Join Our Board: Finance Trustee

We are seeking a new Trustee with strong financial expertise and experience.

Sylva Foundation is a national charity working for a society that lives in harmony with nature, focusing on the stewardship of our forests and the utility of home-grown timber. We provide solutions to meet significant environmental challenges by innovating, collaborating, training, and advocating. Our small team is made up of foresters, educators, scientists, furniture makers, and project specialists. We have a part-time Finance Manager, but otherwise do not employ a qualified financial professional on our executive team. Our home is in south Oxfordshire, including our offices and the Wood Centre, while our activities are delivered across the whole of Great Britain. Sylva Foundation is a charity registered in England and Wales 1128516 and in Scotland SC041892, and a non-profit making company limited by guarantee, registered in England No.06589157.

The Role

Role Title: Finance Trustee
Organisation: Sylva Foundation
Location: Remote / Hybrid (with occasional in-person meetings at our Oxfordshire base)
Commitment: Approximately 1 day equivalent per month
Remuneration: None (reasonable expenses covered)

As Finance Trustee, you will help ensure Sylva Foundation remains financially sustainable while supporting staff and fellow trustees to engage confidently with financial information and planning.

We are seeking a Trustee with strong financial expertise and experience. The role requires someone with sound judgement in combination with an approachable and collaborative perspective. The functions of bookkeeping and day-to-day finance management are handled by our executive team, while external accountants manage routine processing and statutory filings. The trustee board oversees the governance of the charity, including approval of annual budgets and regular scrutiny of financial plans and reports.

We recognise that the charity would benefit from additional and specialist experience by recruiting a trustee with a professional finance background to the trustee board. We also desire someone who can offer mentoring for the executive team to help make the most of budget systems and financial planning in practical and accessible ways.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Financial Oversight

Support the board and executive team in considering the long-term financial sustainability of the Foundation, including reserves, funding diversification, and financial planning.
Help ensure appropriate financial controls, reporting systems, and decision-making processes are in place.
Review management accounts, budgets, reserves, and cash flow with the executive team and fellow trustees.
Contribute to strategic discussions relating to, sustainability, income diversification, and financial resilience.
Help trustees interpret financial information and assess financial implications of major decisions.

Hands-On Support & Mentorship

Act as an approachable sounding board for staff and trustees on financial matters.
Help non-financial colleagues understand budgets and financial reporting.
Translate financial information into clear, practical insights that support confident decision-making.

Governance, Risk & Compliance

Support the Board in fulfilling its financial governance responsibilities as a registered charity.
Help ensure compliance with Charity Commission/OSCR requirements and relevant financial regulations.
Advise on financial risks associated with projects, partnerships, funding models, or new initiatives.
Review annual accounts and support the board’s engagement with external accountants or independent examiners.

Person Specification

Essential

Strong financial expertise gained through a professional qualification or substantial senior financial leadership experience.
Ability to communicate financial information clearly and accessibly to non-specialists.
Collaborative and supportive working style, with an interest in mentoring and enabling others.
Sound judgement and an understanding of governance, accountability, and organisational risk.
Commitment to the mission and values of Sylva Foundation.

Desirable

Experience within the charity sector would be an advantage but not seen as essential.

Trustee Responsibilities

As a Trustee of Sylva Foundation, you will share collective responsibility for the governance and long-term success of the charity. Trustees are expected to: