Hilda Lane Community Association (HLCA) is seeking a volunteer trustee with fundraising experience to join our friendly and committed board and help shape the future of St. Hugh’s Community Centre.
This is an exciting time to join HLCA as we develop our new three-year business plan, building on the successful and wide-ranging activities and services we provide for the local community across Anerley and Penge. This is a rewarding opportunity to use your skills to help develop and sustain a much-valued community space.
About Us
St Hugh’s Community Centre is a welcoming and inclusive space open seven days a week. Led by our Centre Manager, the centre provides:
- Space for community hire
- A free youth club
- Wellbeing classes
- Support for young parents
- Exercise classes
- Workshops and community activities
The centre supports residents of all ages, helping reduce isolation, improve wellbeing, and bring people together locally.
Having emerged from the COVID-19 period stable but with depleted reserves, we are running a sustainable centre but want to diversify our income streams and introduce new community programmes which the pandemic cut short.
Our next step is to deeply understand the needs of our local community as they stand now and design projects to meet them. We are therefore looking for someone who can help us match our emerging vision to funders’ priorities in a clear, motivating, and compelling way, helping turn ideas into funded, deliverable projects.
Our board currently consists of seven trustees who provide strategic oversight of the charity, while the Centre Manager handles day-to-day operations. We are a warm and friendly group, deeply committed to the mission of the organisation and open to new ideas and approaches.
Trustee Role duties:
- Provide strategic oversight and governance
- Act as a champion and ambassador for the charity
- Support delivery of the three-year business plan
- Help identify funding opportunities and income streams
- Support or review funding bids and grant applications
- Provide guidance to the Centre Manager, staff, contractors, and volunteers
- Minimum of four trustee meetings per year plus the AGM
- Approximately 2–3 hours per month reviewing or supporting funding applications
- Additional support via email, phone, video calls, or occasional face-to-face meetings
Fundraising Experience
Experience in one or more of the following would be particularly valuable:
- Trusts and foundations fundraising
- Corporate partnerships or sponsorship
- Individual giving or personal donations
- Philanthropy or donor development
- Grant applications for small to medium charities
- Community fundraising campaigns
Trustee Term
Trustees are appointed for an initial three-year term, which may be renewed by agreement. This provides continuity for the organisation while also welcoming fresh perspectives over time.
We welcome applications from anyone interested and are keen to ensure a diverse range of perspectives on our board. Previous trustee experience is welcome but not essential.
Interested?
If you would like to find out more, or just have an informal chat to see if this could be for you, please get in touch. Please contact Alix Bushnell, chair of trustees on 07956610607 or alix.bushnell@hlca.org.uk.