we have agreed them with you in advance.

Trustees serve a three year term of office, and may be re-appointed to serve no more than two further terms, giving a maximum time on the PiPA board of nine years.

How To Find Out More

Look at our website pipacampaign.com where you’ll find a wide range of information about PiPA, details of our extensive projects, and recent news stories.

We’re also happy to arrange an informal chat with James Preston, as the outgoing Treasurer and/or PiPA's Executive Director, Cassie Raine, so drop our Operations Manager, Ali, an email at recruitment@pipacampaign.com and we’ll arrange a convenient time.

If you would like a copy of our most recent management accounts or our draft 22/23 accounts please email Ali. You can find PiPA's previous accounts HERE.

If you have not been a Trustee before, and would like to know more about what’s involved before applying, there is a wealth of information at gettingonboard.org.

How To Apply

1. Please email a copy of your CV and a Supporting Statement to recruitment@pipacampaign.com

In your Supporting Statement, please tell us:

Why you’re interested in joining our Board
How your experience (professional, personal or both) will help us achieve our plans for the future (please refer particularly to 'Our plans for the future' and ‘Treasurer' sections in the job pack below)
Two things you would like to learn from being a Trustee

Supporting Statements can be submitted in the following formats:

Written – should be no more than 2 pages
Video – no longer than 5 minutes, unless longer is needed to meet your access needs. We welcome application videos in BSL
Audio – no longer than 5 minutes, unless longer is needed to meet your access needs

If you cannot email your audio or video statement you can email a copy or a link to where the file can be found online to recruitment@pipacampaign.com

2. Complete the equal opportunities monitoring form via this link: PiPA Monitoring Form (optional)

If you require the Monitoring Form in an alternative format, please email: recruitment@pipacampaign.com. Ali, our Operations Manager, can arrange a phone or video call to take down your answers.

All monitoring form discussions will be kept strictly confidential, and the contents do not form part of the recruitment process

We look forward to receiving your application and thank you for your interest.

The closing date for applications is: Midday on Monday 9th October

If you require access support in order to apply, please email ali@pipacampaign.com

If you are shortlisted, interviews will take place online during the week commencing 26th September.

We’ll contact everyone who expresses an interest to let them know the outcome of their application and, if requested, to offer feedback.