Trustees

David Eley - Hon Treasurer and Chair of Finance Committee
Roma Andrews
Steve Avery
Mary Falk Co-Chair
Paul Kirkland Co-Chair
Bill Munt
Vicky Mudford
Malcolm Walker

Appointment of Trustees

As set out in the Articles of Association, Trustees can be elected by members at the General Meeting in accordance with the procedures set out. One third of existing Trustees are required to retire annually with eligibility to be re-elected. The Board of Trustees have the power to co-opt members to fill specialist roles. Any member so appointed will hold office only until the following Annual General Meeting (AGM), and shall then be eligible for re-election.

All members are circulated with invitations to nominate Trustees prior to the AGM advising them of retiring Trustees and requesting nominations for the AGM. When considering co-opting, the Board has regard to the requirement for any specialist skills needed.

Trustee induction and training

New Trustees undergo induction through briefings on the role of CFNF and their duties as a Board Member. New Trustees declare agreement to the CFNF Trustee Code of Conduct and are provided with a Trustee Information Folder that contains the Memorandum and Articles of Association, current Business Plan, recent financial reports and the Charity Commission Trustee ‘Welcome’ document. Throughout the year Board Members receive updates on information relevant to their role and are encouraged to attend appropriate external training events. There is an Annual Trustee Away Day that provides an opportunity for the Board to consider key areas that impact on the charity and the role of Board Members.

Organisation

The Board of Trustees administers the Charity and meets bi-monthly. There is a Finance subcommittee that meets on a quarterly basis. Other sub-committees are set up where considered appropriate by the Board. A Chief Executive is appointed by the Trustees to manage the day to day operations of the charity. To facilitate effective operations the Board have approved a Delegated Powers policy. The policy delegates certain authorities so as to enable the Chief Executive, managers and staff to carry out all the responsibilities required of them. The policy is targeted at preventing fraud, the exercise of proper financial and operational controls and minimising unnecessary bureaucracy.

Appointed Representatives

These are officers or elected members of the statutory agencies that provide core funding to the oganisation. They have a non-voting but speaking role under the following headings:

To act as an additional channel of communication between the Trustee Board and the funding authority

To advise the Trustee Board of developments and information from their own organisations which are relevant to Community First’s current activities and future planning

To advise the Trustee Board on the general concerns of the funding authority in monitoring the use of funds for core and project activities

To gain an understanding of the strategy, functions and activities of Community First and to inform relevant departments of the funding authority when appropriate

To respond to any concerns or issues raised through the Trustee Board which relate to the funding authority; to report these back to the appropriate departments.

In addition the nominated representatives may by mutual agreement be co-opted in an advisory role onto sub-committees or working groups, or be asked to sit on recruitment panels.

The current Appointed Representatives are: