Trustees Week: What Does a Charity Trustee Do? Join us as a finance trustee

Posted: 10th November 2026

Keeping a small charity running is no easy task. It takes a dedicated team, generous funders, volunteers, supporters in the community and more to run the day-to-day and make sure we are doing the best we possibly can to support children and families across Skipton and beyond.

It also takes a special group of people who donate their time and energy to help us achieve our mission – our trustees.

Trustees help oversee SELFA’s work. Along with our core SELFA team, our trustees help make strategy decisions and make sure we’re on the right track. They guide and challenge us, and help us create a community where all children and young people are celebrated, thriving and know they belong.

With their help, SELFA supports more than 700 children and young people every year in Skipton, Craven & North Yorkshire!

Emma Pears, SELFA’s SEO, says: “Our trustees are really important because they are all volunteers so they have that independent oversight. They help make sure we have a strong governance. That’s really important to us because it means we don’t have mission drift – so everything that we do ultimately works towards our mission of supporting children and young people to thrive and be the best that they can be.”

What does a SELFA trustee do?

Trustees help us fulfil our purpose and do what we were set up to do. At SELFA, that means making sure we are reaching as many vulnerable children, young people and families as we can in our community, and identifying how we can help.

They make sure we are acting in the best interests, by making balanced, unbiased decisions that benefit the cause. For example, when we are making a decision about a new type of provision, our trustees help us think through any challenges and benefits.

Trustees ensure we are managing our resources responsibly. This means making sure we are using funds in the right way and avoiding unnecessary risks. Trustees make sure we are following our governing document and the law.

They attend meetings and use the different skills they have to provide advice about how SELFA is run.

Finally, trustees also ensure accountability. Trustees are volunteers who generously provide their time and expertise to help SELFA run smoothly and transparently.

We are looking for a finance trustee

Are you good with numbers? Do you love spreadsheets? If so, we need your help! We are looking for a finance trustee to help us oversee SELFA’s finances. You don’t need to have experience as a treasurer or have worked in finance.

We are looking for someone who:

Can commit to 4 hours a month.

Enjoys making sense of numbers

Is organised, thoughtful and comfortable offering constructive advice.

Recognises the importance of managing charity finances carefully.

The responsibilities include:

Providing oversight and scrutiny of the charity’s finances.

Reviewing budgets, accounts and financial reports.

Supporting good financial planning.

Helping us make informed decisions about the charity’s financial future.

We request that our trustees attend four board meetings a year, visit one SELFA group per term (so three visits a year) and liaise with SELFA’s Youth Board and Youth Council.

This is a voluntary position but travel expenses will be paid. If you’re interested, please contact: admin@selfa.org.uk.