Volunteer Homelessness Charity seeks trustee with homelessness/housing experience | Open Door St Albans
Open Door St Albans Charity
Date: 8 hours ago
City: St Albans, England
Contract type: Full time
Remote
Open Door is a night shelter for the homeless based in St Albans, Hertfordshire. It supports the local homeless by providing lunchtime drop in services, 12 ensuite bedrooms and 4 additional beds at its Winter Beds Project.
What difference will you make?
We are looking for individuals who can bring to the Board some practical experience of working directly with homeless people, especially rough sleepers, and/or experience of agencies or organisation that work with homeless people. Your contribution could be invaluable in bringing a wider perspective to our work and in providing practical and strategic advice on current and future activities.We are looking for trustees who also have experience of fundraising, including social media and other focussed marketing; experience of grant applications would also be helpful. You would support and advise the Volunteer, Publicity and Fundraising Coordinator. The trustees form the Board of the Open Door Charity which is both a limited company and a charity registered with the Charity Commission. They are therefore responsible for the strategic direction of the Charity but given that the Charity currently only has one employee, the Volunteer, Publicity and Fundraising Coordinator, they are to a degree hands on in managing the Charity’s work. The Board of Trustees meets around 8 or 9 times a year. Meetings are held on a Monday evening and usually last 1 – 2 hours. There is, of course, some additional work involved, but much of this can be managed by email.
What are we looking for?
The Open Door Charity is looking for new trustees with experience of the social care sector, especially housing and homelessness, or fundraising. The Open Door Charity is looking for two additional trustees to contribute to its work supporting rough sleepers. We are looking for An individual who has experience of working with agencies and organisations which support those who are homeless, potentially homeless or in poor or insecure accommodation, An individual with experience of charitable fundraising.
What will you be doing?
We are looking for individuals who are able to Help with raising awareness of local homelessness and related issues, and setting the strategic direction of the Charity. Therefore it would be beneficial that trustees have an understanding of homelessness.Assessing applications from Hightown Housing Association for project funding. This may involve applications for funds to buy equipment, furniture etc; or it can involve support or part-support for additional posts. Therefore it would be beneficial that trustees have been involved in project funding previously.Monitoring the achievements of the Night Shelter, and of the Safer Streets Outreach Worker, in helping service users to manage and mprove their lives (which are invariably complicated).Supporting our paid coordinator in raising funds to continue our support for the Night Shelter and other projects. Last year, expenditure totalled £108,000. Individuals with proven fundraising experience would be extremely beneficial to support us in recouping our financial deficit accrued over the last few years. Policy planning and strategy planning would be advantageous in helping us direct the Winter Beds Project (supported by a Steering Group of other volunteers); working with the Council and other parties to put in place policies and other arrangements, including setting up the temporary accommodation and the recruitment of volunteers.Contributing knowledge and skills, for example in marketing, project management and IT.Since others largely deliver what the Charity funds, we need to be confident about the value of the projects we support and about how they fit into the wider support available in St Albans.We need to maintain regular contacts with St Albans Council Housing Department, and we contribute to the work on the St Albans Homelessness Strategy.
What difference will you make?
We are looking for individuals who can bring to the Board some practical experience of working directly with homeless people, especially rough sleepers, and/or experience of agencies or organisation that work with homeless people. Your contribution could be invaluable in bringing a wider perspective to our work and in providing practical and strategic advice on current and future activities.We are looking for trustees who also have experience of fundraising, including social media and other focussed marketing; experience of grant applications would also be helpful. You would support and advise the Volunteer, Publicity and Fundraising Coordinator. The trustees form the Board of the Open Door Charity which is both a limited company and a charity registered with the Charity Commission. They are therefore responsible for the strategic direction of the Charity but given that the Charity currently only has one employee, the Volunteer, Publicity and Fundraising Coordinator, they are to a degree hands on in managing the Charity’s work. The Board of Trustees meets around 8 or 9 times a year. Meetings are held on a Monday evening and usually last 1 – 2 hours. There is, of course, some additional work involved, but much of this can be managed by email.
What are we looking for?
The Open Door Charity is looking for new trustees with experience of the social care sector, especially housing and homelessness, or fundraising. The Open Door Charity is looking for two additional trustees to contribute to its work supporting rough sleepers. We are looking for An individual who has experience of working with agencies and organisations which support those who are homeless, potentially homeless or in poor or insecure accommodation, An individual with experience of charitable fundraising.
What will you be doing?
We are looking for individuals who are able to Help with raising awareness of local homelessness and related issues, and setting the strategic direction of the Charity. Therefore it would be beneficial that trustees have an understanding of homelessness.Assessing applications from Hightown Housing Association for project funding. This may involve applications for funds to buy equipment, furniture etc; or it can involve support or part-support for additional posts. Therefore it would be beneficial that trustees have been involved in project funding previously.Monitoring the achievements of the Night Shelter, and of the Safer Streets Outreach Worker, in helping service users to manage and mprove their lives (which are invariably complicated).Supporting our paid coordinator in raising funds to continue our support for the Night Shelter and other projects. Last year, expenditure totalled £108,000. Individuals with proven fundraising experience would be extremely beneficial to support us in recouping our financial deficit accrued over the last few years. Policy planning and strategy planning would be advantageous in helping us direct the Winter Beds Project (supported by a Steering Group of other volunteers); working with the Council and other parties to put in place policies and other arrangements, including setting up the temporary accommodation and the recruitment of volunteers.Contributing knowledge and skills, for example in marketing, project management and IT.Since others largely deliver what the Charity funds, we need to be confident about the value of the projects we support and about how they fit into the wider support available in St Albans.We need to maintain regular contacts with St Albans Council Housing Department, and we contribute to the work on the St Albans Homelessness Strategy.
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