Trustee position

The Sponne and Bickerstaffe charity is an almshouse charity (originating in the mid 1400s) which:

• Owns and manages 12 residential bungalows at Moorfield in Towcester
• Offers the bungalows for use by the elderly of Towcester who are in need but, are capable of independent living
• Owns a couple of parcels of farmland in the district from which it derives a small income stream

The charity has a (part‑time) Clerk and two (part‑time) site supervisors. The charity retains the services of various contractors to undertake site and grounds maintenance.

In addition, the charity maintains a "Relief in Need" fund which distributes small grants to people in Towcester in specific need, (for instance a victim of domestic violence moving into the town in need of a cooker or fridge).

The role of a Trustee (or "Feoffee" as they are referred to in the charity), is a part‑time volunteer role. Feoffees form the managing body of the charity. Feoffees come from all walks of life and use their own life experience and skills for the benefit of the charity. Typical topics that require management by Feoffees are:

• Resident welfare
• Financial (budgets, investments and monthly income/expenditure reports)
• Grounds management (providing a pleasant environment for residents is very important)
• Site management
• Staff management
• Health and Safety

Preparation time for the meetings will vary from zero to maybe thirty minutes. Occasionally individual Feoffees will accept actions to progress issues outside of the meeting, (for instance a policy review). Feoffees joing committees (which is optional) may meet at an additional evening per month, and/or carry out work between meetings.

Outside of the meetings there are the occasional e‑mails to consider but these will typically be less than two per month.

Prefer some knowledge of Finance or Human Resources, but not essential.

• Accessibility
  No accessibility issues
• Age restrictions
• Health and Safety Policy
• Ongoing support
• Training provided
• Volunteers covered by insurance

Start Date: 14/04/2026

End Date: 14/04/2027

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Sun

Morning No No No No No No No

Afternoon No No No No No No No

Evening No No Yes No No No No

Feoffees meet monthly on a Wednesday evening (typically the third Wednesday). Minimum desirable attendance per year is ten meetings, but some do less.

You would be involved with the Moor Field community in various ways depending on your willingness and availability.

Moor Field
Buckingham Way
Towcester
NN12 6PE