Job Description

Job Title:  Clerk to the Trustees

Hours of Work:  Approximately two days per week, flexible by agreement

Rate:  £150 – £200 per day, negotiable depending on experience

Basis:  Contract for services.

Duration:  Initial engagement of twelve months, reviewed annually

Location:  Ladywell, London, with home working by agreement. Some evening work for trustee meetings.

General

Lewisham Parochial Charities is the umbrella body for four registered charities, formed in 1990 when a Charity Commission scheme amalgamated 27 older charities serving the ancient parish of Lewisham. We run one almshouse, Lloyd Court in Ladywell — 21 self-contained flats for residents aged 60 and over, supported by a House Manager and a Premises Manager on site. We also award small grants for relief in need and education.

Function of Post

The Clerk supports the Board in administration, governance and finance, and is the point at which the Charities’ records, compliance and board process are held together. The Clerk works closely with the House Manager so trustees stay sighted on the almshouse, while remaining independent of operational management.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Support to the Board of Trustees

  • Clerk the Board and its sub-committees: agendas, notices, papers, minutes and follow-up of actions.
  • Prepare and present written and verbal reports to trustees.
  • Help induct new trustees.

Financial Management

  • Maintain the three-year budget and provide regular budget reports to trustees.
  • Produce the statement of accounts for annual audit and file with the Charity Commission and other regulators.
  • Provide financial planning data, and ensure insurance and investments are reviewed annually.

Administration and Governance

  • Maintain statutory and operational records, including data protection, safeguarding, health and safety and risk.
  • Coordinate the review of policies and procedures, flagging governance issues with solutions.
  • Advise trustees on legal and regulatory change, and when specialist advice is needed.
  • Liaise with The Almshouse Association, the Charity Commission and the local authority.
  • Administer the financial processes for residents joining and leaving the almshouse.

Person Specification

Essential

  • Experience of clerking, company secretarial work or equivalent governance support to a charity board.
  • Sound knowledge of charity governance, trustee duties and Charity Commission requirements.
  • Financial acumen: budgets, management accounts and annual accounts for audit.
  • Excellent minute taking and clear written English.
  • Ability to work independently and discreetly, to deadline, with minimal supervision.

Desirable

  • Experience in the almshouse sector, social housing or sheltered accommodation.
  • Familiarity with the Almshouse Association and its Standards of Almshouse Management.
  • Some knowledge of property management — planned maintenance, quinquennial surveys, fire safety and compliance.
  • Experience supporting a board through governance change.
  • Working knowledge of Xero.
  • A connection to, or knowledge of, the London Borough of Lewisham.

How to Apply

Please send a CV and a covering letter of no more than two sides, explaining how you meet the person specification to:

applications@lpcharities.co.uk

Subject line: Clerk to the Board. For questions, email the same address with your telephone number and a trustee will call you back.

Closing date: Friday 18 September 2026, 5.00pm

Interviews: week commencing 28 September 2026, in person at Lloyd Court