Finance Volunteer - Volunteer

• Experience turning financial data into clear, usable information

Help a small early years charity simplify and strengthen its finances. We’re looking for a finance‑savvy volunteer to align our Excel management accounts with Xero, making things clearer for staff and trustees (and a bit more enjoyable, too).

This role will have a direct and lasting impact on how our charity operates and plans for the future. By simplifying and aligning our financial systems, the volunteer will help ensure that staff and trustees have a shared, accurate understanding of our financial position. This improves confidence, reduces unnecessary admin, and allows leadership to focus more time on strategy and delivery rather than navigating complex spreadsheets.

Clearer financial information will strengthen governance, support better decision‑making, and help us plan sustainably as a small charity working in a challenging funding environment. It will also ensure that trustees — many of whom are volunteers themselves — can engage fully with the finances without needing specialist knowledge.

In practical terms, this work will

• Reduce time spent managing and reconciling finances
• Improve transparency and communication across the organisation
• Increase confidence in financial planning and reporting
• Create systems that are proportionate, sustainable and fit for a small charity

Ultimately, stronger and clearer financial management supports our core mission improving outcomes for young children and their families. By helping us get our finances “out of the weeds,” this role contributes directly to our ability to deliver high‑quality services now and into the future.

We see this as a genuine partnership. Your contribution will be valued, visible, and impactful — and you’ll know that your skills are helping a small organisation make a very real difference.

And who knows where it will lead.....?

We’re looking for someone who is experienced and confident in financial systems and happy working with people who aren’t.

• Good working knowledge of Xero
• Strong, practical spreadsheet skills (particularly Excel)
• Experience turning financial data into clear, usable information
• Experience working with small organisations with grant or contract income

• Patience and a collaborative approach – we’re non‑finance people who want to understand, not just be told
• An ability to explain financial concepts in plain English
• A problem‑solving mindset and an enjoyment of making things simpler and more efficient
• Friendly, approachable and happy to ask questions (and answer ours!)

• Experience supporting small organisations or charities
• An interest in good governance and helping organisations work sustainably

You don’t need to be a Chartered Accountant. What matters most is that you understand charity income and expenditure, are comfortable with Xero and spreadsheets, enjoy bringing clarity to complexity, and are happy working with a small, values‑driven team.

We’re a small, well‑established charity supporting families with babies and young children. After 14 years of careful financial management, our systems have grown more complex than they need to be — and we’re ready for a tidy‑up.

We currently use both Excel management accounts and Xero. Each works well in its own way, but together they’re creating more admin than insight. We’re looking for a volunteer who can help us consolidate and streamline, so our finances are easier to understand and more useful for decision‑making.

• Reviewing our existing Excel management accounts and reporting approach
• Aligning and simplifying these with our Xero setup
• Helping us reduce duplication and “over‑management”
• Creating a clearer, more accessible view of our financial position for staff and trustees
• Translating financial information into plain English, so non‑finance people can engage with it confidently

You won’t be working alone. You’ll support (and be supported by) our senior leadership team and trustees, all of whom value good governance, transparency and clear communication. We’re a small organisation, which means fewer layers, quicker decisions, and plenty of appreciation for your expertise.

This is expected to be a short‑term, project‑based role focused on improving how our financial information is structured and shared. However, we’re open to the role evolving if that’s of interest — and we should probably warn you that, once we have you, we may be reluctant to let you go.

We’re looking for someone who is comfortable with spreadsheets and Xero, a practical mindset, and an enjoyment of making things simpler and clearer.