Finance Lead trustee

Eastbourne Foodbank is a locally based charity dedicated to providing emergency food, toiletries, and baby equipment to individuals experiencing deep poverty and destitution. The organisation also operates an in-house Financial Inclusion team that offers specialist debt and money advice to its clients. This team recovers approximately £1 million annually for clients, effectively helping many to move beyond the need for foodbank support.

In 2024, Eastbourne Foodbank distributed more than 22,000 emergency food parcels, with over one-third of these allocated to children.

Key tasks

• Provide strategic oversight of Eastbourne Foodbank's finances.
• Chair the finance sub-committee, which meets approximately three times per year.
• Ensure the foodbank maintains robust systems for budgeting, financial control, insurance, and reporting.
• Keep the trustee board fully informed on the organisation's financial position, overseeing all financial reports submitted to the board to ensure clarity and transparency.
• Guarantee that financial reports are comprehensible, properly discussed at trustee board meetings, submitted in the appropriate format and on time as required by the Charity Commission for England and Wales, and presented annually at the AGM.
• Ensure the appointment of auditors or independent examiners when income exceeds £25,000.
• Collaborate with the CEO and Chair of the People sub-committee to conduct an annual review of salaries.
• Regularly review nominated financial investments.
• Objects of the foodbank
• Support the trustee board in developing a long-term strategy for the foodbank with clear, measurable objectives.
• Work alongside the trustee board to ensure that the organisation's financial dealings are systematically recorded, independently examined (where income exceeds £25,000), and publicly disclosed as required.
• Ensure the foodbank complies with all relevant legislation and good practice, including employment law, health and safety, equal opportunities, safeguarding, and GDPR/data protection regulations.
• Maintain accountability and active compliance with statutory reporting and legal obligations.
• Oversee the development of financial plans for future budgets and manage contractual agreements with external funders supporting core costs and additional projects.
• Promote the organisation widely to potential funders, beneficiaries, and the broader community.