Secretary Trustee

**Location**: Tyneside
- **Hours**:Approx. 5hrs/month plus meetings
- **Salary**: Voluntary

**About us**:
Headway Tyneside helps people affected by brain injury across the North East live a better life, by providing support, education, events and clinical service. It is run by a voluntary committee whose members bring a wide range of skills and experience and have a wealth of knowledge from working in the brain injury field.

**Role Summary**:
The role of the Secretary is vital in assisting the Chair and committee to organise the smooth running of the Trustee meetings. The secretary will be required to check that members have carried out tasks agreed at the previous meeting and distribute minutes in a timely manner.

In addition to the general responsibilities of being a trustee, duties of the Secretary include the following:

- Preparing agendas in consultation with the Chair, and sending notices of all meetings to members in a timely manner
- Making arrangements for Trustee meetings - booking rooms, arranging refreshments,
ensuring access for all attending
- Checking that members have carried out tasks as agreed at the previous meeting
- Participating in meetings
- Ensuring that the minutes of the previous meeting are accurate, agreed and signed by the Chair
- Taking and producing minutes of the meeting, noting the names of those attending and apologies, major decisions, any votes taken and agreed further actions
- Distributing draft minutes to all trustees in a timely manner
- Managing correspondence Managing updates and
- ground information required by the board of trustees
- Other similar administrative responsibilities as required
- Ensuring up to date records are held with both the Charity Commission and Companies House
- Creating and maintaining a calendar of key dates (e.g. filing of accounts and annual
reports; pay reviews; AGM & regular meetings; policy reviews etc)
- Recording and highlighting any potential conflicts of interest
- Ensuring the operation of the charity is in line with our governance documents, legal
requirements and charity commission guidance (& highlighting any deviations)
- Advising the Trustee Board on policy questions and assisting in the preparation and
review of Headway Tyneside policies.

**Experience required**:

- General Admin / Office Support including minute taking
- Organised, with strong communication and interpersonal skills
- Ability to exercise discretion and confidentiality
- Experience of working with committee procedures is desirable
- Understanding of the legal responsibilities and liabilities of trustees is preferred
- Knowledge of / interest in brain injury and support services is not essential but would be preferred.
- Commitment and willingness to learn and to devote time and effort to the role

**General Responsibilities of a Trustee**:
In addition to the responsibilities already outlined, the Secretary, as a trustee, has the following general responsibilities:

- Ensuring that the organisation pursues its stated objectives, by developing and agreeing a long-term strategy
- Ensuring that the organisation complies with charity law, company law and any other
relevant legislation or regulations
- Ensuring that the organisation applies its resources exclusively in pursuance of its
charitable objectives (i.e. the charity must not spend money on activities that are not
included in its own objectives, however worthwhile or charitable those activities are) for the benefit of the public
- Ensuring that the organisation defines its goals and evaluates performance against
agreed targets
- Contribute actively to the board of trustees' role in giving firm strategic direction to the organisation, setting overall policy, defining goals, setting targets and evaluating
performance against agreed targets
- Ensuring the effective and efficient administration of the organisation, including having
appropriate policies and procedures in place
- Protecting and managing the property of the charity and ensuring the proper investment of the charity’s funds
- Following proper and formal arrangements for the appointment, supervision, support, appraisal and remuneration of the charity staff
- Safeguard the good name and values of the organisation
- Declare any conflict of interest while carrying out the duties of a trustee
- Be collectively responsible for the actions of the organisation and other trustees
- Ensure the financial stability of the organisation and the proper investment of the organisation's funds
- Attend meetings and read papers in advance of meetings
- Attend sub-committee meetings as appropriate
- Participate in other tasks as they arise from time to time, such as interviewing new staff, helping with fundraising
- Keep informed about the activities of the organisation and wider issues which affect it

In addition to the duties of all trustees, each trustee should use any specific skills, knowledge or experience they have to help the board of trustees reach soun