Trustee

Feed Up Warm Up [logo]

“IT’S ABOUT HOW IT MAKES YOU FEEL”

These are really interesting times for Feed Up Warm Up, a multi award winning homeless, food and clothes bank charity that offers food, friendship and support to homeless (or those at risk of homelessness), and those managing’ at or well below the poverty line, in Hertfordshire.

We provide a safe, welcoming spaces, two evenings a week, where guests are able to sit down to hot meal and a chat, hear some live music, and find practical and emotional help. For those sleeping rough (referrals received via office phone, FB & emails), we distribute food parcels on the streets and ensure those all-important contacts established and followed up

Together with its founder and over 30 amazing volunteers, FUWU also manages outreach work sending teams into our community to offer direct support where it’s needed most signposting to relevant housing, mental health, therapy, drug and alcohol services.

Since Feed Up Warm Up was founded in 2018, the charity has made huge progress in understanding the true nature of the homelessness, food poverty and underlying issues and impact in peoples lives.

We are now looking towards the next 5 years of our evolution and beyond. To ensure the work and impact is sustainable not only for charity but also for those that have benefited as well ongoing training and development of volunteers doing the work on the ground.

This is where you can help.

There are big challenges in the months and years ahead, but we have the passion, vision, and ambition to meet them. If you share our belief and commitment to improving the lives of those in a time of crisis, we very much look forward to receiving your application

The Role

Overall Objective

We are looking to recruit up to 6 Trustees to be responsible for the overall governance and strategic direction of FUWU and for developing the charities aims, objectives, and goals, in accordance with its governing document and legal and regulatory guidelines.

Key Responsibilities

a. To act in the best interest of FUWU at all times.

b. To ensure that the policies and practices of FUWU conform with its aims and objectives, its Memorandum and Articles of Association and the law and are carried out accordingly by the Management team.

c. To ensure that FUWU complies with the statutory, legal and financial requirements of the Charities Commission.

d. To take part in formulating, and regularly reviewing the strategic aims of evaluating performance against FUWU agreed targets.

e. To ensure the effective and efficient administration of FUWU and its resources, striving for best practice in all aspects of its operations, income generation and governance.

f. To ensure that the income of FUWU is spent solely for the purposes laid out in its objectives.

Main Duties

a. To be an active member of the Trustee Board in exercising its responsibilities and functions.

b. To attend meetings of Trustees, whether Board Meetings or Committee Meetings, ensuring FUWU policies and concerns are reflected in their deliberations.

c. To be familiar with the operations of the charity so that a critical and informed view can be maintained; to participate in appropriate training sessions, meeting volunteers, and the sites from time to time.

d. To contribute relevant skills and expertise to support the charity where appropriate.

e. To promote FUWU to as wide an audience of potential donors as possible.

Code of Conduct

It is the responsibility of Trustees:

● To be aware of, and act within the governing documents and the law as it applies to FUWU

● To act in the best interest of FUWU – considering what is best for the organisation, its beneficiaries, and Referral Agencies, and avoid bringing the charity into disrepute.

● To manage conflicts of interest effectively, including declaring any personal

matters of financial interest and, in that context, taking appropriate action as necessary.

● To respect and maintain confidentiality – understanding what confidentiality means in practice for FUWU its board and the individuals involved with it.

● To work considerately and respectfully with all, respecting diversity, different roles and boundaries, and avoiding giving offence.

Time Commitment

Every Trustee is expected to participate in quarterly FUWU Board meetings, each lasting two hours, and held in Hitchin or online via Zoom.

They will also be asked to serve on one of the four specialist Committees set up to advise on Finance, Fundraising, Marketing, Operations and Governance.

Trustees may also be asked to support senior staff in certain projects, initiatives, or in areas in which they have specialist skills, knowledge, or experience.

FUWU Trustee appointments are unpaid.

Person Specification

You should ideally be able to demonstrate

1. A basic understanding of and empathy with people in crisis.

2. Some experience of board or committee membership, in a charitable, public sector or commercial organisation. This could, for example, include experience of being a school governor or committee member of a local group.

3. The ability to work effectively as a member of a board, whilst contributing an independent perspective.